Grants for farmers: ARiMR I.10.2 programme funding up to 65% for solar with storage

The I.10.2 programme, financed from the National Recovery Plan and the CAP Strategic Plan, is one of the most attractive funding paths for solar power on farms — support reaches up to 65% of eligible costs. There is one key condition: the PV installation must include an energy storage unit, which is a mandatory element, not an optional add-on.

Who can benefit

Beneficiaries are farmers running agricultural holdings who hold a farmer producer number issued by ARiMR. The support covers a PV installation together with energy storage, sized to the farm's actual energy consumption — both household and production needs (e.g. cold stores, dryers, irrigation systems). The programme targets farms of various sizes, but applications are scored, so a realistic chance goes mainly to those who prepare documentation carefully and in line with the call criteria.

Support level and scope

Element	Details
Funding level	up to 65% of eligible costs
Investment scope	solar PV + energy storage (mandatory combination)
Call dates	5 Oct 2026 – 3 Nov 2026
Technical condition	capacity matched to actual farm consumption

Why energy storage is mandatory

The regulator deliberately tied the PV grant to energy storage because a farm's consumption profile is uneven — peaks occur during morning and evening milking, product cooling or irrigation, and don't always match the hours of solar generation. Storage lets you use the midday surplus exactly when the farm actually needs it, instead of exporting it to the grid at an unfavourable price. This meaningfully increases self-consumption and shortens payback time.

What the programme does NOT fund — exclusions

This is one of the most common reasons for rejected applications, so remember two hard exclusions:

Wind turbines are not eligible under this programme. I.10.2 covers only solar PV with energy storage. Farms wanting to invest in wind power should instead look at the Energia dla Wsi programme, which covers wind turbines up to 1 MW, biogas plants and small hydropower.

Ground-mounted installations on soil classes I–IV are excluded. The programme favours installations on farm building roofs and on lower-quality land (classes V–VI), to avoid taking the best cropland out of production. Check the soil classification of your plot in the land register before applying.

Most common application mistakes

Experience from earlier ARiMR calls shows applications fail for the same recurring reasons:

Oversizing the installation — choosing PV capacity far above actual farm consumption, leading to rejection at technical assessment.

Missing soil-class documentation — for ground-mounted installs — an application without a current land register excerpt is rejected on formal grounds.

Outdated farmer producer number — , or failure to verify it before submission.

Too generic a business plan — , which fails to show clearly how the investment translates into energy consumption and savings.

Late grid connection conditions — missing the DSO document at submission time, even though obtaining it can take several months.

How to prepare your farm now

The call lasts less than a month, and competition for funds is fierce, so preparation should start months in advance.

Energy consumption audit — gather electricity invoices from the last 12 months to determine consumption profile and seasonality accurately (e.g. higher summer usage from cold stores or irrigation).

Sizing installation for self-consumption — PV capacity and storage size should match actual farm demand, not maximum available roof area.

Land register excerpt and soil classes — needed to prove that a ground-mounted location isn't on class I–IV soil.

Grid connection conditions from the DSO — apply well in advance, since waiting times can be long.

Contractor quote — a detailed cost estimate for PV and storage, compliant with programme requirements and ready to attach.

Farmer producer number — if not yet held, apply for it early.

Business plan and scoring criteria — check the call regulations for scoring criteria (e.g. farm size, share of renewable energy, location) and prepare documentation that maximises points.

Document checklist

farmer producer number (ARiMR),

12 months of electricity invoices,

land register excerpt with soil classes,

DSO grid connection conditions,

contractor quote for PV + storage,

investment business plan,

farm registration documents (e.g. register entry, cooperative KRS if applicable).

Week-by-week schedule to 5 October 2026

Period	Action
July 2026	Collect electricity invoices, preliminary consumption audit
August, weeks 1–2	Check soil class of plots, request land register excerpt
August, weeks 3–4	Submit application for DSO connection conditions
September, weeks 1–2	Collect contractor quotes, size PV and storage capacity
September, week 3	Prepare business plan and scoring documentation
September, week 4	Finalise all documents, verify/apply for farmer producer number
5 Oct – 3 Nov 2026	Submit application in the call

What about wind turbines?

If your farm is also considering wind power, I.10.2 is not the right path — wind turbines are excluded from it. Farmers interested in wind turbines should monitor calls under the Energia dla Wsi programme, which covers wind installations up to 1 MW, plus biogas plants and small hydropower — with a PLN 1 billion budget for 2026 and flat-rate funding (PLN 3,940/kW for PV, PLN 2,250/kWh for storage).

Summary

The I.10.2 programme offers a real chance to finance up to two-thirds of the cost of a solar installation with energy storage for your farm, but it requires precise preparation — from a consumption audit to checking soil class and avoiding the most common formal mistakes. Plan the financing of your own contribution now, so the 5 October call doesn't catch your farm unprepared.

FAQ

Can I.10.2 be combined with other support programmes? Generally, the same eligible costs cannot be double-funded from two different programmes — you must choose one path for a given investment, so compare I.10.2 and Energia dla Wsi terms beforehand.

Does the grant cover upgrading an existing PV installation? The programme is aimed mainly at new installations together with storage — adding only storage to an existing installation may follow different eligibility rules, so check the call regulations before applying.

How long does it take to get a decision? ARiMR announces assessment timelines separately after the call closes — follow the agency's website so you don't miss a request to supplement documents, since formal gaps are another common reason for losing points or rejection.