Defra Farming Innovation Programme

What is the grant available for?

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra), will invest up to £4.5 million in innovation projects.

This funding is part of Defra’s Farming Innovation Programme which is delivered in partnership with Innovate UK’s Transforming Food Production (TFP) Challenge.

The aim of this funding competition is to fund feasibility studies investigating new solutions that will address major on-farm or immediate post farmgate challenges or opportunities.

This will include projects that:

• investigate early-stage solutions that have the potential to substantially improve the overall productivity, sustainability and resilience of farming, and move existing agricultural sectors to net zero
• prioritise solutions that will have positive outputs for farmers, growers and foresters in commercially relevant situations
• accelerate research and development of new agricultural solutions by actively engaging collaboration with the wider UK research community in the innovation process

Your proposal must be able to demonstrate how the project will benefit farmers, growers or foresters in England.

Your project must address a significant industry challenge or opportunity in at least one of the four industry subsectors below:

• farmed animals
• plants
• novel food production systems
• bioeconomy and agroforestry

In applying to this competition, you are entering into a competitive process.

This competition closes at 11am UK time on the deadline stated.

 

Percentage of project cost

For a feasibility study project, you could get funding for your eligible project costs of:

• up to 70% if you are a micro or small organisation
• up to 60% if you are a medium sized organisation
• up to 50% if you are a large organisation

Any eligibility criteria

Your project must:

• have total costs between £200,000 and £500,000
• start by 1 May 2024
• end by 30 April 2026
• last between 12 months and 24 months
• carry out all of its project work in the UK
• intend to exploit the results from or in the UK

What grant amounts are available?

Your project’s total costs must be between £200,000 and £500,000.

 

Who provides the grant?

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) Farming Innovation Programme.

How to apply for the grant?

For further information or to apply please click here.