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.
In applying to this competition, you are entering into a competitive process.
This competition closes at 11am UK time on the deadline stated.
The aim of this competition is to fund feasibility studies investigating new solutions that will address major on-farm or immediate post farmgate challenges or opportunities.
Your solutions must significantly improve:
- productivity
- sustainability and environmental impact
- progression towards net zero emissions
- resilience
Your project must be able to demonstrate how the project will benefit farmers, growers or foresters in England.
Any eligibility criteria
If you are successful, any awards given to primary agricultural producers are subject to the green box exemption under the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Agreement on Agriculture.
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
Projects must always start on the first of the month and this must be stated within your application. Your project start date will be reflected in your grant offer letter if you are successful.
You must only include eligible project costs in your application.
Under current restrictions, this competition will not fund any procurement, commercial, business development or supply chain activity with any Russian or Belarusian entity as lead, partner or subcontractor. This includes any goods or services originating from a Russian or Belarusian source.
To lead a project your organisation must:
- be a UK registered business of any size
- collaborate with other UK registered organisations
To collaborate with the lead, your organisation must be a UK registered:
- business of any size
- academic institution
- charity
- not for profit
- public sector organisation
- research and technology organisation (RTO)
How to apply for the grant?
For more information please click here.
Contact information:
Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra)
Additional information
Closing Date: 15/11/2023
