Full ADOPT Grant Round 3

Overview

Defra, through the Farming Innovation Programme (delivered in partnership with Innovate UK), will invest up to £3 million to support on-farm trials and experiments. These projects must test and demonstrate innovative ideas or solutions that address on-farm or immediate post-farmgate challenges with clear benefits for English farmers, growers, and foresters.

The aim is to drive improvements in productivity, resilience, sustainability, and progress towards net zero farming.

Scope

Projects should focus on testing and trialling ideas or solutions that are either new or not yet widely adopted, showing how they will benefit others in the sector. Proposals must also include plans to share outputs and learning with other farmers, growers, or foresters.

Defra and Innovate UK will use a portfolio approach to fund a diverse mix of projects across different technologies, practices, farming sectors, and regions.

Key themes and topics

Projects must address a significant industry challenge or opportunity in at least one of the following sectors:

• Agriculture
• Horticulture
• Agro-forestry

Project duration

Projects must last 6 to 24 months

Start by 1 March 2026

End by 29 February 2028

Award value

Eligible project costs must be between £50,000 and £100,000

Funding rates

Funding will be awarded as a grant. Maximum funding levels:

Active farmers, growers, foresters (England, Wales, Scotland): up to 80%

Micro/small organisations (NI): up to 70%

Medium organisations: up to 60%

Large organisations: up to 50%

Research organisations (non-economic activity): up to 60% of total project costs, with:

• 100% funding for RTOs, charities, not-for-profits, public sector, and research organisations
• 80% FEC for Je-S registered academic institutions

At least 50% of total grant funding must go to farmers, growers, or foresters based in England.

Eligibility criteria

Your project must:

• Have eligible costs of £50,000–£100,000
• Be collaborative (minimum two farming/growing/forestry partners)
• Include a Project Facilitator listed in the ADOPT Innovate UK Business Connect database
• Work must be carried out in the UK, with results intended for exploitation in England
• Embrace open innovation, sharing outputs with other farmers, growers, or foresters

Lead applicants must be:

• An active farming, growing, or forestry business of any size, based in England
• Able to evidence commercial trading status (including sole traders and partnerships)
• Collaborating with at least one other farming/growing/forestry business (UK-based)

Collaborators can include UK-registered businesses, research organisations, charities, not-for-profits, and public sector bodies. Non-UK partners may join but must self-fund.

Additional rules

• A farmer, grower, or forester can lead one application and collaborate on up to two further applications
• Subcontractors are allowed but must demonstrate fair market value (overseas subcontractors only permitted with strong justification)
• Awards to agricultural producers will comply with WTO “green box” subsidy rules (Annex 2 of the Agriculture Agreement)

ADOPT Facilitator Support Grant: Round 3

This competition offers £2,500 to farmers, growers, or foresters in England to engage a registered Project Facilitator to help prepare a future Full ADOPT Grant application. While the support grant won’t be awarded in time to cover services for Round 3, having a listed Project Facilitator (like us!) in your team is a requirement for eligibility. We're here to support you with your current or future application. Book a free consultation to get started.