ADOPT – grant funding support for on farm trials of agri innovations: what makes a successful project?

By investing in innovation, research, and development, the programme aims to improve productivity, resilience, and sustainability across UK agriculture. One of its most hands-on funding strands is ADOPT (Accelerating Development of Practices and Technologies) — designed to help move innovation from theory to practice through farmer-led, on-farm trials. The scheme supports the testing and demonstration of new technologies and approaches, helping to build confidence and evidence for wider adoption.

Understanding the ADOPT schemes

There are two types of ADOPT funding, depending on where you are in your project journey:

Facilitator Support Grant

A £2,500 fixed grant to engage a Project Facilitator who can help shape and strengthen your full application. This is especially valuable if you’re new to grant funding or need help structuring your proposal.

Full ADOPT Grant‍

Between £50,000 and £100,000 for collaborative, farmer-led projects that test and demonstrate new ideas or technologies in real-world farm settings.
Projects can run for 6 to 24 months and must:

• Involve at least two farming businesses
• Direct at least 50% of funding to farmers, growers, or foresters based in England

ADOPT differs from traditional R&D funding — it’s not about lab-based experiments or early-stage feasibility. It’s about practical uptake: enabling farmers to put innovation to the test, validate it in real conditions, and share what works.

What makes a strong ADOPT concept?

Project stand out when they show:‍

• ‍Farmer-led insight – ideas rooted in real on-farm or immediate post-gate challenges, whether that’s reducing input costs, improving soil health, or cutting emissions‍
• Collaboration– at least two farming businesses plus relevant partners supporting technology installation, data collection & analysis, plus project coordination & management‍
• Value for money – justified costs for the on farm trials which can cover labour, machinery, materials, and farmer time‍
• Scalability – Evidence that results could be applied more widely, with clear plans for knowledge exchange and dissemination‍
• Value for money – Transparent and justified costs, covering labour, materials, machinery, and farmer time‍
• Alignment with policy goals – Demonstrating contribution towards productivity, sustainability, resilience, and net-zero goals

Farmer involvement at every stage

Farmer participation sits at the heart of ADOPT — not as a formality, but as the driving force. Typically, this looks like:

• ‍Shaping the idea – farmers identify real on-farm or immediate post-gate challenges problems that need solving‍
• Proposal development – farmers co-design the application with partners, agreeing trial methods, costs, and success measures
• ‍On-farm trials – farmers host trials and run demonstrations ensuring the approach is workable in practice
• ‍Evaluating outcomes – Farmers help interpret data, assess feasibility, and identify what worked (and what didn’t)‍
• Sharing results – Farmers act as ambassadors through open days, peer learning, and case studies to help adoption spread

This ensures each project remains farmer-driven, realistic, and results-focused — producing outcomes that are genuinely useful across the sector.

Tips for applicants

• Make the most of the Facilitator Support Grant – It’s designed to help strengthen your proposal and increase your chance of success
• Build partnerships early – Connect with your preferred Project Facilitator via Innovate UK Business Connect
• Create a realistic budget – Include farmer time and resources from the start
• Plan for risk – Consider unseasonal weather, equipment failure, or data delays
• Prioritise knowledge exchange – Think about how other farmers will benefit from your results

Final thoughts

ADOPT grants represent a unique opportunity for farmers to test and trial ideas or solutions that are either new or not yet widely used to advance the future of UK agriculture. By focusing on farmer-led, grounded trials, and peer-to-peer knowledge sharing, the programme helps ensure new technologies and practices aren’t just clever ideas — they’re widespread, practical solutions that deliver real impact on farm.

View the latest agriculture grants (including ADOPT) here. Book a free consultation to discuss your eligibility.