Deadline: October 15, 2025
Farming, growing, or forestry businesses based in England can now apply for a £2,500 grant to engage an external Project Facilitator and develop a Full ADOPT Grant application under Defra’s Farming Innovation Programme.
The aim of this competition is to: provide a £2,500 grant for a farmer, grower or forester based in England to engage an external Project Facilitator to support with submissions into the Full ADOPT Grant competitions, improve the quality of Full ADOPT Grant applications, make ADOPT funding accessible to a wider range of applicants, enhance the skills and expertise of the farming eco-system to engage with innovation funding.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), working in partnership with Innovate UK, has committed up to £100,000 in funding for this round. Successful applicants will receive £2,500 once they provide evidence that their Full ADOPT Grant application has been submitted for assessment. Claims must be made within six months of receiving the Grant Offer letter.
The competition is open to established commercial farming, growing, or forestry businesses of any size based in England. Applicants must engage an external Project Facilitator registered in the Innovate UK Business Connect database to support their application. Only one application per round is permitted, with a maximum of two Facilitator Support Grants per organisation.
Projects developed under this competition must focus on on-farm trials or experiments to test and demonstrate new ideas and solutions in real farm conditions. Proposals should address major on-farm or immediate post-farmgate challenges or opportunities with the potential to significantly improve productivity, resilience, sustainability, and progression towards net zero farming. Eligible sectors include agriculture, horticulture, and agro-forestry.
Certain activities will not be funded, including projects unrelated to farmers, growers, or foresters in England, crop variety plot trials, existing demonstration trials, cultivated meat, equine systems, aquaculture, and projects linked to export performance or mandatory domestic inputs usage.
Applications close at 11:00am on 15 October 2025. Defra encourages applications from all backgrounds and provides reasonable adjustments for applicants with disabilities or long-term conditions.
For more information, visit GOV.UK.
