New Grants to Drive Innovation on Farms

DEFRA has announced a boost to food security, with more than £45 million in new grants to drive and develop innovative technologies on farms.

From 28 April, applications will open for the brand-new Accelerating Development of Practices and Technologies (ADOPT) competition, which will commit up to £20.6 million of funding in 25/26. This grant will support farmers looking to test new technologies on their own farms and bridge the gap between innovation and real-world application.

Farmers can access tailored advice and apply for a £2,500 support grant via the ADOPT Support Hub to help them through the application and trial process.

From 5 May, two further competitions will open under the Farming Innovation Programme (FIP):

• The first £12.5 million to support collaborative research into ways to reduce on-farm emissions, helping farms to become more sustainable and climate-resilient.
• The second £12.5 million competition will fund R&D using precision-bred crops to improve yield, reduce chemical inputs and enhance disease resistance. This builds on the new opportunities enabled by the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023.

FIP, Defra's flagship innovation programme, is delivered by Innovate UK, as part of UKRI, and forms part of the government's wider commitment to food production and security, farm productivity and nature.

ADOPT will be open throughout 2025. Find out how you can apply for the ADOPT competition in a recent Defra Farming Blog Post.

Webinar

A webinar will be held on 30 April for those interested in applying. This is an opportunity to put questions to the team and gain further guidance on the application process. Register to attend the webinar.