ADOPT Facilitator Support Grant: Round 9

Overview

This grant supports farmers, growers and foresters in England to strengthen their applications for the Full ADOPT Grant. It provides a fixed £2,500 contribution to engage a registered Project Facilitator, helping applicants develop a stronger, more competitive submission.

Delivered through Defra’s Farming Innovation Programme in partnership with Innovate UK, the competition aims to improve application quality, widen access to funding, and build capability across the agricultural innovation ecosystem.

Funding is released once evidence is provided that a Full ADOPT Grant application has been submitted for assessment. Successful applicants are expected to provide evidence within six months of funding being awarded that their Full ADOPT Grant application has been sent for assessment.

Kene are approved ADOPT Project Facilitators for ADOPT grants

Scope

The project that applicants intend to develop and submit as a Full ADOPT Grant application must be for an on-farm trial or experiment to test new ideas and solutions. This is to demonstrate to farmers, growers or foresters whether it works in real on-farm conditions.

Proposals must demonstrate to other farmers, growers or foresters in England how the idea or solution will be of benefit to them.

Projects must focus on testing and trialling ideas or solutions that are either new or not yet widely used.

A portfolio approach will be taken to fund a variety of projects across different technologies, markets, themes, practices and processes, farming sectors, and regions.

Key themes and topics

This competition is designed for farmers, growers and foresters based in England who are keen to test and trial new ideas or solutions on-farm and require support to develop a Full ADOPT Grant application.

Projects need to address major on-farm or immediate post farmgate challenges or opportunities and must have the potential to significantly improve one or more of the following:

• productivity
• resilience
• sustainability and progression towards net zero farming

Proposals must demonstrate to other farmers, growers or foresters in England how the idea or solution will be of benefit to them.

Projects must focus on testing and trialling ideas or solutions that are either new or not yet widely used.

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

• agriculture
• horticulture
• agro-forestry

Projects will not be funded if they:

• do not benefit farmers, growers or foresters in England
• are based on funded crop variety plot trials
• are based on existing demonstration trials or projects
• are for the production of crops or plants for medicinal or pharmaceutical use
• are for cultivated meat
• are based on equine systems
• involve wild caught fisheries
• involve aquaculture, such as algae and seaweed for human consumption
• involve fermentation systems for bacteria, yeast or fungi for human consumption

Project duration

Must start by 1 October 2026

Award value

Grant funding request £2,500

Funding rates

This grant provides 100% funding for eligible costs, covering the £2,500 facilitator support fee for successful applicants.

Eligibility criteria

Projects must be led by an active farming, growing or forestry business based in England

Applicants must be established commercial businesses, including sole traders and partnerships

Applicants must engage an external Project Facilitator registered with Innovate UK Business Connect

Projects must result in the submission of a Full ADOPT Grant application

Subcontractors are not allowed in this competition

Applicants can only submit one application per round and receive a maximum of two facilitator support grants overall

All funded activity must relate to UK-based agricultural operations

Subsidy control rules apply under the Subsidy Control Act 2022

Upcoming deadlines

• Full ADOPT Grant Rd 8
  • Closes: 29 Jul 2026
  • Start: 1 Dec 2026
• Facilitator Support Grant Rd 10
  • Closes: 19 Aug 2026
  • Start: 1 Nov 2026
• Full ADOPT  Grant Rd 9
  • Closes: 23 Sep 2026
  • Start: 1 Feb 2027
• Full ADOPT  Grant Rd 10
  • Closes: 18 Nov 2026
  • Start: 1 May 2027

Kene are approved ADOPT Project Facilitators for ADOPT grants.