Farming Innovation Programme: Feasibility Round 4

Overview

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) will invest up to £4.8 million through the Farming Innovation Programme, delivered in partnership with Innovate UK. This competition funds feasibility studies exploring early-stage ideas that could transform farming and forestry by improving productivity, sustainability, and resilience while supporting the sector’s transition to net zero. Projects must demonstrate clear benefits to farmers, growers, or foresters in England.

Scope

Funding supports feasibility studies that investigate innovative on-farm or immediate post-farmgate solutions. Projects should develop and test new approaches, processes, or technologies that could deliver measurable environmental and productivity gains and lay the groundwork for future applied research or commercial adoption.

Key themes and topics

Projects must address a key challenge or opportunity within at least one of the following subsectors:

• Farmed animals
• Plants
• Novel food production systems
• Bioeconomy and agroforestry

Projects should focus on improving:

• Productivity and resource efficiency
• Farm and supply chain resilience
• Environmental sustainability and emissions reduction

Ineligible projects include those focused on equine sectors, fisheries, aquaculture for human consumption, cultivated meat, microbial fermentation, or crops for pharmaceutical use.

Project duration

Projects may last up to 24 months, starting by 1 July 2026 and ending by 30 June 2028.

Award value

Total project costs must be between £200,000 and £500,000.

Funding rates

For feasibility studies:

• Up to 70% of eligible costs for small businesses
• Up to 60% for medium businesses
• Up to 50% for large businesses

At least 50% of any grant requested by farmers, growers, or foresters must be allocated to those based in England.

Research organisations can share up to 50% of total eligible project costs, claiming:

• 100% if an RTO, charity, or not-for-profit organisation
• 80% of full economic costs (FEC) if a Je-S registered academic institution

Eligibility criteria

• Lead applicant must be a UK-registered business (including sole traders or partnerships) with a commercial focus.
• Projects must be collaborative, involving at least one other UK grant-claiming organisation.
• Eligible partners include UK businesses, research organisations, charities, not-for-profits, and public sector bodies.
• Academic institutions cannot lead or work alone.
• Farmers, growers, and foresters must be established commercial businesses with a UK bank account.
• Overseas subcontractors may be used only with clear justification.