Farming Innovation Programme: Feasibility Round 5

Overview

The Farming Innovation Programme: Feasibility Round 5 provides a share of up to £15 million to support early-stage feasibility studies that address significant on-farm or immediate post-farmgate challenges. Delivered by Innovate UK on behalf of Defra, the competition aims to accelerate the development of innovative agricultural solutions that improve productivity, sustainability and resilience while supporting the transition towards net zero farming.

Projects should investigate promising new ideas with clear commercial potential and demonstrate tangible benefits for farmers, growers or foresters in England. Collaborative working between industry and the wider UK research community is encouraged to help accelerate innovation and increase the adoption of practical solutions across the sector.

Scope

The aim of this competition is to fund feasibility studies investigating new solutions that will address major on-farm or immediate post farmgate challenges or opportunities.

Solutions must significantly improve:

• productivity
• resilience
• sustainability and progression towards low emission farming

Projects must be able to demonstrate how the project will benefit farmers, growers or foresters in England.

Key themes and topics

Projects must address a significant industry challenge or opportunity in at least one of the four industry subsectors below:

• farmed animals
• plants
• novel food production systems
• bioeconomy and agroforestry

Project duration

Up to 24 months

Must start on 1 January 2027

End by 31 December 2028

Award value

Grant funding request between £200,000 and £500,000

Funding rates

For feasibility studies, which evaluate a project's potential by identifying key technical, commercial and practical considerations before larger-scale development, organisations can receive funding towards eligible project costs of:

• up to 70% if you are a micro or small organisation
• up to 60% if you are a medium sized organisation
• up to 50% if you are a large organisation

Research organisations can share up to 50% of the total eligible project costs.

Eligibility criteria

• Projects must be collaborative and led by a UK registered business of any size, including sole traders and partnerships.
• Projects must include at least one other grant-claiming business.
• Collaborators can include a UK registered business, academic institution, charity, not-for-profit organisation, public sector organisation or research and technology organisation (RTO).
• Subcontractors should preferably be UK-based. Overseas subcontractors are permitted where applicants can fully justify why suitable UK suppliers are unavailable.
• All funded project work must be carried out within the UK.
• Applicants must intend to exploit the project results in or from the UK.
• Subsidy Control and State Aid rules apply under the Subsidy Control Act 2022.