Funding

UK businesses can apply for a share of up to £7.8 million for small R&D partnership projects. This funding is from the industry led R&D Partnerships Fund, a part of the Defra Farming Innovation Programme.

• Competition opens: Monday 15 September 2025
• Competition closes: Wednesday 5 November 2025

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) will invest up to £7.8 million in innovation projects. This funding is part of Defra’s Farming Innovation Programme which is delivered in partnership with Innovate UK.

We reserve the right to adjust funding allocations for any of our competitions under exceptional circumstances, for example, in response to changes in policy, portfolio funding considerations, or broader government funding decisions.

The aim of this competition is to:

• develop solutions with the potential to improve overall productivity, sustainability, resilience and move existing agricultural sectors to net zero
• ensure solutions have positive outputs for farmers, growers or foresters in commercially relevant situations
• develop new agricultural solutions by collaboration through engagement with end users and the UK research community in the innovation process
• accelerate adoption by ensuring knowledge exchange with the wider sector and other stakeholders

Find out more and apply.