Over £14 million is being made available through two new competitions to promote agricultural innovation and research in the farming sector
As part of its commitment to invest £600 million in agricultural innovation and productivity, the UK government is offering over £14 million in funding through two new competitions.
The Farming Innovation Programme, managed by the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (Defra), aims to support research and feasibility projects that promote innovative solutions for farming, improve productivity, and work towards achieving net zero targets.
Unlocking solutions for farming solutions
The competitions are open to farmers, growers, foresters, research organisations, and agricultural businesses to collaborate on novel ideas and solutions. Past competition rounds have resulted in funding for automation to enhance soft fruit yield, lightweight asparagus-harvesting robots, and the use of ultraviolet as a disinfectant in the dairy and poultry sectors.
Third round of small R&D partnerships competition
Defra is publishing guidance for the third round of the Small R&D Partnerships competition, valued at nearly £10 million.
The competition, developed in partnership with the Transforming Food Production Challenge and delivered by Innovate UK, aims to support businesses in developing new farming products or services and bringing them to the open market.
£4.5 million feasibility studies competition
Additionally, Defra is guiding a £4.5 million Feasibility Studies competition, which aims to assist businesses and researchers in testing early-stage ideas to determine their practicality and potential impact on productivity, sustainability, and net zero goals in agriculture.
Transforming agricultural innovative solutions into reality
Dr. Katrina Hayter, Executive Director for the Healthy Living and Agriculture Domain at Innovate UK, highlighted the importance of collaborations between farmers, growers, agri-businesses, and researchers to transform innovative solutions into practical applications.
Since its inception in October 2021, the Farming Innovation Programme has launched 16 competitions, with over £123 million in funding committed to industry-led research and development in agriculture and horticulture by August 2023.
The recent Farm to Fork Summit reaffirmed the government’s commitment to supporting the farming sector through various measures, including the On-Farm Environmental Resilience competition, offering up to £12.5 million to drive the development of new technology and innovative farming methods, with the results expected to be announced in the autumn.
