Global Incubator Programme: Agri-Tech Australia Farmers2Founders

Innovate UK seeks innovative Agri-Tech companies to participate in an acceleration programme to support growth by exploring the potential of the Australian market. Under the Global Incubator Programme: Agri-Tech Australia Farmers2Founders, Innovate UK will fund and organise group flights, group accommodation and group airport transfer fees for successful applicants, who will also benefit from an intensive 9 to 12 months, three phased programme and bespoke support from an Innovation and Growth Specialist or Scale Up Director throughout.

The Opportunity

The Global Incubator Programme: Agri-Tech Australia, organised by Innovate UK, will include two week-long visits to Australia in October 2026 and February 2027. Each business is supported by an Innovate UK Business Growth Specialist or Scale Up Director to help maximise the potential of being part of the programme and beyond. This initiative will be delivered physically and will include virtual activities.

Targeted agricultural sectors:

• Horticulture: tree crops, field vegetables and protected cropping
• Livestock production:  dairy and beef, sheep, pigs and poultry production
• Monitoring and management systems
• Arable and broadacre cropping: precision crop management
• Soil health and assessment technologies

Key focus areas include but are not limited to:

• Precision Agriculture and Variable Rate Technologies:
  • Imagery, soil maps, and yield data
  • Input optimisation
  • Decision support tools, including modelling
  • Climate resilient growing systems

• Robotics & Automation: 
  • Harvesting and planting automation
  • Labour efficiencies
  • Automated irrigation, nutrient and plant protection product delivery
  • Automation for livestock operations

• Advanced Sensors & AI Systems: 
  • Crop growth and monitoring sensors
  • Crop yield, quality and harvest readiness prediction
  • Soil and environmental monitoring
  • Livestock monitoring technologies

• Engineering Biology for agriculture: 
  • Bio-based crop and animal protection
  • Microbial soil health protection
  • Enhanced plant and animal resilience and productivity

More Information and apply

To apply, you must:

• Be a UK-based innovation-led company with ambitions to grow and internationalise
• Be a company with fewer than 250 employees
• Have a focus on Agri-Tech

Innovate UK is committed to improving the diversity of who we support. We welcome applications from under-represented groups.

• Applicant briefing: Tuesday 19^th May 2026 at 8AM (BST)
• Closing date for applications: Sunday 21^st June 2026 at 5pm (BST)
• Virtual programme kick-off: Monday 3^rd August 2026
• Market Visit 1: In-Person kick off (Sydney): Sunday 18^th October 2026 – Friday 23rd October 2026 (16^th – 24^th with travel)
• Market Visit 2: evokeAG week: Sunday 14th – Friday 19th February 2027 (12^th – 20^th with travel)
• Incubation Programme (Virtual): Monday 3^rd August 2026 – Friday 12^th March 2027

You can find full information and apply on the Innovate UK Business Connect website.

See more open funding calls in our Funding Finder.