£53 million investment and 2026 competition schedule announced for farming innovation
Agri-TechE Defra announced an additional £53 million investment as part of the Farming Innovation Programme (FIP) for 2026, along with a calendar of calls for the remainder of the year.
Organisations including farmers trialling new technologies and innovative approaches to cut costs, improve productivity and strengthen business resilience on farms will be able to benefit from a total investment of £123 million across the 2026/27 financial year, as well as advanced warning of what competition topics will be opening later this year.
The additional funding builds on the £70 million announced at the NFU Conference in February and reflects the government’s continued commitment to supporting practical, farmer-led innovation. The investment forms part of the government’s Industrial Strategy commitment to invest at least £200 million in agricultural innovation by 2030.
Forward look
Whether you’re developing a new technology, testing a fresh idea or looking to solve a challenge on your farm, there are a range of innovation funding opportunities available in 2026:
| Competition | Dates to Note | Funding Available |
|---|---|---|
| ADOPT Facilitator Support Grant: Round 9 | Opened 28 May
Closes 8 July |
£2,500 to access expert support to prepare a full application. |
| ADOPT Full Grant: Round 8 | Opened 4 June
Closes 29 July |
£50,000 to £200,000 for on-farm innovation projects and trials lasting up to 2 years. |
| ADOPT Facilitator Support Grant: Round 10 | Opens 9 July
Closes 19 August |
£2,500 to access expert support to prepare a full application. |
| Feasibility Studies: Round 5 | Opens 15 July
Closes 9 September |
£200,000 to £500,000 to test whether an innovation works in practice, with projects lasting up to 2 years. |
| ADOPT Full Grant: Round 9 | Opens 30 July
Closes 23 September |
£50,000 to £200,000 to trial and adopt new technologies or practices on farm, with projects lasting up to 2 years. |
| Farming Futures (Automation and Robotics) | Opens 3 August
Closes 30 September |
Funding to support the development of robotics and automation solutions for agriculture. |
| Small R&D: Round 5 | Opens 1 September
Closes 14 October |
£1 million to £3 million for collaborative research and development projects to create new products or services, lasting up to 3 years. |
| ADOPT Full Grant: Round 10 | Opens 24 September
Closes 18 November |
£50,000 to £200,000 for on-farm innovation projects and trials lasting up to 2 years. |
| Farming Futures (Soils and Water Quality) | Winter 2026 | Funding to support the development of technologies and practices that improve soil quality, enhance water management, increase farm profitability, and reduce pressure on natural resources. |
Full information on competitions will be available in due course; Agri-TechE will update our Finding Finder as information becomes available. You can see more about the Farming Innovation Programme on this post, which we update regularly.
Post Overview
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