AgriScale: Is this new grant opportunity right for you?

An exciting new UK grant scheme has just arrived from Innovate UK and Defra. And if you’re an agri-tech business with a product beyond the early stages of development, it’s one certainly worth taking a look at.

Unlike the Farming Innovation Programme or Farming Futures initiatives, AgriScale is not a feasibility fund or an early-stage R&D support programme. It has been specifically created to fill a critical, and all too familiar, gap in the innovation pipeline that previous schemes haven’t addressed; the point at which your technology is developed, your market is defined, but scaling it reliably and commercially remains out of reach.

Often referred to as “the valley of death” – AgriScale is here to help build your bridge.

What Makes It Different?

AgriScale is designed to transition innovative agricultural technology from prototypes to commercial, large-scale production. It draws on proven scale-up models from advanced manufacturing sectors, like automotive, and applies that same thinking to agri-tech for the first time.

The focus throughout is firmly on late-stage innovation. If your project is still at concept or feasibility stage, this scheme isn’t for you. But if you have a product with demonstrated potential that’s being held back by manufacturing, supply chain, performance gaps, or adoption challenges, this competition is designed with you in mind.

A Two Strand Approach

The grant funding is available in two separate strands: Industrial Research and Experimental Development.

The Industrial Research strand targets businesses that need to close specific technology or performance gaps before a product can be commercially accepted. UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £5 million, for projects with costs of £250k–£750k and a duration of 6–12 months.

The Experimental Development strand is for those a step further along, ready to take a product to market and accelerate end-user adoption. In this strand, UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £8 million, for projects with costs of £1m–£3m and a duration of 6–18 months.

Both strands are collaborative (you’ll need at least one project partner to form a consortium), and both are focused on technologies that enable automation to reduce labour demands and improve productivity and sustainability in agriculture, forestry, horticulture and aquaculture, including automated sensing and observation systems with associated data processing and intelligence systems.

So, Is It Right for You?

If this new scheme feels like a good fit for where your business or technology is currently at, ask yourself…

Is your technology largely developed, but facing real barriers to manufacturing at scale?

Do you have a reliability or performance gap standing between your current product and commercial adoption?

Can you demonstrate genuine farmer or grower demand, and a credible route to market?

If you’re answering yes to these questions, then there’s a good chance AgriScale is for you.

New Scheme, New Standards

Because AgriScale has no previous rounds, there’s no established template for success. No previously funded projects to reference and learn from, no pattern of what assessors have rewarded before. For applicants, that means the quality of your positioning; how you frame your technology maturity, your manufacturing roadmap, your commercial case etc., is crucial.

Choosing the right strand, articulating the right gaps, and telling a compelling story about your route-to-scale will be the difference between a competitive application and one that falls short.

Free Scoping Support for Agri-TechE Members

Tatton Consulting has an established track record securing funding for innovative start-ups and SMEs across Innovate UK and Defra programmes, including £15 million+ for agriculture, food, and agri-tech projects. With 30+ years of sector-leading expertise, we know what strong applications look like, and we know how to assess honestly whether a business is genuinely well-placed before committing time to an application.

And because AgriScale is brand new, we think that an honest assessment is even more important.

That’s why we’re offering all fellow Agri-TechE members a free Scoping and Eligibility Call. A straightforward conversation to discuss your project and work out whether this scheme is a real fit for your business and what your prospects look like.

This is alongside our existing Member Benefit of a “No-Win No-Fee” option for our full grant writing support service.

So don’t miss your opportunity to benefit from this new and unique scheme – visit tattonconsulting.co.uk to find out more, or email funding@tattonconsulting.co.uk to book your call.

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