Over £14 million is being made available in two new competition rounds to back research into innovative farming solutions.
The funding is to be made available to unlock innovation and develop solutions in the farming sector in two new research and feasibility competitions under the Farming Innovation Programme. It is part of the government’s delivery of its commitment to invest £600 million in innovation and productivity in the sector over three years, and adds further support to the development and take-up of innovative practices on farms to boost productivity and sustainability whilst meeting net zero targets.
The competitions are open to farmers, growers, foresters, research organisations and businesses involved in agriculture to collaborate on novel ideas and solutions.
Previous rounds have led to investment in automations to improve soft fruit yield; a ‘herd’ of lightweight, battery-operated, asparagus-harvesting robots; and the use of ultraviolet as a disinfectant in the dairy and poultry sectors.
The two competitions available to apply under are:
- Small R&D Partnership (Round 3) – Opens on 14 August 2023, Closes on 25 October 2023. Fund seeks to help businesses develop a new farming product or service and take it to commercialisation on the open market.
- Feasibility (Round 3) – Opens on 18 September 2023, Closes on 15 November 2023. Fund aims to support businesses and researchers through the difficult testing phase of an idea, checking whether it works in practice and helping them assess whether to invest in the project. It looks for early stage solutions that have the potential to substantially improve the overall productivity, sustainability and resilience of farming, and move existing agricultural sectors to net zero.
You can find out more about the Farming Innovation Programme and the funding competitions here.
