The UK government will be funding £12.6 million to support innovation in agriculture. This amount is to be split between 2 competitions under the Farming Innovation Programme that are to back research and development projects that improve productivity, sustainability and efficiency in farming.
The initiatives are supposed to help farmers deal with issues such as labour shortages, animal health issues and the constantly changing market demands, while encouraging new technologies that could transform food production.
The first competition is called “Small Research and Development Partnerships” and this one will receive up to £7.8 million for later-stage projects. It opens on the 15th of this month and supports businesses that are developing new farming products or services and want to move them closer to the market.
Projects can cover farmed animals, plants, novel food systems, agroforestry or the bioeconomy. Applications are open to UK businesses of all sizes, academic institutions and other eligible organisations.
The second competition, Feasibility Studies, will receive up to £4.8 million for early-stage ideas. It opens on 13 October 2025 and is intended to test and develop concepts to decide whether they should progress to larger research projects. Projects can receive between £200,000 and £500,000 in funding and can last up to 24 months. Both competitions are delivered in partnership with Innovate UK, the government’s innovation agency.
How Will These Programmes Help Farmers?
The competitions aim to give farming businesses practical tools to improve operations. Projects previously supported include robotic strawberry pickers and early-warning health monitoring systems for cattle.
Other innovations, such as RootWave, replace chemical herbicides with electricity to remove weeds. Farmers have reported that RootWave reduces costs, avoids soil damage, and works in any weather, unlike chemical treatments.
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Daniel Zeichner, Farming Minister, said “This is about giving farming businesses the tools they need to thrive. By working with investors to fund and develop new equipment and technology, we are helping farms become more resilient, productive and profitable. These grants put the Plan for Change into action – supporting farmers to adapt, compete and grow, whatever challenges and opportunities lie ahead.”
The competitions also encourage collaborative projects, with consortia-building events scheduled for both funding rounds to help participants find partners.
The programmes are contributions towards the goal of modernising agriculture across England with measures to improve environmental sustainability and nature recovery. Projects supported through the competitions must target improvements in productivity, sustainability and resilience across agricultural, horticultural and forestry sectors.
How Is Relevant To Overall Government Support For Farming?
The £12.6 million investment falls under the New Deal for Farmers, which is meant to help farm businesses become profitable again. The government has already extended the Seasonal Worker Visa Scheme for 5 years, backed British produce across public procurement and protected farmers in trade agreements. Nearly £250 million in farming grants are currently supporting innovation and productivity.
They will also be establishing a £200 million National Biosecurity Centre to protect livestock and appointing former National Farmers’ Union president Minette Batters to advise on reforms to increase farm profits. Over the current Parliament, the government has allocated £11.8 billion to sustainable farming and food production.
