Full ADOPT Grant: Round Six
Innovate UK. (UK Research and Innovation) · England. The lead organisation must be based in England. Project work must be carried out in the UK and project results must be exploited from or in the UK. (UK Research and Innovation)
Grant funding for collaborative farmer-led on-farm trials or experiments to improve adoption of innovative ideas or solutions in agriculture. Delivered through the Farming Innovation Programme under the Accelerating Development of Practices and Technologies (ADOPT) scheme. (UK Research and Innovation)
Summary
Deadline
8 Apr 2026
Updated
16 Oct 2026
Grant funding for collaborative farmer-led on-farm trials or experiments to improve adoption of innovative ideas or solutions in agriculture. Delivered through the Farming Innovation Programme under the Accelerating Development of Practices and Technologies (ADOPT) scheme. (UK Research and Innovation)
Eligibility
Applicant types
See eligibility requirements
Industries
Agriculture, horticulture, livestock production and forestry. (UK Research and Innovation)
Match funding
Applicants must fund the remaining eligible project costs not covered by the grant. (UK Research and Innovation)
Eligible applicants
Lead applicant must be an active farming, growing or forestry business based in England and an established commercial business. Applications must include collaboration with at least one other UK farming, growing or forestry business. (UK Research and Innovation)
Funding and scope
Benefit amount
Total eligible project costs must be between £50,000 and £100,000. (UK Research and Innovation)
Total fund available
Up to £5,000,000. (UK Research and Innovation)
Funding intensity
Up to 50% for large organisations, 60% for medium organisations and 70% for micro or small organisations. Research organisations carrying out non-economic activity may receive up to 80% of eligible costs. Organisations in Northern Ireland follow the same intervention rates. (UK Research and Innovation)
Payment type
Not specified
Eligible scope
On-farm trials or experiments testing ideas or solutions that are new or not yet widely adopted. Projects must improve productivity, resilience or sustainability (including progress towards net zero farming), demonstrate benefits to English farmers, growers or foresters and include on-farm demonstration activities. (UK Research and Innovation)
Eligible expenses
- Direct project costs including labour, materials, specialist subcontractors, equipment usage, travel and other eligible costs under Innovate UK rules. (UK Research and Innovation)
Ineligible costs
Not specified
Application and risks
Application platform
Innovation Funding Service. (UK Research and Innovation)
Competitiveness
Funding is limited. High-scoring projects may not be funded due to portfolio balancing. (UK Research and Innovation)
Decision timeline
Applicants notified from 15 May 2026. (UK Research and Innovation)
Assessment process
Eligibility check followed by assessment from independent assessors. Portfolio balancing may be applied before funding decisions. (UK Research and Innovation)
Application sections
- Project details, Application questions, Finances, Project Impact. (UK Research and Innovation)
Application components
Not specified
Required documents
Not specified
Appendices
- Appendix for trial design, Team Summary Appendix, Project plan or Gantt chart, Risk Register. (UK Research and Innovation)
Assessment criteria
Not specified
Decision risks
Portfolio balancing may affect funding decisions. Financial viability checks apply. Innovate UK reserves the right to adjust funding allocations. (UK Research and Innovation)
Timeline and partners
Opening date
5 Feb 2026
Project duration
6 to 24 months. (UK Research and Innovation)
Project start
1 Sept 2026
Project end
31 Aug 2028
Co-funders
- Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). (UK Research and Innovation)
Collaboration rules
- Collaborative projects only. At least one additional UK registered farming, growing or forestry business is required. No partner may account for more than 70% of total eligible project costs. (UK Research and Innovation)
Consortium requirements
Not specified
Additional guidance
Document research last revised 2026-07-30.
Grant Name
Full ADOPT Grant: Round Six
Minimum Award
£50,000 total eligible project costs. (UK Research and Innovation)
Latest Project Start Date
1 September 2026. (Farming Innovation)
Application Limit
A farmer, grower or forester may lead one application and collaborate in any number of additional applications. (UK Research and Innovation)
Research Category
Industrial Research. (UK Research and Innovation)
Subcontracting
Allowed where justified. Subcontractor costs must be appropriate and provide value for money. (UK Research and Innovation)
Subsidy Scheme
Awarded under the Research, Development and Innovation Streamlined Subsidy Scheme (SC10780). Classified as a subsidy under the Subsidy Control Act 2022. (UK Research and Innovation)
Sanctions Rule
Funding will not be awarded where it breaches UK sanctions. (UK Research and Innovation)
Animal Research Rule
Projects involving animals must comply with UKRI animal welfare guidance. Additional regulatory approvals may be required before project start. (UK Research and Innovation)
Interview Stage
Not required. (UK Research and Innovation)
Key Requirements
Applications must include an ADOPT Project Facilitator. Projects must share outputs during and after completion. At least 50% of grant funding requested by farmers must be allocated to farmers based in England. Projects must not begin before the official project start date. (UK Research and Innovation)
Important Notes
Projects must start on the first day of a month. Funding is subject to sufficient high-quality applications. Awards are subject to compliance with the UK's WTO Agreement on Agriculture and relevant subsidy control requirements. (UK Research and Innovation)
Official Grant Page
https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/full-adopt-grant-round-six/ (UK Research and Innovation)
Application deadline in source document
8 April 2026 at 11:00am UK time. (UK Research and Innovation)
Official source
Quick facts
- Status
- Closed
- Deadline
- 8 Apr 2026
- Funding amount
- Total eligible project costs must be between £50,000 and £100,000. (UK Research and Innovation)
- Funding band
- Not specified
- Funding type
- Grant. (UK Research and Innovation)
- Payment type
- Not specified
- Audience
- See eligibility requirements
- Industry
- Agriculture, horticulture, livestock production and forestry. (UK Research and Innovation)
- Last updated
- 16 Oct 2026
- Published
- 10 Feb 2026