Full ADOPT grant: round 6
Innovate UK · England
Funding to support farmer-led, on-farm trials and experiments to test and demonstrate innovative solutions addressing agricultural challenges and improving productivity, resilience, and sustainability.
Summary
Deadline
8 Apr 2026
Complexity
Medium
Time to apply
20-60 hours
Updated
9 Jun 2026
Funding to support farmer-led, on-farm trials and experiments to test and demonstrate innovative solutions addressing agricultural challenges and improving productivity, resilience, and sustainability.
Eligibility
Applicant types
Business
Business size
Micro, SME, Large
Industries
Agriculture, horticulture, agro-forestry
Match funding
Needs verification
Requirements
Lead must be an active farming, growing, or forestry business based in England; must collaborate with at least one other UK farming, growing, or forestry business Active farming, growing or forestry business based in England; must evidence established business (sole traders and partnerships included). On-farm trials and experiments testing innovative solutions not yet widely used, addressing pr...
Eligible applicants
Lead must be an active farming, growing, or forestry business based in England; must collaborate with at least one other UK farming, growing, or forestry business
Funding and scope
Benefit amount
£5,000,000
Total fund available
£5,000,000
Funding intensity
Not specified
Payment type
Reimbursement (in arrears)
Eligible scope
On-farm trials and experiments testing innovative solutions not yet widely used, addressing productivity, resilience, and sustainability challenges
Eligible expenses
- Industrial research project costs including trial expenses, labour, subcontractors, and project delivery costs
Ineligible costs
- Projects outside scope, existing demonstration trials, medicinal crop production, aquaculture, equine systems, or export-dependent activities
Application and risks
Application platform
Innovation Funding Service (IFS)
Competitiveness
Closed / Not accepting applications
Decision timeline
Not specified
Assessment process
Assessed by independent experts; funding decisions based on scores and portfolio approach
Application sections
Not specified
Application components
- Project details, application questions, finances, and supporting appendices (e.g., project plan, risk register)
Required documents
Not specified
Appendices
Not specified
Assessment criteria
- Innovation, feasibility, impact, project team capability, project management, and value for money
Timeline and partners
Opening date
5 Feb 2026
Project duration
Not specified
Project start
31 Aug 2026
Project end
Not specified
Co-funders
Not specified
Collaboration rules
- Non-UK organisations may participate as non-funded partners or subcontractors with justification
Consortium requirements
- Collaborations only; lead must collaborate with at least one other UK farming business.
Additional guidance
[{"label":"Key Organisational Requirements","value":"Project cost between £50,000 and £100,000; duration 6 to 24 months; must include a Project Facilitator; must follow open innovation and share results"},{"label":"Funding Structure","value":"Grant funding with intervention rates up to 80% for farmers and smaller organisations, decreasing by organisation size; research organisations funded up to 100% or 80% FEC depending on eligibility"},{"label":"Environmental & EDI Requirements","value":"Projects must support sustainability and net zero goals; inclusive and accessible application process encouraged"},{"label":"important notes","value":"Collaboration required; only one lead application per farmer; strong emphasis on sharing results with wider farming community; competitive funding process"}]
Quick facts
- Status
- Closed
- Deadline
- 8 Apr 2026
- Funding amount
- £5,000,000
- Funding band
- Large (£5M+)
- Funding type
- Grant
- Payment type
- Reimbursement (in arrears)
- Audience
- Business
- Industry
- Agriculture, horticulture, agro-forestry
- Last updated
- 9 Jun 2026
- Published
- Not specified