The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), in partnership with Innovate UK, has launched an exciting new funding initiative: the Farming Innovation Programme: Small R&D Partnership Projects Round 4.
This competition invites UK businesses to apply for grants from a budget of up to £7.8 million. The overarching goals are to grow productivity, strengthen sustainability, support resilience, and accelerate progress to net zero in agriculture. Collaboration is front and centre, with applicants encouraged to engage with farmers, growers or foresters and the UK research community throughout their innovation process. There is also a strong focus on adoption, with knowledge exchange emphasised across the wider agricultural sector. Importantly, each project must clearly demonstrate tangible benefits for farmers, growers or foresters located in England.
Eligibility Criteria
To ensure your project qualifies for consideration, here are the key eligibility requirements:
• Project funding must be between £1 million and £3 million.
• Duration must not exceed 30 months, with a required start by 1st July 2026 and end by 31st December 2028.
• All project work must be conducted within the UK.
• The intent to exploit results in England is mandatory.
• The lead organisation must be a UK registered business of any size and must collaborate with at least one research claiming SME.
• Community Interest Companies and charities are not permitted to lead applications.
• Eligible collaborators may include businesses, academic institutions, charities, public sector or research and technology organisations, as long as consortium structure is sound and no single partner accounts for more than 70% of project costs.
• Non UK partners are allowed if they bring their own funding and their costs count towards the total project expenditure.
Scope of Funded Projects
The competition is open to proposals that address significant challenges or opportunities in key agricultural subsectors:
• Farmed animals
• Plants
• Novel food production systems
• Bioeconomy and agroforestry.
Projects must notably benefit farmers, growers or foresters in England through improved productivity, sustainability, environmental impact, resilience, or net zero progression.
It is also important to note projects that are outside the scope of this competition:
• Equine specific projects.
• Wild caught fisheries, aquaculture for fish or seafood for human consumption.
• Cellular or acellular fermentation for bacteria, yeast or fungi aimed at human consumption.
• Crops or plants for medicinal or pharmaceutical use.
• Projects reliant on export performance or domestic input usage as conditions of funding.
Key Dates and Process
Here are the critical milestones for this competition:
• Opening of competition: Monday 15th September 2025.
• Closure deadline: Wednesday 5th November 2025 at 11:00am.
• Online Q&A and consortia building event: 18th September 2025, between 9am and 11am (registration required).
• Invitations to interviews anticipated on 17th December 2025.
• Interview panels scheduled between 10th February and 20th February 2026.
• Successful applicants to be notified by 11th March 2026.
• Projects must start no later than 1st July 2026.
Additional Insights
This competition adopts a two stage assessment process:
1. Initial eligibility and merit-based review.
2. Invitation to interview for shortlisted proposals.
Applicants are reminded that this is a competitive process. Even strong proposals may not receive funding due to limited resources. Based on prior experience, the success rate is estimated at about 15%.
Innovate UK and Defra also emphasise accessibility, inclusion and outreach. They encourage applicants to contact them at least 15 working days before the closing deadline if adjustments or support are needed.
Why Apply?
This competition presents a vibrant opportunity for UK businesses and research partners to apply their creativity and expertise toward meaningful and impactful agricultural innovations. Through collaboration, awardees will contribute to technological advancements, support farmers in navigating today’s challenges, and catalyse the journey toward a more sustainable, resilient, and productive agricultural sector.
What Next?
For a FREE consultation to discuss your project, contact RedKnight today.
