13 March 2024

Exploring Farming Innovation Programme Round 3: What’s New?

Exciting News: Defra Investing £7.8 Million in Farming Innovation Projects!

Get ready to revolutionize farming practices with Defra’s Farming Innovation Programme: Large R&D partnerships Round 3, backed by a £7.8 million investment! In partnership with UKRI’s Transforming Food Production Challenge and executed by Innovate UK, this initiative aims to fund cutting-edge industrial research and experimental development projects tackling key challenges and opportunities in agriculture.

Details of the Funding Opportunity 

Your proposed solutions or project outputs should make significant improvements in:

  • Productivity
  • Sustainability and the environmental impact of farming
  • Advancement towards achieving net zero emissions
  • Resilience

Your proposal must demonstrate how the project will:

  • Benefit farmers, growers, or foresters in England by providing commercially relevant solutions.
  • Actively engage with end users throughout the entire supply chain to identify major challenges or opportunities on-farm or immediately post-farmgate.
  • Accelerate the development and demonstration of new agricultural solutions through collaboration with the broader UK research community.
  • Develop an understanding of how your approach can effectively achieve widespread adoption, working alongside economists, social scientists, and other relevant experts to establish a theory of change.
  • Offer scalable solutions capable of widespread adoption, integration into existing production systems, and generating broad impact.
  • Illustrate how the project will support transformative change within the agricultural sector.
  • Formulate and execute a knowledge exchange (KE) plan outlining targets for solution dissemination, with a clear dissemination strategy for relevant stakeholders and the broader sector.
  • Utilize project outputs and anticipate outcomes in terms of solution adoption, such as the number of end users, land area affected, and the proportion of production utilizing the new solution.

Focused Themes 

Your project should tackle a noteworthy industry challenge or opportunity within at least one of the following subsectors:

  • Livestock
  • Plants
  • Novel food production systems
  • Bioeconomy and agroforestry

Key Criteria:

  • Total project costs between £3 million and £5 million.
  • Project duration up to 48 months, starting by October 1, 2024, and ending by September 30, 2028.
  • All project work to be conducted in the UK, with an intent to exploit results in England.

Your project should focus on one of the following industry subsectors: livestock, plants, novel food production systems, or bioeconomy and agroforestry. Check your eligibility and dive into this incredible funding opportunity!

Seize the Opportunity!  

Fund Name: Farming Innovation Programme: Large R&D partnerships Round 3

Project Length: Up to 48 months

Project Value: £3m – £5m

Deadline: 13.03.2024  

Explore Grant Opportunities with Expert Guidance

Interested in learning more about this grant competition and how it can benefit your project?

Click here to book a consultation or send a message to discuss the details and explore how you can maximise your chances of success. If you’re seeking support in crafting a compelling application, our experts are here to help. Let’s collaborate to navigate the competition process and unlock new opportunities for your business.