The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), in collaboration with UKRI’s Transforming Food Production Challenge and delivered by Innovate UK, is offering up to £850,000 in grant funding. This funding opportunity is open to farming, growing, or forestry businesses located in England, with the primary goal of supporting feasibility projects that enhance productivity, sustainability, resilience, and contribute to the agricultural sector’s journey towards achieving net-zero emissions.
Key Dates
- Competition Opens: Monday, 18 December 2023
- Competition Closes: Wednesday, 14 February 2024, at 12:00 PM UK time
Funding Details
- Type: Grant
- Total Funds Available: Up to £850,000
- Project Size: At the full application stage, project costs must be between £28,000 and £56,000
Eligibility and Scope
- Applicants must be from farming, growing, or forestry businesses in England.
- The competition aims to explore early-stage solutions that can significantly enhance productivity, sustainability, resilience, and support the transition to net-zero emissions.
- Proposals should concentrate on solutions applicable in commercially relevant situations for farmers, growers, or foresters.
- The feasibility study should investigate new solutions to industry challenges or opportunities, with a focus on improving productivity, sustainability, environmental impact, progress towards net-zero emissions, and resilience.
Specific Themes and Exclusions
- Projects should address challenges or opportunities in at least one of the four industry sub-sectors: livestock, plants, novel food production systems, or bioeconomy and agroforestry.
- Projects that are equine specific, involve wild-caught fisheries, cellular/acellular production systems, or medicinal plant production are not eligible.
Application Process
- This is a two-stage competition. The current Expression of Interest (EoI) stage does not provide funding but selects candidates for the full stage.
- Successful EoI applicants will be invited to the full stage competition in March 2024 and can access support to complete their applications.
Accessibility and Inclusion
- The competition encourages applications from diverse backgrounds.
- Innovate UK offers support and reasonable adjustments for applicants with disabilities or long-term conditions.
Discover Grant Possibilities with Professional Assistance
Curious to delve deeper into the advantages of this grant competition for your project?
Visit this link to schedule a consultation or send a message for a detailed discussion on how you can optimise your chances of success. If you require assistance in creating a persuasive application, our specialists are available to support you. Let’s work together to navigate the competition intricacies and unlock fresh opportunities for your business.
