Full ADOPT Grant: Round 1

This competition, backed by Defra in partnership with Innovate UK, is designed to fund innovative on-farm trials or experiments.

  • Open Date: April 4, 2025
  • Close Date: January 1, 1970
  • Amount of Funding: Between £50,000 and £100,000

Summary & Eligibility

This competition, backed by Defra in partnership with Innovate UK, is designed to fund innovative on-farm trials or experiments. Projects should aim to test fresh ideas or solutions that are either new or not yet widely adopted, and must have the potential to significantly improve:

  • Productivity
  • Resilience
  • Sustainability, with clear progress towards net zero farming

Key Requirements

To be eligible, your project must:

  • Be within agriculture, horticulture, or agro-forestry
  • Demonstrate how it benefits other farmers, growers, or foresters in England
  • Include a plan to share outputs during and after the project
  • Employ a Project Facilitator listed in the ADOPT Innovate UK Business Connect database

Scope

Your project must also:

  • Have total costs between £50,000 and £100,000
  • Run for 6 to 24 months
  • Start by 1 November 2025
  • End by 31 October 2027
  • Carry out all project work in the UK
  • Intend to exploit results within England
  • Embrace open innovation by sharing learnings with the wider sector

Funding Details

  • Up to £2 million of grant funding is available
  • A minimum of 50% of grant funding must go to English-based farmers, growers, or foresters
  • Grant funding covers up to:
    • 80% for active farming/growing/forestry businesses in England, Wales, or Scotland
    • 70% for micro/small organisations (including NI-based businesses)
    • 60% for medium-sized organisations
    • 50% for large organisations

Extra Support: £2,500 Facilitator Grant

To help applicants submit strong proposals, a separate £2,500 grant is available to engage an ADOPT-accredited Project Facilitator. This covers part of the cost of expert support for preparing your full application.

As a recognised Project Facilitator, Inventya can support you with:

  • Grant application planning
  • Project design and compliance
  • Expert review and submission

Ready to Apply?

Book a free consultation with our expert grant team to discuss your eligibility and project ideas. Inventya is here to help you access funding and bring innovation to your farm, orchard, or woodland.

‍