For businesses driving innovation in agri-tech, accessing the right support can make all the difference. Discover the latest opportunities across the agri-food supply chain to create a strong foundation for growth and accelerate your organisation’s journey.
- Business support programmes
- Farmer-led innovation trials
- Latest funding opportunities
Read on to find out about current funding opportunities to help accelerate your business’ aspirations:
ADOPT – Farmer-led innovation trials
ADOPT (Accelerating Development of Practices and Technologies) is a funding competition designed to support farmer-led, on-farm trials and experiments across England. Funded by Defra and delivered by Innovate UK, it aims to generate, test, and demonstrate innovative solutions to challenges in agriculture, horticulture, and forestry.
Grants available:
- Full ADOPT Grant: Round 8: £5 million available to support farmer-let trial costs.
- Facilitator Support Grant (Round 10): Provides £2,500 for a Project Facilitator to support with submissions into the Full ADOPT Grant competitions.
Funded projects so far have explored soil and nutrient management, livestock systems, arable trials, equipment and technology and new ways of collaborating to improve resilience and productivity.
ADOPT Support Hub
The ADOPT Support Hub delivered by ADAS, UK Agri-Tech Centre and The Soil Association, is here to support farmers and facilitators from early ideas through to live projects. Support is free and available at any stage.
Overcome technical and commercial challenges with business support programmes
Our business support programmes deliver specialist, expert support to tackle business growth challenges and move your innovation closer to market, quickly.
Global Growth Accelerator – International pilot projects to validate UK-developed agri-tech solutions with end users
The Global Growth Accelerator programme fast-tracks UK agri-tech businesses into international markets through real-world validation, farmer feedback and direct access to early-adopter farms.
Through the programme you can:
-
Scope and prioritise key global market challenges and opportunities
-
Map and build partnerships with influential stakeholders in target regions
-
Co-design tailored pilot projects to prove market readiness, investment potential and export viability
Find out more and register your interest below.
FASTA – Accelerator for agri-tech solutions enabling Net Zero agriculture
Backed by the UK Agri-Tech Centre and delivered in partnership with the Carbon Trust, FASTA provides expert-led support to accelerate solutions that enable a more sustainable, productive and resilient UK agriculture sector. Agri-tech businesses can benefit from a range of support including tailored mentorship, access to validation facilities, investor readiness sessions and more.
Visit the FASTA page to learn more and register your interest for the next cohort.
Agri-Tech Solution Sprints – Fast-paced innovation sprints
Agri-Tech Solution Sprints supports micro, small, and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) to overcome hurdles and progress agri-tech solutions forward to commercialisation. Delivered in short, fast-paced programmes, you will work with experts to create a bespoke programme to support your business to overcome its innovation challenge.
If you would like to receive updates about the next round of Agri-Tech Solution Sprints, click the button below.
Register your interest and find out more
UK funding opportunities
Funding Opportunity: DeepTech Catalyst Bio 2026
Deadline: 16 August
A business incubator programme designed to support early-stage biotechnology start-ups in achieving their commercial potential, offering up to £50k funding per company.
Funding Opportunity: Digital Catapult: Digital Twin Adoption Accelerator 2026
Deadline: 6 September
The Digital Twin Adoption Accelerator Programme 2026 is a nine-month programme that supports partnerships between UK technology SMEs and industry adopters to accelerate the adoption of digital twin technologies. Successful projects will receive up to £100,000 in Innovate UK grant funding, alongside technical expertise, mentoring and access to specialist facilities to help accelerate the development and deployment of their solutions.
Funding Opportunity: Farming Innovation Programme: Feasibility Round 5
Deadline: 9 September
UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £15 million for feasibility projects. This funding is from the industry led R&D Partnerships Fund, part of the Farming Innovation Programme.
Funding Opportunity: Circular Bio-Based Europe: 2026 call for project proposals
Deadline: 22 September
CBE-JU is funding projects developing innovative and sustainable bio-based solutions, with up to €20m for the largest projects.
Funding Opportunity: Farming Futures R&D fund: Automation and Robotics Round 2
Deadline: 30 September
UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £20 million to develop innovative solutions for automation and robotics in agriculture, horticulture and forestry. This funding is from the Farming Futures R&D fund.
Coming soon
Funding Opportunity: Farming Futures
Opens: 3 August
Funding to support the development of robotics and automation solutions for agriculture.
Funding Small R&D: Round 5
Opens: 1 September
£1 million to £3 million for collaborative research and development projects to create new products or services, lasting up to 3 years.
Rolling deadlines
Funding Opportunity: Earth Observation for Aquaculture – Pilot Projects for Aquaculture
Deadline: Ongoing
The European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) launched two initiatives that can empower marine aquaculture companies through space-based Earth observation, including Copernicus, increasing the competitiveness and sustainability of European seaweed, shellfish and fish farming.
Aquaculture businesses can access funded pilot projects to test Earth observation technologies, with tailored matchmaking and implementation support. We are currently connecting Earth-observation service providers with aquaculture companies round specific, ready-to-deploy applications focused on smart aquaculture.
Interested in finding out more? Email [email protected].
Initiative: Earth Observation for Aquaculture – Aquaculture User Consultation Platform 2026
Deadline: Ongoing
The European Union Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA) launched two initiatives that can empower marine aquaculture companies through space-based Earth observation, including Copernicus, increasing the competitiveness and sustainability of European seaweed, shellfish and fish farming.
Help shape the future of Earth observation services for aquaculture while connecting with industry leaders, funding opportunities and potential partners.
The EUSPA User Consultation Platform presents a two-day forum where end-users of space technology drive the agenda. EUSPA will gather the feedback and needs from stakeholders, upon which an action plan will be built to accelerate adoption of Earth-observation based services for, among others, the aquaculture sector. Day one will bring success stories and round tables focused on the identification of gaps and recommendations. Day two will present conclusions, as well as relevant funding and networking opportunities. The User Consultation Platform 2026 will take place 26-27 November 2026 in Prague, Czech Republic, with possibility for in-person and online attendance.
Interested in finding out more? Email [email protected]
Funding Opportunity: SMART: Scotland grants
Deadline: Ongoing
The SMART: SCOTLAND grant is one of our research and development (R&D) grants that aims to support high-risk, highly ambitious projects. It provides support to conduct feasibility studies. It’s only available to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) based in Scotland, and supports activities that have a commercial endpoint.
The SMART grant aims to support our priority areas for economic transformation. These are:
- Creating an internationally competitive energy transition industry in Scotland
- Scaling the impact of Scotland’s innovation strengths into high-growth industries of the future
- Driving capital investment to deliver a step-change in Scotland’s productivity
Funding Opportunity: TMAF
Multiple grant opportunities available for:
- Arable research relevant to East Anglia that improves productivity while reducing negative impact on the natural environment.
- PhD projects – in collaboration with other funders and partners.
- Individuals and their continual professional development (CPD) at all levels.
- Initiatives to inform a wide audience – from school age children to adults – about agricultural practices.
Projects that make use of TMAF farms, complement current or previous TMAF-supported projects, contribute long-standing data sets, or offer clear ways to share information and demonstrate results are welcomed.
Funding Opportunity: Water Innovation Implementation Programme – Early Adopter & Fast Followers Stream
Deadline: Ongoing
The Water Innovation Implementation Programme is designed to help move innovations from successful trials to be implemented at scale.
The Early Adopter & Fast Follower stream provides match-funding to help water companies implement innovations that have already been tested and proven. This includes water and wastewater companies, water-only companies, new appointees, or Infrastructure Provider Project Licensees. During the initial trial period, up to £15 million is available through this stream. Funding is provided on a 50:50 match-funded basis.
Funding Opportunity: Water Innovation Implementation Programme – Implementation Enablers Stream
Deadline: Ongoing
The Water Innovation Implementation Programme is designed to help move innovations from successful trials to be implemented at scale.
The Implementation Enablers stream focuses on tackling the shared, systemic barriers that slow or block innovation implementation across the water sector. Initially, up to £10 million will be allocated through the Implementation Enablers stream, with the potential to make more funding available as the Programme develops.
Funding Opportunity: Innovation Loans Expression of Interest
Deadline: No submission deadline
UK registered micro, small or medium sized enterprises can submit an Expression of Interest for loans for close to market innovative projects with strong commercial potential. They must significantly improve the UK economy and drive societal benefit.
International funding opportunities
Funding Opportunity: UK-Switzerland CR&D Round 3
Deadline: 3 September
UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £3 million for innovative projects in specific technology areas. You must collaborate with at least one Swiss implementation partner applying under the equivalent Swiss Innosuisse programme.
Funding Opportunity: Eurostars Call 11 for projects
Deadline: 10 September
Eurostars is a funding instrument that supports innovative SMEs and project partners (large companies, universities, research organisations and other types of organisations) by funding international collaborative R&D and innovation projects. By participating, organisations can access public funding for international collaborative R&D projects in all fields.
Funding Opportunity: Horizon Europe 2026-27: EU Missions – Adaptation to Climate Change
Deadline: Various deadlines
The European Commission has published all of the 2026-27 Horizon Europe Work Programmes, which list the funding opportunities under the 2026-27 call topics.
Funding Opportunity: Horizon Europe 2026-27: EU Missions – A Soil Deal For Europe
Deadline: Various deadlines
The Soil Mission leads the transition towards healthy soils by funding an ambitious research and innovation programme with a strong social science component.
Funding Opportunity: Horizon Europe 2026-27: EU Missions – Restore our Ocean and Waters
Deadline: Various deadlines
Restoring the health of the ocean, seas, and inland waters by 2030, with funding of €1m-€8m per call.
Funding Opportunity: Horizon Europe 2026-27: Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment (Cluster 6)
Deadline: Various deadlines
Horizon Europe Cluster 6 is funding projects that support sustainable food systems, biodiversity, climate action, the circular economy and thriving rural and coastal communities. Opportunities are available across eight thematic areas, with calls running throughout 2026-27.
How the UK Agri-Tech Centre can help you
At the UK Agri-Tech Centre, we connect high-potential agri-tech businesses to commercial success. We are a UK-wide organisation dedicated to helping agir-tech businesses become market-ready, scale effectively and achieve real-world adoption. Our expert team ensures customers receive tailored support, access to testbeds and a pathway to market to accelerate growth in the UK and beyond.
If you have any questions about the above agri-tech funding opportunities or want to find out how we can help your agri-tech business grow, get in touch with us at [email protected]
Last updated 03/08/2026.
