Keeping track of funding and opportunities across agri-tech can be difficult. We’ve brought together some of the latest opportunities for businesses, farmers, growers and others working across the agri-food sector.
This month’s round-up includes farmer-led trials, UK funding and international opportunities.
Explore the current opportunities below, including upcoming deadlines and ongoing programmes.
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 9): £5 million available to support farmer-led trial costs.
- Facilitator Support Grant (Round 12): 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.
UK funding opportunities
Funding Opportunity: Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP): 2026 – 2027 Round 3
Deadline: 14 October
UK registered academic institutions, RTOs or Catapults can apply for a share of up to £12.5 million to fund innovation projects with businesses.
Funding Opportunity: Farming Innovation Programme: Small R&D Partnership Projects Rd 5
Deadline: 14 October
UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £13 million for small R&D partnership projects. This funding is from the industry led R&D Partnerships Fund, a part of the Defra Farming Innovation Programme.
Funding Opportunity: CfI: Engineering Biology for Defra and FSA Phase 1
Deadline: 14 October
Organisations can apply for a share up to £3 million inclusive of VAT, to develop and scale Engineering Biology platforms, products and services.
Funding Opportunity: Engineering Biology Collaborative R&D: Round 3
Deadline: 3 November
UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £8.5 million to develop and scale Engineering Biology platforms, products and services. This funding is part of UKRI’s Engineering Biology Programme.
Other opportunities
Funding opportunity: Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT)
CSHT pays farmers and land managers to manage land in a way that:
- protects, restores or enhances the environment
- mitigates the effects of climate change
You can express an interest in applying for:
- woodland improvement
- agroforestry
- single-focused agreements for species-rich grassland and scheduled monument management
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 Dr. Manuel Lopzez Martinez from EUSPA at [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 Dr. Manuel Lopzez Martinez from EUSPA at [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-Singapore CRD 2026
Deadline: 16 December
UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £3 million for the purpose of developing innovative proposals with Singapore. You must collaborate with at least one Singapore business applying under the equivalent Enterprise Singapore programme.
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.
Stay up to date with agri-tech opportunities
We’ll continue to share useful funding, programmes and opportunities from across the agri-tech sector.
Check the eligibility criteria, guidance and deadlines through the links above before applying.
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Last updated 28/09/2026.
