New £53 million investment for farming innovation

 We're pleased to share that the Farming Innovation Programme (FIP),will receive an additional £53 million investment this year.

This means that those trialling new technologies and innovative approaches to cut costs, improve productivity and strengthen business resilience on farms will be able to benefit from a total investment of £123 million across the 2026/27 financial year.

The additional funding builds on the £70 million announced at the NFU Conference in February and reflects the government's continued commitment to supporting practical, farmer-led innovation.

Delivered in partnership with Innovate UK, FIP helps farmers, growers and businesses turn new ideas into real-world solutions.

The programme supports innovation at every stage, from early research and development through to on-farm trials and commercial deployment. 

The investment forms part of the government's Industrial Strategy commitment to invest at least £200 million in agricultural innovation by 2030. 

Forward look 

Whether you're developing a new technology, testing a fresh idea or looking to solve a challenge on your farm, there are a range of innovation funding opportunities available in 2026.

The table below sets out the competitions open to farmers, growers and foresters this year.

Competition Dates to Note Funding Available ADOPT Facilitator Support Grant: Round 9

Opened 28 May

Closes 8 July

£2,500 to access expert support to prepare a full application. ADOPT Full Grant: Round 8

Opened 4 June

Closes 29 July

£50,000 to £200,000 for on-farm innovation projects and trials lasting up to 2 years. ADOPT Facilitator Support Grant: Round 10

Opens 9 July

Closes 19 August

£2,500 to access expert support to prepare a full application. Feasibility Studies: Round 5

Opens 15 July

Closes 9 September

£200,000 to £500,000 to test whether an innovation works in practice, with projects lasting up to 2 years. ADOPT Full Grant: Round 9

Opens 30 July

Closes 23 September

£50,000 to £200,000 to trial and adopt new technologies or practices on farm, with projects lasting up to 2 years. Farming Futures (Automation and Robotics)

Opens 3 August

Closes 30 September

Funding to support the development of robotics and automation solutions for agriculture. Small R&D: Round 5

Opens 1 September

Closes 14 October

£1 million to £3 million for collaborative research and development projects to create new products or services, lasting up to 3 years. ADOPT Full Grant: Round 10

Opens 24 September

Closes 18 November

£50,000 to £200,000 for on-farm innovation projects and trials lasting up to 2 years. Farming Futures (Soils and Water Quality) Winter 2026 Funding to support the development of technologies and practices that improve soil quality, enhance water management, increase farm profitability, and reduce pressure on natural resources.

We'll keep you updated as further guidance becomes available and let you know when applications open. 

Case studies 

Projects up and down the country already helping farmers improve productivity, reduce costs and respond to challenges including climate change, labour shortages and environmental pressures.

From precision technology and robotics to advances in animal health and crop management, innovation is playing an increasingly important role in building a resilient, profitable and sustainable farming sector. 

Here are 3 examples.

Reducing ammonia emissions with SlurryBugs 

Slurry is a valuable resource on many farms, but too often its fertiliser potential is lost before it can benefit crops. 

Without effective management, ammonia emissions can significantly reduce the nutrients available for plant growth, increasing the need for synthetic fertilisers. 

With innovation funding, the SlurryBugs project set out to tackle this challenge by developing a bacterial solution that helps retain more of slurry's nutrient value.

The Lancashire-based EnviroSystems UK partnered with Myerscough College for an 18-month lab-to-field feasibility project.

By improving the consistency and quality of slurry as a fertiliser, the approach could help farmers reduce input costs while making better use of on-farm resources. 

Their research led to two microbial products that can be added to slurry to improve its value as a fertiliser. 

Robotic strip cropping  Credit: Harper Adams University 

An arable farmer in the East Midlands is working with Harper Adams University to trial a new way of growing crops that could transform cereal production.

With FIP funding, the project is testing whether a gantry robot can replace conventional large-scale machinery. Instead of growing single crops across large fields, the system uses one-metre-wide strips containing a mix of cereals, legumes, and other companion crops. 

By increasing crop diversity, the approach could help reduce disease pressure, lower reliance on artificial inputs, and make better use of natural processes such as nitrogen fixation. 

The project is exploring how precision robotics and mixed cropping can work together to create a more resilient alternative to traditional monoculture systems. 

To assess its potential, the team is monitoring yields, crop health, and biodiversity. The findings will help build the evidence base for whether this innovative approach could be adopted more widely across the farming sector. 

Enhancing nitrogen use through root imaging and community harnessing Credit: FA-Bio 

Nitrogen fertiliser is one of the biggest input costs for arable farmers and a significant source of agricultural carbon emissions. 

Supported by FIP, the ENRICH project (Enhancing Nitrogen-Use through Root Imaging and Community Harnessing) is exploring a natural alternative.

The project, led by FA Bio, is identifying beneficial bacteria that can help wheat plants access and use nitrogen more efficiently, reducing reliance on synthetic fertilisers. 

Working in the East of England, the team has already identified several promising bacterial strains and successfully scaled up production.

The project has now entered its second season of field and glasshouse trials to test their performance under real-world growing conditions. 

If successful, the technology could offer farmers a practical way to reduce fertiliser use while maintaining productivity. This would help lower input costs, reduce environmental impacts and improve resilience to future fertiliser price volatility. 

Subscribe to the Farming Blog 

From funding opportunities and policy updates to inspiring examples of innovation on farms across the country, the Farming Blog brings together the latest news and insights from the Farming and Countryside team.

Subscribe today to receive updates directly to your inbox. 

https://defrafarming.blog.gov.uk/2026/06/24/new-53-million-investment-for-farming-innovation/

seen at 16:46, 24 June in The Farming Blog.