The UK Agri-Tech Centre has announced a new wave of funding opportunities aimed at accelerating agricultural innovation, boosting sustainability, and supporting businesses in the food and farming sectors.
The Centre, which connects businesses with expertise, networks, and facilities, said the latest grants are designed to help startups, farmers, researchers, and agri-businesses develop and adopt cutting-edge solutions that improve productivity, resilience, and sustainability across the industry.
Among the most anticipated competitions is the Ofwat Innovation Fund – Water Breakthrough Challenge 6, opening on September 8, which will support collaborative projects tackling challenges in the water sector.
Ofwat has indicated that while this round will run until 2025, consultations are already underway to extend the fund to 2030.
On September 15, applications will open for the Farming Innovation Programme: Small R&D Partnership Projects Round 4, with up to £7.8 million available for collaborative research projects.
The programme, backed by Defra, will fund solutions to improve agricultural productivity, sustainability, and progress toward net zero.
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Another significant funding stream is the Feasibility Studies Competition, opening October 13, which offers grants between £200,000 and £500,000 for projects testing innovative agricultural ideas in real-world conditions. The Centre will host a consortia-building event to connect potential partners.
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Meanwhile, the Full ADOPT Grant Round 3, closing October 15, will provide up to £3 million for on-farm trials to test and demonstrate new technologies with the potential to improve resilience, productivity, and sustainability.
For dairy-focused research, the HDRF Small Grant Competition is open until February 20, 2026, offering up to £27,500 for projects addressing dairy health, nutrition, soil science, socioeconomics, and milk processing.
Ongoing funding streams include the SMART: SCOTLAND grants, which support high-risk R&D projects for SMEs, and TMAF grants, which target arable research, PhD projects, professional development, and educational outreach.
The Industrial Partnership Awards (IPA) also remain open, encouraging collaboration between academic groups and industry with joint funding requirements.
The Agri-Tech Centre said its team is available to support applicants with bid writing, consortium building, project management, and access to facilities, ensuring businesses can deliver successful outcomes.
“From small feasibility studies to multimillion-pound partnerships, these opportunities are designed to help innovators test ideas, scale solutions, and transform the future of UK agriculture,” the Centre noted.
