ADOPT announces more funding and support to empower farmer innovation

More information has been released about the ADOPT Fund including confirmed funding rounds, timescales and how farmers can make the most of this opportunity.
 
This initiative, part of the Farming Innovation Programme funded by Defra and delivered by Innovate UK, aims to support farmer-led research and development projects with significant funding and expert guidance.
 
It offers farmers, growers and foresters in England the opportunity to trial and test practical solutions to on-farm productivity and sustainability challenges.
 
The next round of funding has been announced and it offers farmers the chance to apply for additional support for their innovations – however applicants have got until 25 June 2025 to apply for the Full Grant Round 1 of funding.
 
What is ADOPT?
 
ADOPT stands for Accelerating Development of Practices and Technologies and is designed specifically for farmer-led innovation, helping farmers turn their ideas into practical trials.
 
The fund provides two types of grants:
 
•    Support Grants: Up to £2,500 to help develop ideas and bring in expert facilitators
•    Full Project Grants: Between £50,000 and £100,000 for farmer-led projects
 
Farmers can apply directly for a full grant or start with a support grant to develop their ideas first.
 
Why ADOPT Matters
 
ADOPT focuses on testing and trialing ideas or solutions that are either new or not yet widely used.
 
It encourages farmer-led collaboration, working with other farmers, advisers, researchers and partners to significantly improve productivity, resilience and sustainability.
 
The fund aims to demonstrate to other farmers, growers or foresters how these innovations can benefit them through on-farm trials with clear goals and measurable outcomes.
 
What’s open now?
 
Round 1 includes a full grant option for farmer-led, on-farm projects between £50,000 and £100,000, which closes on 25 June 2025.
Multiple rounds of both Support and Full Grants will run through the rest of 2025 and into early 2026.
 
Facilitator Support Grant
Round    Opens    Closes
Round 2    12 June 2025    23 July 2025
Round 3    24 July 2025    September 2025*
Round 4    September 2025    October 2025*
Round 5    October 2025    November 2025*
 
Full ADOPT Grant
Round    Opens    Closes
Round 2    26 June 2025    20 August 2025
Round 3    21 August 2025    October 2025*
Round 4    December 2025    February 2026*
Round 5    To be announced    —
*Dates subject to change

You can apply for a Support Grant and Full Grant in the same or different rounds, depending on what works best for your timeline.
 
Full details and updates can be found on the Farming Innovation Programme at https://farminginnovation.ukri.org/adopt/