£123 Million Farming Innovation Fund — What’s Open for North West Farmers Right Now
If you’re a farmer, grower, or agricultural business in the North West interested in cutting costs, improving productivity, or trialling new technology — the Farming Innovation Programme has just become significantly more valuable.
The Farming Innovation Programme will receive an additional £53 million investment this year, meaning 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. Thecatconciergecheshire
Delivered in partnership with Innovate UK, the programme supports innovation at every stage, from early research and development through to on-farm trials and commercial deployment. Thecatconciergecheshire
It’s Already Working in the North West
Lancashire-based EnviroSystems UK partnered with Myerscough College for an 18-month lab-to-field feasibility project developing a bacterial solution that helps retain more of slurry’s nutrient value — reducing input costs while making better use of on-farm resources. That’s exactly the kind of practical, cost-saving innovation this fund is designed to support. Thecatconciergecheshire
What’s Open Right Now — The Full Competition Schedule
Here are every competition open or opening soon in 2026:
ADOPT Facilitator Support Grant — Round 9
£2,500 to access expert support to prepare a full ADOPT grant application.
Opens: 28 May — Closes: 8 July 2026
👉 Apply at: apply-for-innovation-funding.service.gov.uk
ADOPT Full Grant — Round 8
£50,000 to £200,000 for on-farm innovation projects and trials lasting up to 2 years.
Opens: 4 June — Closes: 29 July 2026
👉 Apply at: apply-for-innovation-funding.service.gov.uk
ADOPT Facilitator Support Grant — Round 10
£2,500 to access expert support.
Opens: 9 July — Closes: 19 August 2026
Feasibility Studies — Round 5
£200,000 to £500,000 to test whether an innovation works in practice, projects up to 2 years.
Opens: 15 July — Closes: 9 September 2026
ADOPT Full Grant — Round 9
£50,000 to £200,000 to trial and adopt new technologies or practices on farm.
Opens: 30 July — Closes: 23 September 2026
Farming Futures — Automation and Robotics
Funding to support development of robotics and automation solutions for agriculture.
Opens: 3 August — Closes: 30 September 2026
Small R&D — Round 5
£1 million to £3 million for collaborative research and development projects up to 3 years.
Opens: 1 September — Closes: 14 October 2026
ADOPT Full Grant — Round 10
£50,000 to £200,000 for on-farm innovation projects.
Opens: 24 September — Closes: 18 November 2026
Farming Futures — Soils and Water Quality
Funding to support technologies and practices improving soil quality and water management.
Opens: Winter 2026
What Can You Apply For?
The ADOPT grants are the most accessible entry point for most North West farmers — particularly the £2,500 Facilitator Support Grant which covers the cost of expert help to prepare a full application. That’s a low-risk starting point if you’ve never applied for innovation funding before.
The Feasibility Studies and Small R&D streams suit agricultural businesses and farm partnerships looking to develop and test genuinely new approaches at larger scale.
Who Is Eligible?
The programme is open to farmers, growers, foresters, and agri-tech businesses across England. You don’t need to be a large operation — the ADOPT stream is specifically designed to support individual farms trialling new approaches.
👉 Find all current competitions at: farminginnovation.ukri.org
👉 Get free application support from: gov.uk/government/groups/farming-advice-service
⚠️ Two deadlines are coming up fast — 8 July and 29 July
The ADOPT Round 9 Facilitator Grant closes 8 July and the ADOPT Round 8 Full Grant closes 29 July. If either of these is relevant to your farm don’t wait — applications take time to prepare properly.
Join the NW Funding Radar to receive alerts when new farming and rural grants open across the North West.
info@northwestfundingradar.co.uk
Related farming funding:
- SFI26 Window 1 — now open for small farms and farms without ELM agreements
- Lowland Peat Grants 2026 — up to £2 million for water management infrastructure
- Farming & Rural Grants North West 2026 — full overview
Coming Soon — Farmer Collaboration Fund
The government has confirmed a new £30 million Farmer Collaboration Fund will be introduced to support groups of farmers to work together, share knowledge and develop their businesses collectively. Full details and opening dates have not yet been announced.
The NW Funding Radar will update this page the moment applications open. Join our email list below to be notified first.