In November 2023, the government announced up to £45 million in competitions and grants to open between December 2023 and spring 2024, to support farmers to foster innovation, boost productivity and improve animal welfare.

DEFRA is releasing guidance on each of the grants closer to the times they open, with more detailed guidance being provided here as new schemes are introduced.

Key grants include funding for:

·        Environmental projects

·        Investing in productivity

·        Conducting research and innovation

The funding announcements and new calls include:

 

Environment:

The Natural Environment Investment Readiness Fund (NEIRF)

NEIRF aims to help businesses to get ready for private investment in environmental service delivery.  From 11th December, farmers will be able to apply for individual grants up to £100,000 to prepare nature projects that will attract investment from the private sector from a total £5 million. The natural environment investment readiness fund will help farmers to attract investment from the private sector. For more information, please read the blog post here.

Applications need to be made by 16th February 2024.

 

Landscape Recovery

DEFRA has announced 34 projects that will receive a share of £25 million in project development funding through the second round of the Landscape Recovery scheme.  These projects involve over 700 farmers and landowners working together to support over 200,000 hectares of nature and sustainable food production.

The projects include the Lincoln and Witham Valley Farming and Nature Network (LWFNN).

Read more about the projects and how they will balance food production and environmental benefit on Landscape Recovery here.

 

Productivity:

Farming Investment Fund - Improving Farm Productivity grant 

From January 2024, businesses can apply for an initial share of £30 million, providing capital grants of £25,000 - £500,000 towards robotic and automatic equipment, with further funding potentially available depending on levels of interest.

For the first time, the Farming Investment Fund will also fund grants of between £15,000 and £100,000 towards solar equipment which can be fitted on rooftops and float on irrigation reservoirs, helping increase energy resilience and take-up of renewable energy generation on farms.     

The Improving Farm Productivity grant Round 2 is open to horticultural and arable businesses and will pay for capital items to improve farm and horticulture productivity.  You can apply for a grant for capital items to improve farm and horticulture productivity through: 

o   Use of robotic or automatic equipment and systems to aid crop and livestock production

o   Wavelength specific LED lighting for horticultural crops

o   Advanced ventilation control units

o   Solar photovoltaic (PV) systems

 

The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) will prioritise funding for projects that: 

o   Improve productivity

o   Improve the environment

o   Introduce innovation

o   Introduce technology to address labour shortage (farm productivity projects)

 

The more your project meets these grant funding priorities, the higher your application will score.

Contractors from those sectors are eligible to apply for grants towards the purchase of robotic and automated equipment, but not solar equipment. 

For robotic and automated equipment, the minimum grant available has been reduced to £25,000 and the maximum grant remains at £500,000.  The grant will cover up to 40% of eligible cost.  

For solar equipment, the minimum grant available is £15,000, with the maximum grant being £100,000.  The grant will cover up to 25% of the cost of eligible items. 

You can apply for both automated and robotic equipment and solar equipment, however, your maximum grant amount cannot exceed £500,000 in total for both applications together. 

The grants have a two-stage application procedure.

 

Research and Innovation:

Farming Innovation Programme – Research Starter Competition Round 4

Farmers, growers, and foresters in England will be able to apply for a share of our £850,000 Research Starter funding to get innovative new projects off the ground if they have the potential to move the agricultural sector to net zero. 

Projects are funded between £28,000 and £56,000 and should focus on:

o   Investigating early-stage solutions with the potential to substantially improve overall productivity, sustainability, resilience and move existing agricultural sectors to net zero

o   Prioritising solutions that have positive outputs for farmers, growers or foresters in commercially relevant situations

o   Accelerating development of effective new agricultural solutions by working with end-users and collaborating with the wider UK research community in the innovation process

Full details and how to apply are available here.

Bids have to be received by 14th February.

 

Farming Innovation Programme – Large R&D competition 

From 15th January businesses can apply for a share of the £7.8 million Farming Innovation Programme Large Research and Development fund, which supports industrial research or experimental development projects. 

Your project must:

o   Have total costs between £3 million and £5 million

o   Start by 1st October 2024 and end by 30 September 2028 and can last up to 48 months

o   Carry out all of its project work in the UK

o   Intend to exploit the results from or in England

Projects have to be led by a business, of any size, but need to include partners.  Businesses within a supply chain, are encouraged to come together as a partnership to solve major challenges or opportunities.  The aim of this competition is to fund industrial research and experimental development projects that will address major on-farm or immediate post farmgate challenges or opportunities.

Your solutions or project outputs must significantly improve:

o   Productivity

o   Sustainability and environmental impact of farming

o   Progression towards net zero emissions​

o   Resilience

Applications to the large R&D competition close on the 13th March and full details and how to apply can be found here. 

 

Funding to Support Agricultural Technology Adoption

Later in 2024, DEFRA is intending to extend the range of Farming Innovation Programme grants to include the Accelerating Development of Practices and Technologies (ADOPT) grant.  This will allow businesses to apply for a share of £44million to test and trial new technology and techniques on farms.  

These grants will help businesses boost farm productivity, reduce waste and cut input costs, as well as increase environmental sustainability.