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Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), with Innovate UK

ADOPT Facilitator Support Grant: Round 12

A fixed £2,500 grant from Defra's Farming Innovation Programme, delivered with Innovate UK, for a farmer, grower or forester in England to pay a registered external Project Facilitator to help write a Full ADOPT Grant application for a farmer-led, on-farm trial or experiment. It is aimed at applicants less familiar with Innovate UK systems and is paid only after the Full ADOPT application has been sent for assessment, on a claim made within three months of the grant offer letter. Commercial farming, growing or forestry businesses of any size can apply, including sole traders and partnerships; charities and CICs cannot. Round 12 closes at 11am on 11 November 2026.

Apply on the funder’s site
You could get
£2,500
Deadline
24 days left
11 November
Effort
Moderate
full application with documents

Who can apply

  • An active farming, growing or forestry business of any size based in England, able to evidence that it is an established commercial business (sole traders and partnerships included), with a UK bank account
  • Organisations that are not profit driven or lack a commercial focus, including Community Interest Companies and charities, cannot lead or take part
  • The applicant must work with an external Project Facilitator registered in the Innovate UK Business Connect database to develop and submit an eligible Full ADOPT Grant application
  • Each farmer, grower or forester can submit one application per round and receive at most two Facilitator Support Grants across all rounds
  • Innovate UK will not fund businesses in financial difficulty, or those that have failed to exploit a previous project, have an overdue accountant's report or breached grant terms
  • A previously submitted application can be reused (once more if it reached assessment)

What it funds

  • A £2,500 grant to engage an external Project Facilitator, registered in the Innovate UK Business Connect database, to support a submission into a Full ADOPT Grant competition
  • The Full ADOPT project must be an on-farm trial or experiment testing ideas or solutions that are new or not yet widely used, addressing major on-farm or immediate post farmgate challenges or opportunities
  • It must have the potential to significantly improve productivity, resilience, or sustainability and progression towards net zero farming, and show other farmers, growers or foresters in England how it would benefit them
  • It must address an industry challenge or opportunity in agriculture, horticulture or agro-forestry

The grant is paid at 100% on a claim with the Full ADOPT application number that has gone to assessment and the facilitator's invoice for £2,500.

What it will not fund

  • Projects that do not benefit farmers, growers or foresters in England
  • Projects based on funded crop variety plot trials
  • Projects based on existing demonstration trials or projects
  • Production of crops or plants for medicinal or pharmaceutical use
  • Cultivated meat
  • Equine systems
  • Wild caught fisheries
  • Aquaculture, such as algae and seaweed for human consumption
  • Fermentation systems for bacteria, yeast or fungi for human consumption
  • Projects dependent on export performance or on using domestic inputs
  • Subcontractors
  • Charities, CICs and other organisations that are not profit driven or commercially focused

How to apply

  1. Choose a Project Facilitator registered in the Innovate UK Business Connect Project Facilitator database (you can request a list from Innovate UK Business Connect)
  2. Start an application on the Innovation Funding Service; you can invite your facilitator to help complete it
  3. Complete project details (support grant title and a three-month duration), a project summary (250 words) and a scope answer (400 words) on the on-farm trial you will apply to Full ADOPT for
  4. Answer questions 1 to 7 (not scored) about your business, location and holding number, animal testing, permits, international collaboration, export licence and Trusted Research, and scored questions 8 to 10 (400 words each) on the idea to trial, the benefit to other farmers, and your facilitator and team
  5. In Finances, enter the facilitator's name and £2,500 in the 'other costs' line
  6. Submit by 11am on 11 November 2026; one independent assessor scores the application
  7. Applicants are notified on 7 December 2026; complete project setup, then sign and upload the grant offer letter
  8. Within three months of the grant offer letter being approved, claim the £2,500 with your Full ADOPT Grant application number (once it has gone to assessment) and the facilitator's invoice

The ADOPT Support Hub (run by ADAS) advises on scope, eligibility and on-farm trial practicalities: adoptsupport@adas.co.uk or 0800 987 8006. Innovate UK help: support@iuk.ukri.org or 0300 321 4357. You do not need a Support Grant to apply for a Full ADOPT Grant.

Have ready

  • Your farm business details, registered address and County Parish Holding (CPH) number where relevant
  • The name of your registered Project Facilitator

No appendices are asked for at application. To be paid you will need your Full ADOPT Grant application number and the facilitator's invoice for £2,500.

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