Farmers, growers and foresters can now apply for up to £200,000 for larger farmer-led innovation projects through the latest round of Defra’s ADOPT (Accelerating Development of Practices and Technologies) fund.
The maximum eligible project costs have been doubled increasing from £100,000, following feedback from the farming community. Those behind the project said this will enable more ambitious on-farm trials that can involve a greater number of farmers and partners, generate more robust evidence and deliver wider benefits across the sector.
The additional funding will also create greater opportunities to involve researchers, technology providers and industry partners where additional expertise can strengthen the work.
The increased funding limit applies from Round 8 onwards, which is now open for applications, and comes as Defra also confirms the continuation of the programme beyond its previously published schedule.
Farmer-led projects
Delivered by Innovate UK, ADOPT supports practical, farmer-led projects that test new approaches, ideas and technologies to address on-farm challenges and improve farm productivity, sustainability and resilience.
Funding opportunities are offered through a rolling programme, with a new application window opening approximately every eight to nine weeks as soon as the previous round closes.
Defra has announced two further funding rounds beyond those previously scheduled. While dates for Rounds 11 and 12 are yet to be confirmed, the announcement provides additional certainty for those considering future innovation projects.
While the maximum project size has increased, the core principles of the programme remain unchanged. Projects must continue to be farmer-led, collaborative and focused on practical, on-farm testing. The minimum eligible project cost remains £50,000 and projects of all sizes will continue to be assessed against the same criteria.
Farmers, growers and foresters whose ideas may previously have been constrained by the £100,000 limit can now revisit those proposals, while applicants who were unsuccessful in earlier rounds are welcome to refine their projects using the feedback received and submit a new application.
Alongside funding, applicants have access to free support and guidance through the ADOPT Support Hub, delivered by ADAS, UK Agri-Tech Centre and the Soil Association. The service provides one-to-one support throughout the application process and project delivery.
ADOPT is open to farmers, growers and foresters working collaboratively with others across the UK, but the lead farmer must be located in England. Projects should run for between six and 24 months and receive funding for up to 80% of eligible costs, alongside access to facilitator support.
Real difference
Thomas Slattery, engagement lead at the UK Agri-Tech Centre, welcomed the extra funding: “ADOPT was designed to help farmers test practical ideas that could make a real difference to their businesses and the wider industry.
“As the programme has developed, we’ve heard from farmers that some of the challenges they want to tackle require larger-scale trials involving more farms, more data and a broader range of expertise.
“The change will allow farmers to undertake more ambitious projects, bring more partners together and generate stronger evidence that can be shared with others across the sector.”
- More information about funding and support can be found at https://farmpep.net/adopt.
- Explore ADOPT-funded trials at https://farmpep.net/adopt/live-projects.