From spring 2025 additional grants will be opening to support animal health, productivity, and innovation in England.
Animal Health & Welfare Pathway
Through the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway, farmers will be able to apply for visits to cover every eligible species they have from February 2025, and from summer they will also be able to apply for a visit for every eligible herd or flock of the same species.
FETF Grant
This spring, Defra will launch one round of FETF. Grants of between £1,000 and £25,000 will be available.
In total, £30 million will be available for productivity and slurry, and £16.7 million will be available for animal health and welfare.
Farming Innovation Programme
Through the FIP, funding is available to farmers, growers, and foresters who want to develop and use new, innovative methods and technologies.
You’ll be able to apply for grants through the following competitions:
- A thematic competition that builds on the opportunities unlocked by the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023, with up to £12.5 million available to fund research to deliver the practical benefits of precision breeding technology to farmers. For example, enhanced disease resistance or reducing the need for nutrients or pesticides.
- A thematic competition focused on Net Zero farming, with up to £12.5 million across projects to fund research focusing on technologies and practices to help transition the sector towards Net Zero.
- Further Industry-led competitions, with up to £17.6 million across projects. These will range from early-stage feasibility to those at a later stage in the R&D pipeline towards commercialisation.
Accelerating Development of Practices and Technologies Fund (ADOPT)
ADOPT provides collaborative, farmer-led innovation grants, for farmers and farm businesses to trial new technology and methods on their farm.
These practical research projects will help to prove innovative ways of boosting farm productivity, food security, and nature’s recovery across England.
It will open for applications in spring 2025 and grants will be available to fund projects of between £50,000 to £100,000 in size.
To ensure farmers and growers can access ADOPT and the evidence generated effectively, a bespoke Support Hub has been established to support farmers in their application and encourage collaboration.
The hub will be led by RSK ADAS with support from the UK Agri Tech Centre and Soil Association.
Through the FIP and ADOPT competitions up to £63 million will be made available starting in the 2025/26 financial year.