There is still time to apply for a share of £16.5 million in funding through the second round of two new research and development competitions which opened for applications on the 31st August.
This funding is part of the £270 million Farming Innovation Programme which supports England’s farmers and growers to collaborate on the research and development of innovative methods and technologies.
Although there is no set theme for these competitions, all projects must focus on improving the productivity, environmental sustainability, and resilience of England’s agricultural, horticultural and forestry sectors. Farmers, growers, foresters, businesses, and researchers can apply for the following projects.
Feasibility projects
UK registered businesses can apply for a share of £5.5 million for feasibility projects which are designed to help businesses to check if a research idea works in practice. Projects worth up to £500,000 and lasting up to 2 years can investigate new or early-stage solutions that have the potential to improve the overall sustainability, productivity, and resilience of UK farming on the path to net zero.
Successful projects from the first round of funding include:
- Using the waste products from the cherry juicing process to create new foods rich in healthy compounds as well as reducing agricultural waste.
- Taking a proof-of-concept broccoli harvesting machine to the next level with infield testing and using this automation technology to harvest the whole plant.
Use the following link to find out more about applying for a feasibility project: Competition overview – Farming Innovation Programme – feasibility round 2 – Innovation Funding Service (apply-for-innovation-funding.service.gov.uk
The application window for feasibility projects closes on the 12th of October.
Small R&D partnership projects
UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £11million for small R&D partnership projects to develop a new farming product or service further to take it towards commercialisation.
The funding is for innovative solutions that have the potential to substantially improve productivity, sustainability, and resilience of the sectors with a focus on larger projects worth £1 million to £3 million up to 3 years.
Successful projects from the first round of funding include:
- A project which monitors the welfare of dairy cows remotely and without the need for neck collars. Through a standard mounted security camera and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology, health and behaviour insights can be fed back to the herd manager
- A project that has developed a ‘herd’ of lightweight and battery-operated harvesting robots. These will be used for the 2023 asparagus season as well as exploring their potential for other crops.
Use the following link to find out more about applying for a small R&D partnership project: Competition overview – Farming Innovation Programme small R&D partnership projects R2 – Innovation Funding Service (apply-for-innovation-funding.service.gov.uk)
The application window for small R&D partnership projects closes on the 2nd of November.
