Round 2 of Defra’s Farming Innovation Programme – feasibility studies is now open. Here’s what you need to know.
The UK government’s Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has launched round 2 of its Farming Innovation Programme.
This initiative provides funding for early-stage R&D projects that are designed to improve the productivity, sustainability and resilience of English farming.
Delivered in partnership with UKRI’s Transforming Food Production Challenge, the Farming Innovation Programme is split into two parallel competitions:
- The £5.5 million feasibility competition
- The £11 million small R&D partnership projects competition
This blog covers the feasibility competition. More on the small R&D partnership projects competition here.
For a hassle-free assessment of your eligibility for either competition, contact GrantTree today.
Key Details
- Up to £350,000 of funding is available
- The competition runs from 31 August to 12 October 2022
- Your project must involve at least one other organisation
- At least 50% of the grant must be requested by farmers, growers, and foresters based in England
Below are the key things you need to know about the eligibility criteria and the application process for the Farming Innovation Programme feasibility competition.
Take a moment to read through this information. Then contact GrantTree for a quick, no-strings-attached assessment of your eligibility.
Am I Eligible for the Farming Innovation Programme?
Here is the key eligibility criteria for the Farming Innovation Programme feasibility competition.
Your Project
This competition is designed to fund feasibility studies for new solutions that will address on-farm or post-farmgate challenges and opportunities in at least one of the following subsectors:
- Livestock
- Plants
- Novel food production systems
- Bioeconomy and agroforestry
Within these subsectors, your solution(s) must aim to significantly improve:
- Productivity
- Sustainability and the environmental impact of farming
- Progression towards net zero
- Resilience
In addition, your project must:
- Start by 1 April 2023 and end by 31 March 2025
- Last no more than 24 months
- Be collaborative
- Have total costs of between £200,000 and £500,000
You must carry out all of your project work and intend to exploit its results in the UK. Also, at least 50% of the funding your request must be allocated to farmers, growers and foresters based in England.
Leading a Project
To lead a project, your organisation must:
- Be a UK-registered organisation of any size
- Collaborate with other UK-registered organisations
Academic institutions cannot lead a project or work alone.
Project Team
To collaborate with a lead, your organisation must be a UK-registered:
- Business of any size
- Academic institution
- Charity
- Not-for-profit
- Public sector organisation
- Research and technology organisation (RTO)
The complete list of eligibility criteria is available on the competition’s website.
How Do I Apply for the Farming Innovation Programme?
The application for the Feasibility Study arm of the Farming Innovation Programme Catalyst is split into three sections:
Project Details
This section includes a 400-word project summary, a 400-word description of how your project matches the competition’s scope, and a 400-word public description explaining how you would like Innovate UK to describe your work to third parties.
Application Questions
There are 14 questions in this section, covering a range of areas, including the need or challenge your project is addressing, the approach you will take, your project team, and your plan to commercialise your project’s results.
Each question has a 400-word limit.
Finances
This is where you’ll enter your project costs, organisation details and funding details. Each organisation in your consortium must submit their own information.
Maximise Your Chances with GrantTree
The Farming Innovation Programme is highly competitive. But you can maximise your chances of submitting a successful application by working with GrantTree’s team of grant experts.
Our team can help you create a compelling proposal that satisfies all of the competition’s criteria.
To discuss working with GrantTree, and secure the funding that will take your project to the next stage of growth, just get in touch. Our team is standing by to help.
