Farmers and growers across the UK are set to receive a £12.6 million boost in research and development funding, as the government launches two new competitions under its Farming Innovation Programme. The initiative, delivered in partnership with Innovate UK, aims to accelerate the development of practical agritech solutions—from robotic harvesters to livestock health monitoring—designed to tackle real-world challenges on farms.
The funding, announced by farming minister Daniel Zeichner, builds on previous investments in projects like autonomous strawberry pickers and AI-driven cattle health alerts. Zeichner framed the initiative as a way to equip farmers with the tools needed to improve resilience, productivity, and profitability. “This is about giving farming businesses the tools they need to thrive,” he said. “By working with investors to fund and develop new equipment and technology, we are helping farms become more resilient, productive and profitable.”
The two competitions, structured like a “Dragons’ Den for farming,” will open this autumn. The first, **Small R&D Partnerships**, launches on 15 September with up to £7.8 million available for later-stage projects nearing commercial readiness. The second, **Feasibility Studies**, opens on 13 October, offering up to £4.8 million for early-stage ideas that need testing before scaling up.
The funding forms part of the UK’s broader £11.8 billion commitment to sustainable farming and food production, reinforcing the government’s *New Deal for Farmers*. This includes nearly £250 million in grants for innovation and productivity, alongside reforms to make supply chains fairer. Additional measures, such as a £200 million National Biosecurity Centre to protect livestock and the appointment of former NFU president Minette Batters as an advisor, signal a push to modernise the sector while improving farm profitability.
For farmers, the competitions present an opportunity to turn innovative ideas into market-ready solutions. Whether refining existing technology or exploring entirely new approaches, the funding could help bridge the gap between research and on-farm application. With input costs rising and climate pressures intensifying, such investments may prove critical in ensuring the sector’s long-term viability.
The move also reflects a shift in how agricultural innovation is funded, with greater emphasis on collaboration between farmers, researchers, and private investors. By targeting both early-stage concepts and near-market products, the programme aims to create a pipeline of solutions tailored to the needs of UK agriculture. For a sector often seen as slow to adopt new technology, this could mark a turning point—one where cutting-edge tools become as commonplace as tractors and combines.