A new Farming Innovation Investor Partnerships competition, delivered in partnership with Innovate UK, is now open for applications.
£5 million in government grant funding, part of the wider Farming Innovation Programme, is available to attract private investment and support businesses developing near-commercial, on-farm innovations.
The grant helps bring in private investment by reducing the risk of late-stage research and development, so projects can grow and scale up.
Private investment is drawn from Innovate UK’s Investor Partner Pool.
These projects will help farmers improve productivity, reduce costs and farm more sustainably through practical, farm-focused innovation. The aim is to bring them into everyday use across England.
In this post, I’ll outline how to apply for the next round of the competition and an example of a successful project from a previous round.
How to apply
Visit the Innovation Funding Service on GOV.UK to read the guidance and apply.
The deadline is 17 June 2026.
Applicants must be:
- a UK-registered micro, small or medium-sized business
- seeking late seed or Series A investment
- developing an innovation close to commercial use
Projects must:
- deliver clear benefits for farmers, growers or agricultural businesses in England
- cost between £750,000 and £3 million
- last up to 18 months
- be carried out in the UK
Grant funding will cover:
- up to 45% of costs for micro or small organisations
- up to 35% of costs for medium-sized organisations
Applications will be assessed by independent experts from business and academia.
Join our briefing session
You can also join an online briefing session to find out more about the competition, understand the application process, and ask any questions.
The session will start at midday on Monday 18 May.
You do not need to register in advance. Follow the link to join the session on Zoom.
Project spotlight
Turning food waste into high-protein animal feed
AGRIGRUB received grant funding alongside private sector investment through a previous round, to support the business to scale its operations.
The business produces Black Soldier Fly larvae, known as Calci Worms, using food from supermarket supply chains that would otherwise go to waste. This avoids waste going to landfill or anaerobic digestion, where it would produce methane, a potent greenhouse gas.
The Calci Worms are a high-protein feed for livestock, reducing reliance on less sustainable protein sources such as soya, which is a leading cause of rainforest deforestation. Their manure is also used as an organic fertiliser.
AGRIGRUB estimates that through its circular approach to the production of animal feed, it reduced UK CO2 emissions by over 800 tonnes last year.
AGRIGRUB founder and director, Joe Halstead said:
The Investor Partnerships programme has been key in unlocking the investment needed to scale our insect farming business and grow this emerging sector, while bringing in the right investors who have strengthened the team around us.
Learn more about how the competition is helping new solutions reach farms.
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