Farming Innovation Programme receives £12 million Government investment

The farming sector is set to receive a major financial boost after the Government confirmed a £12.6 million investment through the Farming Innovation Programme (FIP).

The new investment will see the FIP launch two new competitions with research groups, farmers, growers, and foresters given the opportunity to test and develop their ideas that could transform the farming sector.

What are the new competitions?

The purpose of the grant is to allow individuals and businesses to develop and showcase their ideas. The £12.6 million will be split between two different competitions.

£4.8 million will be given to the Feasibility Studies competition, with the remaining £7.8 million going to the Small Research and Development Partnerships competition.

The competitions are in place to give individuals and businesses working within the agriculture sector to develop and test their ideas that could enhance productivity and sustainability, as well as improve resilience.

The Feasibility Studies competition

This competition will test an individual’s or a business’s idea in the real world. It encourages people to work together as well as analyse and develop their ideas to see how effective they could be.

Development projects could receive between £200,000 and £500,000 in funding to test and develop their ideas.

The funding would be spread over 24 months, so businesses can assess and fine-tune to see if their ideas are making an impact.

The competition officially opens on 13 October 2025 and closes on 3 December 2025. There will also be an online consortia-building event on 14 October in which you can meet other farmers, researchers, and business owners.

The Small Research and Development Partnerships competition

This competition gives small research and development partnerships the ability to develop their new farming products or services once they’ve showcased the idea works in practice.

It’s important to note that the project’s total eligibility costs must sit between £1 million and £3 million and can last up to 30 months, depending on how long the project takes.

This competition opens on 15 September 2025 and closes on 5 November 2025. Like the feasibility studies competition, there will be an online consortia-building event, taking place on 18 September.

Government keen to help farmers return to profitability

The Government’s latest investment continues its push to innovate the farming sector so businesses and grow and start turning a profit once again.

Speaking about the latest Government grant, Farming Minister Daniel Zeichner said, “This is about giving farming businesses the tools they need to thrive.

By working with investors to fund and develop new equipment and technology, we are helping farms become more resilient, productive, and profitable.

These grants put the Plan for Change into action – supporting farmers to adapt, compete and grow, whatever challenges and opportunities lie ahead.”

Looking to develop your own idea?

These competitions give you the perfect opportunity to develop and test your own ideas.

Let us help you crunch the numbers behind it and ensure you have financial confidence ahead of submitting your entry.

Ready to launch a brand-new venture? Get in touch today.