£13m Agritech Funding To Bring Cutting-Edge Research From Lab To Field

A new £13 million funding competition has opened to accelerate the commercial roll-out of promising agricultural technologies that address practical challenges on UK farms, including labour shortages, pest control, crop production, and sustainability.

The latest Farming Innovation Programme competition is offering grants of between £1m and £3m available to a small number of high-potential projects, according to a press release from Defra. 

Delivered in partnership with Innovate UK, the competition is intended to bring together researchers, farmers, and agritech businesses to develop innovations that can move from research and development towards real-world commercial use.

For the fresh produce sector, previous projects supported through the programme include robotic technology for tomato harvesting and the use of hoverflies as a natural pest-control method in berry production.

“This funding will take brilliant ideas off the drawing board and put them to the test on farms, turning cutting-edge research into practical solutions that farmers can use,” enthused Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle.

“As set out in the Farming Roadmap, we’re backing the people turning ideas into action, helping farmers boost productivity, build resilience and meet the challenges of tomorrow,” Dame Eagle explained.

Previous projects have included Vitrum, which developed AI-powered robotic harvesters capable of picking tomatoes directly from the vine. The technology combines robotic arms, soft grippers and machine vision to help growers tackle seasonal labour shortages, increase domestic tomato production, and reduce reliance on imports. 

FLYTHRIVE was another produce-related project that explored how hoverflies can be used as a natural form of pest control in berry production. 

Focus On Commercialising Innovation

This latest competition from Defra forms part of a wider government push to increase investment in agricultural innovation. 

This year some £123m is being invested through the Farming Innovation Programme (FIP), following a £53m increase announced in June.

The government has committed to invest at least £200m in agricultural innovation by 2030, through its Modern Industrial Strategy, to back rural growth, productivity and food security. 

For growers, technologies that can reduce reliance on manual labour, improve crop protection, and increase yields are likely to be of particular relevance as the sector looks for ways to improve productivity while maintaining sustainable production.

“Innovation is critical to supporting a productive, resilient and competitive farming sector,” pointed out Chris Danks, Head of Agrifood at Innovate UK.

“By bringing together farmers, researchers and agri-tech businesses, this competition will help turn cutting-edge ideas into practical solutions that address the challenges facing agriculture today.

“Working in partnership with Defra, Innovate UK is supporting the development and commercialisation of innovations that can drive growth, improve sustainability and strengthen UK food production for the future,” Danks added. 

The announcement comes ahead of Back British Farming Day on 9 September and coincides with the opening of applications for Defra’s £30m Farmer Collaboration Fund.

That separate initiative is designed to support farmers and land managers who work collectively to reduce costs, exchange knowledge, and strengthen resilience.

Together, the funding programmes form part of the government’s broader effort to support technology adoption and innovation across UK agriculture, with the aim of improving productivity and food security while addressing the environmental and operational pressures facing farmers and growers.