ADOPT
The ADOPT Funding Opportunity
ADOPT will support collaborative farmer-led, on-farm trials or experiments to generate, test and demonstrate innovative solutions and practices to farming challenges.
Project outputs will provide knowledge of new approaches which will be shared to the wider sector to provide confidence for others to adopt.
How it works
ADOPT has two different types of grants available depending on the needs of the grant applicant:
- A small Support Grant to access professional assistance from an industry expert to help develop an application to the Full ADOPT Grant . These small Support Grants are intended for applicants who are less familiar with Innovate UK systems. You do not
- A Full ADOPT Grant will support collaborative farmer-led, on farm trials or experiments.
What’s coming up
Full details of eligibility and how to apply will be published on the Innovation Funding Service when each round opens.
You can find early information here to help you plan ahead.
| Competition | Competition round | Opens | Closes | Status | Support Grant starts from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Facilitator Support Grant | Round 6 | 15 January 2026 | 25 February 2026 | Closed | 1 June 2026 |
| Round 7 | 25 February 2026 | 15 April 2026 | Closed | 1 July 2026 | |
| Round 8 | 16 April 2026 | 29 May 2026 | Closed | 1 September 2026 | |
| Round 9 | 29 May 2026 | 8 July 2026 | Details available | 1 October 2026 | |
| Round 10 | 9 July 2026 | 19 August 2026 | Details to be provided | 1 November 2026 | |
| Round 11 | To be confirmed | To be confirmed | Details to be provided | To be confirmed | |
| Round 12 | To be confirmed | To be confirmed | Details to be provided | To be confirmed | |
| Future competition dates will be posted in due course | |||||
| Competition | Competition round | Opens | Closes | Status | Project Start by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full ADOPT Grant | Round 6 | 5 February 2026 | 8 April 2026 | Closed | 1 September 2026 |
| Round 7 | 9 April 2026 | 3 June 2026 | Closed | 1 October 2026 | |
| Round 8 | 4 June 2026 | 29 July 2026 | Details available | 1 December 2026 | |
| Round 9 | 30 July 2026 | 23 September 2026 | Details to be provided | 1 February 2027 | |
| Round 10 | 24 September 2026 | 18 November 2026 | Details to be provided | 1 May 2027 | |
| Round 11 | To be confirmed | To be confirmed | Details to be provided | To be confirmed | |
| Round 12 | To be confirmed | To be confirmed | Details to be provided | To be confirmed | |
| Future competition dates will be posted in due course | |||||
Support Available to Applicants
Project Facilitator Database:
Innovate UK Business Connect can introduce applicants to industry experts who can provide guidance with the Support Grant and Full ADOPT Grant. Innovate UK Business Connect can provide the names of individuals who can help you turn your idea into a potential funding opportunity that is ready for a Full Grant application. The industry expert can also assist with the Support and Full Grant applications for those that are less familiar with the Innovate UK platforms and systems.
To register as a facilitator: Click Here (opens in new window)
To view registered facilitators: Click Here (opens in new window)
If you like further information on registration please contact: ADOPTfacilitator@iukbc.org.uk. If you are a farmer, grower or forester you will be able to request a list of registered facilitators for your project idea in the coming weeks.
Support Hub
The ADOPT Support Hub, has been set up to support applicants and funded projects throughout their ADOPT journey.
Contact the Support Hub:
- Website: www.farmpep.net/adopt
- Email: adoptsupport@adas.co.uk
- Phone: 0800 987 8006
Join one of the regular drop-in sessions open to all to ask questions, get advice, and discuss your ideas: www.farmpep.net/event/qa-drop-sessions
To see what has already been funded through ADOPT, you can explore live and completed projects here: www.farmpep.net/adopt/live-projects
Run by ADAS , UK Agri-tech Centre and Soil Association, the Support Hub can:
- act as the first point of contact, providing advice on scope, suitability, or on‑farm trial practicalities
- help form connections by finding expertise, partners, and capabilities needed for a full grant application
- provide and promote standards on best practice for on‑farm R&D
- support the exchange of information and outputs from funded projects, helping to share learning across the farming community and enable knowledge exchange
Applications to competitions
The competitions for both the support grant and the full grant will be published on the Innovation Funding Service Platform. Innovation competitions – Innovation Funding Service