The Farming Innovation Investor Partnerships competition is now open for applications.
This competition is part of the Farming Innovation Programme, delivered by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) in partnership with Innovate UK. It aims to support the scale-up and commercialisation of late-stage agri-tech innovations by offering a combination of public grant funding and private investment.
Up to £5 million in grant funding is available in this round.
About the competition
The Investor Partnerships competition supports agri-tech businesses in bringing near-market innovations into practical use on farms. Grant funding from Defra is matched with private investment from a pool of over 150 pre-approved investors, selected for their experience in supporting innovative, high-growth companies.
This round builds on a previous pilot, which supported five projects and leveraged over £10 million in private investment.
Eligibility and requirements
Applicants must:
-Be a UK-registered micro, small, or medium-sized business
-Be seeking late seed or Series A stage investment
-Be developing an innovation that is close to commercial deployment
Projects must:
-Deliver clear benefits to farmers, growers, or agricultural businesses in England
-Have eligible costs between £750,000 and £3 million
-Be completed within 18 months
-Be delivered entirely within the UK
Grant funding will cover:
-Up to 45% of project costs for micro or small organisations
-Up to 35% of project costs for medium-sized organisations
How to apply
Applications must be submitted through the Innovation Funding Service on GOV.UK. Proposals will be evaluated by independent experts from industry and academia.
Key dates
2 June 2025 – Competition opens
5 June 2025 at 11:00am – Online briefing event (briefing slides and a recording will be available afterward)
2 July 2025 at 11:00am – Competition closes
8 August 2025 – Notification of application outcomes
3 December 2025 – Deadline to agree heads of terms with a lead investor
19 December 2025 – Final applicant notifications
From 1 April 2026 – Projects may begin
Further details on eligibility, scope, application procedures, and supporting materials are available in the competition guidance.
Credit: Zayndu. Zayndu received a £500,000 grant through the Investor Partnerships pilot, alongside over £2 million in private investment. The company has developed cold plasma technology to treat seeds and boost crop yields.
Source: defrafarming.blog.gov.uk