Funding competition Farming Innovation Programme – research starter pilot - EoI Round 2
Farming, growing or forestry businesses based in England can apply for a share of up to £1 million for feasibility projects. This is an expression of interest competition.
- Competition opens: Monday 23 May 2022
- Competition closes: Wednesday 6 July 2022 11:00am
This competition is now closed.
Competition sections
Description
The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) will work with UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), to invest up to £1million in innovation projects.
The funding for this competition is part of Defra’s Farming Innovation Programme which is delivered in partnership with UKRI’s Transforming Food Production Challenge.
This is an expression of interest (EoI) competition. If your application is successful, you will be invited to apply to a full stage competition.
This two stage competition is designed to make funding accessible to a wider range of applicants. Applicants that are successful in the EoI stage will be able to access independent support to help them complete the full application stage. The full stage will open in August 2022.
The aim of this competition is to:
- investigate early-stage solutions with the potential to substantially improve overall productivity, sustainability, resilience and move existing agricultural sectors to net zero
- prioritise solutions that have positive outputs for farmers, growers or foresters in commercially relevant situations
- accelerate development of effective new agricultural solutions by working with end-users and collaborating with the wider UK research community in the innovation process
Your proposal must be able to demonstrate how the project will benefit farmers, growers or foresters in England.
In applying to this competition, you are entering into a competitive process. This competition closes at 11am UK time on the deadline stated.
Funding type
Grant
Project size
Project cost details are not required at the EoI stage. At the full application stage your total project costs must be between £28,000 and £56,000.
Who can apply
Your project
If your application is successful in this EoI stage, you will be invited to apply for a full stage competition. In the full stage you must collaborate with other eligible partners.
Your full stage project must:
- have total project costs between £28,000 and £56,000
- start by 1 April 2023
- end by 31 March 2024
- last up to 12 months
- carry out all of its project work in the UK
- intend to exploit the results from or in England
- have a minimum of 50% of any grant requested by farmers, growers or foresters, allocated to farmers, growers or foresters based in England
If you are successful at the full stage, any awards given to primary agricultural producers are subject to the green box exemption under the WTO Agreement on Agriculture. Please see further guidance on green box subsidies here WTO Guidance for support in Agriculture.
Applicants receiving this type of support must ensure that there is minimal to no distortion of trade and comply with the requirements of Annex 2 of the Agriculture Agreement.
Under current restrictions, this competition will not fund any procurement, commercial, business development or supply chain activity with any Russian entity as lead, partner or subcontractor. This includes any goods or services originating from a Russian source.
Lead organisation
To lead a project your organisation must:
- be an active farming, growing or forestry business of any size based in England
- be able to evidence that you are an established business, including sole traders and partnerships
- have a UK bank account
- not have been awarded Innovate UK funding as a project lead within the last 5 years before 6 July 2022
To collaborate with the lead at the full stage, your organisation must be a UK registered organisation or a farmer, grower or forester based in the UK.
Number of applications
A business can only lead on one EoI application.
Previous applications
You cannot use a previously submitted application to apply for this competition.
At the full application stage, we will not award you funding if you:
- are leading this project and have been awarded Innovate UK funding as a project lead within the last 5 years before 6 July 2022
- have failed to exploit a previously funded project
-
have an overdue independent accountant’s report
-
have failed to comply with grant terms and conditions
Subsidy control (and State aid where applicable)
This competition provides funding in line with the UK's obligations and commitments to Subsidy Control. Further information about the UK Subsidy Control requirements can be found within the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation agreement and the subsequent guidance from the department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).
Innovate UK is unable to award organisations that are considered to be in financial difficulty. We will conduct financial viability and eligibility tests to confirm this is not the case following the full application stage.
EU State aid rules now only apply in limited circumstances. Please see our general guidance to check if these rules apply to your organisation.
Further Information
If you are unsure about your obligations under the UK Subsidy Control regime or the State aid rules, you should take independent legal advice. We are unable to advise on individual eligibility or legal obligations.
You must make sure at all times that the funding awarded to you is compliant with all current Subsidy Control legislation applicable in the United Kingdom.
This aims to regulate any advantage granted by a public sector body which threatens to or actually distorts competition in the United Kingdom or any other country or countries.
If there are any changes to the above requirements that mean we need to change the terms of this competition, we will tell you as soon as possible.
Funding
Defra and UKRI’s Transforming Food Production Challenge have allocated up to £1 million to fund innovation projects in this competition.
Your full eligible project cost information will only be required at the full application stage.
At the full application stage if the majority of your organisation’s work on the project is commercial or economic, your funding request must not exceed the limits below. These limits apply even if your organisation normally acts non-economically.
For feasibility studies you could get funding for your full eligible project costs of:
- up to 70% if you are a micro or small organisation
- up to 60% if you are a medium-sized organisation
- up to 50% if you are a large organisation
For more information on company sizes, please refer to the company accounts guidance. This is a change from the EU definition unless you are applying under State aid.
If you are applying for an award funded under State aid Regulations, the definitions are set out in the European Commission Recommendation of 6 May 2003.
Research participation
For the full application stage, research organisations undertaking non-economic activity as part of the project can share up to 60% of the total eligible project costs. If your consortium contains more than one research organisation undertaking non-economic activity, this maximum is shared between them.
Of that 60% you could get funding for your eligible project costs of up to:
- 80% of full economic costs (FEC) if you are a Je-s registered institution such as an academic
- 100% of your eligible project costs if you are an RTO, charity, not for profit organisation, public sector organisation or research organisation
Your proposal
The competition aims to provide an entry point for farmers, growers or foresters that have bold, ambitious, early-stage ideas solving major problems that impact their business. This may help them exploit new significant opportunities for their business and industry sub-sector.
The outputs of this competition will ideally provide applicants with the knowledge and information needed to aid them in applying for a larger funding grant.
The scope of the competition is feasibility studies investigating new solutions to industry identified challenges, or opportunities for farmers, growers or foresters that have the potential to significantly improve:
- productivity
- sustainability and environmental impact
- progression towards net zero emissions
- resilience
Projects must focus on developing on-farm or immediate post farmgate solutions.
Your project must be able to demonstrate how the project will benefit farmers, growers or forestry in England.
We want to fund a portfolio of projects, across a variety of technologies, markets, industry sectors, technological maturities and business size.Specific themes
Your project must address a significant industry challenge or opportunity in at least one of the four industry subsectors:
- livestock
- plants
- novel food production systems
- bioeconomy and agroforestry
Research categories
Projects we will not fund
We are not funding projects that:
- are equine specific
- involve wild caught fisheries
- are cellular or acellular production systems, fermentation systems for bacteria, yeast or fungi
- are for the production of cannabis for medicinal or pharmaceutical use
- are aquaculture, including algae and seaweed, for human consumption
- do not benefit farmers, growers or foresters in England
- are dependent on export performance, for example giving a subsidy to a baker on the condition that it exports a certain quantity of bread to another country
- are dependent on domestic inputs usage, for example giving a subsidy to a baker on the condition that it uses 50% UK flour in their product
- 17 May 2022
- EoI online briefing event: watch the recording
- 23 May 2022
Applicant Q&A session
- 23 May 2022
- Competition opens
- 25 May 2022
Applicant Q&A session
- 6 July 2022 11:00am
- Competition closes
- 27 August 2022 8:34pm
- Applicants notified
- 30 August 2022
- Full stage application opens (invited successful EoI bids only)
- 9 November 2022
- Full stage application Close date
- 16 December 2022
- Full stage applicants notified
Before you start
You must read the guidance on applying for a competition on the Innovation Funding Service before you start.
What we ask you
The application is split into 2 sections:
1. Project details.
2. Application questions.
1. Project details
This section provides background for the assessors and is not scored.
Application team
You can invite people from your organisation to help complete the application.
Application details
The lead applicant must complete this section. You will need to give your project a title and a start date. Projects must start by 1 April 2023 and must end by 31 March 2024.
Research category
Select the type of research you will undertake. (We will only fund feasibility studies in this competition)
Equality, diversity and inclusion
We collect and report on equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) data to address under-representation in business innovation and ensure equality, diversity and inclusion across all our activities.
All participants must complete this EDI survey and the lead applicant must then select yes in the application question. The survey will ask you questions on your gender, age, ethnicity and disability status. You will always have the option to ‘prefer not to say’ if you do not feel comfortable sharing this information.
Project summary
Describe your project briefly, what is the problem or opportunity you want to address and which part of agriculture or horticulture does it apply to, for example, dairy, soft fruit, arable. We use this section to assign experts to assess your application.
Your answer can be up to 100 words long.2. Application questions
Applications for the EoI stage of this competition will be by video.
The assessors will score your answers for questions 3 to 6. Questions 1 and 2 are not scored.
You must upload separate video responses for questions 2 to 6, on your YouTube account. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure the correct video link is copied into the relevant question on your Innovation Funding Service (IFS) application.
Each video must be:
- no longer than 90 seconds
- ‘unlisted’ in your YouTube privacy settings
- available for us to view until 1 September 2023
If your video response for a question is over 90 seconds long, only the first 90 seconds will be assessed.
Your application will be marked as ineligible if:
- we cannot view your videos
- it is hosted on a platform other than YouTube
More information on how to create an unlisted video on YouTube .
If you cannot upload your video to YouTube, you must contact support@iuk.ukri.org at least 10 working days before the competition closes for advice.
Assessors will review the content of your video not the quality.
Question 1. Location of the farmer, grower or forester who is the project lead for this application. (not scored)
You must state the name of your farming, growing or forestry business along with your full registered address and County Parish Holding (CPH) number (where relevant).
We are collecting this information to understand the geographical location of all participants of a project.
Question 2. Tell us about you and your business (not scored)
You must upload an unlisted YouTube link to your video response for this question. Assessors will review the content of your video not the quality.
In your video, tell us about you and your business.
You must include:
- your name and role in the business
- your farming, growing or forestry business name
- which county your main farming, growing or forestry activity is based
- what you grow or produce
- who you sell your produce to
Your video response for this question must be no longer than 90 seconds. If your video response is over 90 seconds long, only the first 90 seconds will be assessed.
More information on how to create an unlisted video on YouTube.
If you cannot upload your video to YouTube, you must contact support@iuk.ukri.org at least 10 working days before the competition closes for advice.
Question 3. What do you want to achieve from this funding?
You must upload an unlisted YouTube link to your video response for this question. Assessors will review the content of your video not the quality.
In your video, tell us:
- the problem or opportunity you want to address
- why it matters
- how the problem affects farming, growing or forestry
Your video response for this question must be no longer than 90 seconds. If your video response is over 90 seconds long, only the first 90 seconds will be assessed.
More information on how to create an unlisted video on YouTube.
If you cannot upload your video to YouTube, you must contact support@iuk.ukri.org at least 10 working days before the competition closes for advice.
Question 4. What is your 'big idea' for a solution?
You must upload an unlisted YouTube link to your video response for this question. Assessors will review the content of your video not the quality.
In your video, tell us:
- why this problem is not already solved
- what is your proposed solution
- why is your idea better than, or different from, what already exists
Your video response for this question must be no longer than 90 seconds. If your video response is over 90 seconds long, only the first 90 seconds will be assessed.
More information on how to create an unlisted video on YouTube.
If you cannot upload your video to YouTube, you must contact support@iuk.ukri.org at least 10 working days before the competition closes for advice.
Question 5. Where did your idea come from?
You must upload an unlisted YouTube link to your video response for this question. Assessors will review the content of your video not the quality.
In your video, explain any work done to develop your idea, from conception to now?
Your video response for this question must be no longer than 90 seconds. If your video response is over 90 seconds long, only the first 90 seconds will be assessed.
More information on how to create an unlisted video on YouTube.
If you cannot upload your video to YouTube, you must contact support@iuk.ukri.org at least 10 working days before the competition closes for advice.
Question 6. If your solution is successful, what will this mean for you and farmers, growers or foresters like you?
You must upload an unlisted YouTube link to your video response for this question. Assessors will review the content of your video not the quality.
What are the improvements for you and farmers, growers, or foresters like you? In your video, explain how your idea will improve:
- productivity
- sustainability and environmental impact
- progression towards net zero emissions
How many farmers, growers or foresters may be impacted if you develop a solution?
Your video response for this question must be no longer than 90 seconds. If your video response is over 90 seconds long, only the first 90 seconds will be assessed.
More information on how to create an unlisted video on YouTube.
If you cannot upload your video to YouTube, you must contact support@iuk.ukri.org at least 10 working days before the competition closes for advice.
Background and further information
This funding is a partnership between the UKRI’s Transforming Food Production (TFP) Challenge and Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) Farming Innovation Programme.
The Farming Innovation Programme will fund ambitious research and development projects. Projects will benefit England’s farmers, growers, foresters and other businesses to boost productivity, enhance sustainable practices, improve environmental outcomes and reduce carbon emissions in England’s agricultural and horticultural sectors.
The programme provides a key means to deliver against the government’s goals. The goals are set out in the Agricultural Transition Plan, 25 Year Environment Plan and Net Zero targets. It aims to develop a renewed agricultural sector, producing healthy food for consumption at home and abroad, where farms can be profitable and economically sustainable without subsidy. Giving farming, growing or forestry the opportunity to contribute significantly to environmental goals, including addressing climate change.
The Farming Innovation Programme is made up of three funds. Two of these funds, the Industry-led R&D Partnerships Fund, and the forthcoming Farming Futures R&D Fund, are being launched and delivered in partnership with UKRI. The programme is designed to help groups of farmers, growers, foresters and other businesses conduct R&D to overcome barriers and create a more productive and sustainable sector.
This competition is part of the Industry-led R&D partnership fund.
Defra’s partnership with UKRI
Defra and UKRI have developed a strong partnership for agri-food innovation, built upon the success of UKRI’s Transforming Food Production (TFP) Challenge, and our shared ambition for a more productive, sustainable, and low carbon agri-food sector.
The recent Farming Innovation Pathways competition, which launched in March 2021 within the TFP Challenge demonstrated the strength of this partnership, which we will take to the next level with the Defra’s Farming Innovation Programme.
The competition will be run as a pilot to evaluate demand for this type of support and the impact of the funding on success rates of farmer-led consortia in future funding competitions.
If you are successful at this EoI competition you will be invited to complete a full stage application.
Innovate UK will provide access to an independent innovation broker to assist successful applicants to apply for the full stage. They will be able to help project leads identify other research organisations or businesses that can help deliver the project. The innovation broker will also be able to guide and assist project leads to complete the documentation required for the full stage application.
All projects awarded funding at the full stage must upload evidence for each expenditure with every claim made. These might include invoices, timesheets, receipts, or spreadsheets for capital usage. This is part of Innovate UK’s obligations under the Managing Public Money government handbook in relation to assurance, financial management and control.
Data sharing
For applicants that are successful at the EoI stage Innovate UK reserve the right to share the following data with a 3rd party acting as an innovation broker for this competition. This data includes:
- your name
- organisation name
- contact details (phone and email)
- project title
- project summary
Innovate UK is directly accountable to you for its holding and processing of your information, including any personal data and confidential information. It is held in accordance with its Information Management Policy.
Innovate UK complies with the requirements of GDPR, and is committed to upholding the data protection principles, and protecting your information. The Information Commissioner’s Office also has a useful guide for organisations, which outlines the data protection principles.Contact us
Innovate UK is committed to making support for applicants accessible to everyone.
We can provide help for applicants who face barriers when making an application. This might be as a result of a disability, neurodiversity or anything else that makes it difficult to use our services. We can also give help and make other reasonable adjustments for you if your application is successful. If you think you need more support, it is important that you contact our Customer Support Service as early as possible during your application process. You should aim to contact us no later than 10 working days before the competition closing date.
Need help with this service? Contact us