Defra has opened the latest round of its ADOPT (Accelerating Development of Practices and Technologies) fund, inviting farmers, growers and foresters to turn practical ideas into on-farm trials with support from delivery partners and a dedicated help service.
The scheme is aimed at farmer-led innovation and does not require previous trial experience. Applicants need an idea they want to test but may lack time, funding, knowledge or partnerships to deliver it, with grants designed to help move concepts from the drawing board to the field.
Funding is available on a rolling basis for projects costing between £50,000 and £100,000, covering up to 80% of eligible costs. The current application window is open until Wednesday 3 June.
A free ADOPT Support Hub—delivered by ADAS, the UK Agri-Tech Centre and the Soil Association—offers hands-on help to develop ideas, complete applications, deliver projects and share findings. Applicants can also seek an additional support grant to work with a facilitator, who can help write the bid and handle project management, reporting and financial administration.
Applicants can also apply for an additional support grant to work with a facilitator, who can help with application writing. Facilitators are involved with all projects to assist with project management, reporting and financial administration.
Collaboration sits at the heart of the programme, with priority given to projects where farmers work together. Thomas Slattery, engagement lead at the UK Agri-Tech Centre, said the grants are intended to help farmers “test ideas by working with other farmers”, adding that bringing in businesses or academics is optional, but projects must remain practical and focused on “meaningful improvements” in productivity, sustainability or resilience.
Grants are open to farmers, growers and foresters, with the lead applicant based in England. Collaborators can be locatedanywhere in the UK.
One previous recipient, lead farmer David Tavernor, is using ADOPT backing to expand trials of live black soldier fly larvae as an alternative protein source in broiler production. After initial small-scale pen tests tracking feed conversion, weight gain and welfare metrics, the funding is helping scale the work to full commercial broiler sheds across three trials to generate more robust data.
Tavernor said the aim is to generate evidence farmers can use when assessing new feed options: “If we get good results… we can communicate them to other farmers and spread the word. And even if the results aren’t what we expect, that’s still valuable to know.”
Defra is encouraging prospective applicants to review the range of ADOPT projects already under way—from horticulture and arable farming to livestock and agroecology—to help shape trial ideas and identify potential collaborators.
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