New ADOPT funding round opens for farmer-led innovation
Farmers with an idea they would like to put to the test on farm have another opportunity to seek funding through Defra’s Farming Innovation Programme, with the latest round of ADOPT funding now open.
Round 10 of the ADOPT full grant competition opened on 24 September, providing funding opportunities for farmer-led on-farm trials and experiments.
ADOPT, the Accelerating Development of Practices and Technologies Fund, is designed to help farmers, growers and foresters test innovative ideas in real-world conditions, with projects addressing challenges or opportunities around productivity, resilience and sustainability.
BOFIN is a registered ADOPT Project Facilitator and can work with farmers from the early stages of an idea through to developing and delivering a project. BOFIN’s Head of Projects and ADOPT Facilitator Laura Beaumont encourages prospective applicants to start with the problem they want to solve.
“Start with a question that matters to your farming business, rather than trying to build a project around the funding,” she says. “What would you like to find out, how could you realistically test it on farm, and could the results help other farmers too?”
A strong ADOPT idea should address a genuine on-farm challenge or opportunity and have relevance beyond one individual business. Applicants should also consider who else may need to be involved.
For farmers interested in working with BOFIN, the process starts with an initial discussion with Laura to explore the idea, whether it fits the scope of ADOPT and what expertise or partners might be needed.
“You don’t need to have a fully developed project before getting in touch,” Laura adds. “An initial conversation can help us explore your idea, identify the support you might need and work out the next steps together.”
Where appropriate, the next step is to apply for an ADOPT Facilitator Support Grant. These grants provide £2,500 to engage an approved Project Facilitator, giving BOFIN dedicated time to work with the farmer to develop the initial idea into a well-designed project and prepare an application for a Full ADOPT Grant.
Full ADOPT projects must be led by an active farming business in England and involve at least one other farmer, grower or forester. A registered Project Facilitator must also form part of the project team. Previous rounds have supported projects with total costs of between £50,000 and £200,000.
Further ADOPT funding rounds are expected.
Got an idea you would like to test on farm? Get in touch with Laura Beaumont to discuss whether it could become an ADOPT project.