Agriculture & Food Business Grants
UK agriculture and food businesses access funding through DEFRA schemes, devolved nation programmes, and rural development grants. Support covers farming productivity, food innovation, and rural enterprise development.
Agricultural Support
Environmental Land Management schemes, productivity grants, and farming equipment funding support the agricultural sector's transition to sustainable and efficient practices.
Food Production & Innovation
Food manufacturing and processing businesses can access innovation grants, capital funding, and export support. Agritech development is also supported through specific programmes.
Rural Enterprise
Rural businesses beyond farming can access enterprise development grants, broadband schemes, and diversification funding through LEADER-style local programmes.
UK Agriculture & Food Grants
36 grants found
ADOPT facilitator support grant: round 10
Farming, growing or forestry businesses based in England can apply for a grant of £2,500, to engage an external project facilitator to support the development of a full ADOPT grant application.
ADOPT Facilitator Support Grant: Round 11
Farming, growing or forestry businesses based in England can apply for a grant of £2,500, to engage an external Project Facilitator to support the development of a Full ADOPT Grant application.
Farming Innovation Programme: feasibility round five
UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £15 million for feasibility projects from the industry-led Research and Development Partnerships Fund, part of the Farming Innovation Programme.
Full ADOPT Grant: Round 9
Farming, growing or forestry businesses based in England can apply for a share of up to £5 million for on-farm trial and demonstration projects, to improve adoption of new ideas or solutions in the agricultural sector.
Farmer Collaboration Fund
Supports farmers, land managers and growers to manage land productively and sustainably while funding the costs of running collaboration groups and accessing expert advice.
Farming Futures R&D fund: Automation and Robotics Round 2
UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £20 million to develop innovative solutions for automation and robotics in agriculture, horticulture and forestry.
Farming Innovation Programme: Small R&D Partnership Projects Round 5
UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £13 million for small R&D partnership projects. This funding is from the industry led R&D Partnerships Fund, a part of the Defra Farming Innovation Programme.
Addington Fund Emergency Forage and Bedding Support
Emergency support providing forage and bedding to help farmers whose livestock are suffering the effects of extreme weather events or emergency situations beyond their control.
Capital Grants 2026
Capital Grants are 3-year agreements offering capital items to achieve specific environmental benefits across six groups: boundaries, trees and orchards; improved water quality; improved air quality; improved natural flood management; assessments; and improvements.
Agri-Food Investment Initiative
The Agri-Food Investment Initiative (AFII) is a strategic funding program designed to significantly enhance the economic performance and competitiveness of Northern Ireland's vital Agri-food sector. Managed by Invest Northern Ireland, the initiative provides financial assistance for transformative capital investments that drive growth, improve efficiency, and foster innovation. The grant supports a wide range of capital expenditures, including the purchase of new machinery and equipment, the acquisition or development of computer software, and the buying of intangible assets such as patents, licenses, copyrights, and trademarks. This comprehensive support is aimed at improving productivity and capacity building, ultimately enabling new product development and securing the sector's future. The AFII is a competitive program with varying grant intensities based on the size of the applicant business. For small businesses, the maximum aid intensity is 35% of the eligible investment costs, with a minimum project size of £300,000. Medium businesses can receive a maximum of 25% aid intensity for projects with a minimum size of £500,000. Large businesses are eligible for a maximum of 20% aid intensity, provided their project is at least £1,000,000. A crucial aspect of this program is that flat grant rates do not apply; instead, the grant amount is negotiable and limited to the minimum support required for the project's successful implementation. The total eligible costs for a single investment project are capped at €25 million, and the maximum assistance available under the scheme is approximately £5 million. The fund is open to both existing and new clients of Invest NI who operate within specific food and drink processing sectors that handle Annex I products. These sectors include meat, dairy, bakery, beverages, potatoes, cereals, and more. Due to State Aid restrictions, some sectors have specific eligibility requirements related to business size. The initiative is a cornerstone of Northern Ireland’s strategy to support its agri-food businesses and ensure they remain competitive on a global scale.
Food Accelerator programme
A programme to support food businesses
Bristol Business and Enterprise Support (BrisBES)
BrisBES is a programme that delivers high-quality, inclusive, and sustainable support to Bristol's entrepreneurs and businesses.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about UK agriculture & food grants