Projects funded through the Farming Innovation Programme Research Starter competition
The Research Starter competition funds farmers, growers and foresters with ambitious, early-stage ideas to increase productivity and environmental sustainability in agriculture or horticulture.
Defra and Innovate UK work together via the Farming Innovation Programme to deliver the Research Starter competition.
For this competition, the Innovate UK KTN AgriFood team provides one-to-one support to help applicants to refine their initial ideas into a project, identify the right partners to work with to take it forward, and complete the final stage of the application process.
Two Rounds of the competition have been held to date: you can find out more about some of the projects that have been funded below.
Round 1 Research Starter Projects
Viticulture 4.0 – The Digital Infrastructure
Partners: Chiltern Hills Farm Ltd. | Harrow & Hope Limited | Agri-Epi Centre Ltd | Antobot Ltd.
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Supporting collaboration through innovative water sharing tool for high-value irrigated agriculture
Partners: Lindsay Hargreaves Ltd. | Cranfield University
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Making every seed count – Creating multifunctional regional seed mixtures for permanent grassland – A strategy for maintaining genetic diversity in commercially produced seed
Partners: DLF Seeds Ltd. | UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
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Produce a farmers guide on cover crops species selection, establishment, and termination
Partners: KM & CAW Gowthorpe | Frontier Agriculture Ltd. | Newcastle University | Yorkshire Agricultural Society
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Agroforestry Pollinator Plantations
Partners: Agroforestry Pollinator Plantations | Bee Happy Plants & Seeds | Forest Research
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ULES – Ultra Low Emission Sheep
Partners: Kaiapoi Consulting Ltd. | Agri-Epi Centre Ltd
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Development of an automated insect feeding system into a commercial laying poultry farm
Partners: Mowbrey Partnership | Harper Adams University
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Breeding for tolerance to worms for the future of sheep farming in England
Partners: M & P Smith- Trefranck Farm | CEIL Ltd | Moredun Research Institute | Castle Veterinary Group Ltd
Establishing an organic field scale forest nursery under Soil Association organic standards
Partners: Woodhall Growers Limited | Harper Adams University | RSK ADAS
An Environmental Model for Developing Novel IPM Techniques for Control of Swede Midge in Brassicas
Partners: T Hammond Farms Limited | RSK ADAS Ltd | Barfoot Farms Ltd
Robotic Arable Polyculture Farming
Partners: NP Holloway & Son | Arrevolution Ltd | Harper Adams University
Grown Graphene
Partners: A.T.G. Turnbull Limited | The Biorenewables Development Centre Ltd
Soil Benchmark
Partners: Soil Benchmark | NIAB | ADAS | British Geological Society
Related Opportunities
Farming Futures: automation and robotics
Opens: 09/01/2023 Closes: 15/03/2023
UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £12.5m across 2 strands, to develop innovative solutions for automation and robotics in agriculture/horticulture.
More Information
Novel, low-emission food production systems: feasibility studies and industrial research
Opens: 18/01/2023 Closes: 19/04/2023
Apply for a share of up to £16m to deliver resource efficient, low-emission food production systems, including alternative proteins and Total Controlled Environment Agriculture (TCEA).
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Related News
04/01/2023
Farming community gets funding boost to develop innovative solutions - Research Starter Competition
Farmers, growers and foresters with ambitious, early-stage ideas to increase productivity and environmental sustainability in their sectors have been receiving funding through the Research Starter competition.