Cutting-edge technologies from robotics to AI will be
fast-tracked into practical tools for farmers, backed
by around £50 million of public and private
investment, Farming Minister Dame announced today.
The funding will deliver up to 12 innovative
tools to farms, helping farmers produce
more while cutting labour, energy and
fertiliser use, backed by £8 million in government funding
and £40 million in private investment.
Several of the technologies focus on delivering practical,
nature-based solutions for farmers. FA Bio's project is
developing a “living” biopesticide that uses beneficial fungi to
protect wheat and oilseed rape from destructive pests like aphids
and cabbage stem flea beetle. Applied at planting, it could
provide season-long protection while reducing the need for
repeated chemical spraying.
The investment also backs innovations to boost the resilience of
trees and
landscapes. Rhizocore is identifying the most
effective native fungi to help trees establish and
thrive, improving survival rates in forestry and agroforestry
while accelerating carbon capture and supporting woodland
recovery.
Farming Minister Dame said:
Farmers know the right tools can make all the
difference.
This investment is about getting practical, proven technology
into their hands faster – whether that's improving
animal health, cutting costs or making day-to-day jobs
easier.
By backing innovation with both public and private funding, we're
supporting farm businesses to boost productivity, strengthen
resilience and help secure the future of British agriculture.
Head of Agrifood at Innovate UK, Chris Danks,
said:
The success of this latest round shows how Investor Partnerships
help high‑potential UK businesses grow and scale by combining
public grant funding with private investment, turning great ideas
into commercial success.
By launching a new round, we are continuing to back innovation
that gives farmers access to practical, scalable technologies
that improve productivity, resilience and sustainability, while
also supporting long‑term economic growth.
This approach accelerates commercialisation, builds investable
businesses, and helps crowd in private finance for the benefit of
the UK economy.
On top of this funding, and speaking at
the Agricultural Engineers Association Conference, the
Minister also confirmed a further £5 million
Government springboard funding round for 2026 to 2027,
seeking to drive more private investment into Agri-Tech
growth.
Opening this spring, it will support the next generation of
high-potential agri-tech businesses to scale up
and deliver for
farmers, helping to build a more
profitable, productive, resilient and sustainable
farming sector.
Delivered through the Government's Farming Innovation Programme
in partnership with Innovate UK, the Investor Partnerships
initiative uses public funding to co-invest alongside private
backers, helping to unlock greater overall investment
in agri-tech businesses.
Notes to editors
-
Projects are funded through the Farming Innovation
Programme, Defra's flagship innovation scheme, delivered
by Innovate UK as part of UK Research and
Innovation.
-
This is a blended finance initiative; projects must
secure private
investment as a condition of receiving
Defra funding
Project
quotes Rhizocore founder and CEO, Dr
Toby Parkes, said:
The investor partnership grant will accelerate our data
collection on the performance of different fungi in different
soil environments.
This data will enable us to improve our products by selecting the
right fungi for our customers' sites, resulting in more trees
surviving and growing faster, increasing the ROI we return to our
customers and the benefit our products provide to the
environment.
CEO and Co-Founder of Fa Bio, Dr Angela de Manzanos,
said:
The Investor Partnerships programme enables us to fast-track a
biological alternative to chemical insecticides for two of the
UK's most important crops.
By aligning public funding with private investment, it supports
the commercialisation of biological innovation that reduce
reliance on synthetic inputs, protect yields, and improve farm
sustainability.
This approach will strengthen UK food security while building a
competitive, innovation-led agri-tech sector.
