Innovate UK Investor Partnerships (Farming Innovation)

Innovate UK Investor Partnerships (Farming Innovation) is a grant route under Innovate UK and Defra that matches private investment with public support for farming and agritech SMEs. It is an annual UK programme built around blended finance, with the private side expected to do most of the leverage work. Applicants must be UK-registered micro, small, or medium-sized enterprises operating in the UK, and the application is single-entity only. There is no consortium requirement, no IP ownership requirement, and no prototype or pilot evidence gate. The funding relationship is unusually strict: private investment must be at least double the grant amount requested, and the 2026 call carried a GBP 5 million pool. This is a good fit for a farming or agritech company that already has investor backing and wants public money to push a defined innovation toward deployment. Teams tend to be strongest when they can show a clear commercial path, a specific problem in agriculture, and a serious private partner ready to stand behind the project.

Each grant below is a distinct funding opportunity with its own eligibility, scope, and deliverables.