Could your innovation transform food production?
UK businesses can apply for a share of up to £20 million to improve productivity and sustainability across UK crop and ruminant production systems.
Earlier this year, the UK Government announced £90 million of new funding to help businesses, researchers and industry to transform food production, as part of the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund.
The first Transforming Food Production competition on Productive and sustainable crop and ruminant agricultural systems is now open, with £20 million funding for innovation projects that improve productivity and sustainability by developing enhanced decision support, precision agriculture technology solutions and systems for crop and ruminant agriculture (e.g. cattle, sheep, goats).
The competition is looking to fund a portfolio of projects, across a variety of technologies, markets and technological maturities. They are particularly encouraging applications that:
- bring new businesses and technologies into the UK precision agriculture sector
- include farmer or grower involvement and/or endorsement
Recording and presentations from the competition briefing event
KTN hosted a briefing event for this competition on  29th August 2018 to provide potential applicants with the opportunity to:
- hear about the objectives and scope of the funding programme
- network and develop ideas and partnerships for the competition
- meet with UK Research and Innovation, KTN, and wider stakeholders
The recording of the briefing webinar is available here and presentations from the event are available to download below.
Recording of the Transforming Food Production competition briefing
About the competition
Productive and sustainable crop and ruminant agricultural systems
UK Research and Innovation, through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, will invest up to £20 million in innovation projects. These must improve productivity and sustainability by developing enhanced decisions support, precision agriculture technology solutions and systems for crop and ruminant agriculture. The aim of this competition is to drive productivity and sustainability in crop and ruminant production systems.
Projects can include:
- combining digital technologies and engineering solutions with biological, environmental and/or social science
- developing technologies and solutions that connect farms and supply chains
- transferring technology from another sector into agriculture, providing this requires innovation
Key dates:
20th August 2018 – Competition opens
29th August 2018 – Briefing event – watch the recording here
24th October 2018 at 12:00pm РCompetition closes
You can find out more about this competition on the Innovate UK competition page here.