Innovate UK (IUK) Healthy Soils and Water for a Sustainable Environment

Funding Amount

Projects must have total costs between £1 million and £5 million. A minimum of 50% of the total grant amount requested by farmers, growers, and foresters must be allocated to farmers, growers, and foresters geographically based in England.

For this competition, funding can be claimed for eligible project costs of:

• Up to 70% for micro or small organizations

• Up to 60% for medium-sized organizations

• Up to 50% for large organizations

Eligible Applicants

To lead a collaborative project your organization must be a UK-registered business of any size.

To collaborate with the lead your organization must be one of the following UK-registered:

• Business of any size

• Academic institution

• Charity

• Not for profit

• Public sector organization

• Research and technology organization (RTO)

To be an eligible collaboration:

• The lead and at least one other organization must request funding.

• You must explain why you’re collaborating and how the collaboration will work.

Eligible Activities

This competition will accelerate the development of technologies, practices, and services that enhance farm productivity, strengthen environmental sustainability, and improve the resilience of agriculture in England.

Projects in this competition must:

• Develop ambitious solutions that will support the aims of the competition

• Carry out a life cycle assessment (LCA) for the solution developed where necessary

• Demonstrate and measure wider environmental benefits, such as contributing to net zero

• Encourage dissemination and knowledge exchange to the wider sector and increase the maturity or market readiness of emerging solutions

• Ensure concepts are closely aligned with industry priorities to deliver business-orientated, transformative opportunities

• Evidence how the solution will benefit farmers, growers, or foresters in England

Your project can focus on one or more of the following scope areas:

• Soil, Water, and Land Resource Management

• Fertilizers, Nutrient Management, Circular Bioeconomy, and Pollution Reduction

• Climate Resilience and Natural Resource Adaptation

• Crosscutting Decision Support Tools (Improving or Low-Cost Scaling)

Program Deadline

This is a two-stage application with an interview process:

• Application deadline: January 28, 2027

• Interview panel: May 3–23, 2027