£20m fund opens for next generation of farm robots

A £20 million competition has opened to develop farm robots and automated technology for crops, livestock, horticulture and forestry.

Agri-tech businesses can bid for funding to work with farmers and researchers on systems designed to address practical challenges on English farms.

Projects could include robots capable of sowing seeds, tending crops and picking fruit, alongside livestock-health and woodland-management technology. The government said the funding could help farms manage seasonal labour shortages while improving productivity, sustainability and resilience.

The competition forms part of the Farming Innovation Programme, delivered by Defra in partnership with Innovate UK.

It is included in a recently announced £53 million expansion of the programme, bringing the total available for farming research and technology this year to £123 million.

The wider programme forms part of a government commitment to invest at least £200 million in agricultural innovation by 2030.

Farming Minister Stephen Morgan said farmers often struggled to recruit enough seasonal workers during the busiest periods of the year.

He said the funding could help place new technology in farmers’ hands while improving yields and profitability.

“It’s a vote of confidence in British ingenuity, and a big step towards the kind of modern, resilient farming we set out in our Farming Roadmap,” he said.

Previously supported projects include a raspberry-picking robot developed by Fieldwork Robotics, which is using government funding to improve the machine’s durability and reliability before a potential commercial rollout.

Livestock applications will also be accepted under the latest round.

The announcement highlighted Roboscientific’s DETECT project, which is developing breath-analysis technology intended to identify bovine respiratory disease in dairy cattle before the illness becomes established.

Its developers hope earlier detection could reduce animal losses, veterinary costs and additional work for farmers, although the technology remains under development.

The competition has a broader scope than the previous automation round held in 2023.

Eligible applications can cover ornamental plant propagation, growing and monitoring, where the technology could also be used in food-producing horticulture.

Forestry projects involving tree nurseries, planting operations, woodland monitoring and management systems are also included within the announced scope.

Chris Danks, head of agrifood at Innovate UK, said automation was becoming increasingly important to farm businesses.

“Robotics and automation are becoming increasingly important tools to help farmers improve productivity and build more resilient businesses,” he said.

Mr Danks said the competition would bring businesses, researchers and farmers together to develop technology addressing real agricultural challenges.

He added that it was intended to accelerate projects “from concept to on-farm application”.

Applications opened on 3 August through the Innovation Funding Service.

The government announcement did not provide a closing date, individual funding limits or full applicant requirements. Potential applicants should check the competition guidance for the latest eligibility rules and deadlines.