Farming Futures Automation and Robotics Competition Opens for Applications

Round 2 of the Farming Futures Automation and Robotics competition, part of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' (Defra) Farming Innovation Programme is open.

The competition, delivered in partnership with Innovate UK, is offering a share of up to £20 million to support collaborative projects developing innovative automation and robotics solutions for agriculture, horticulture and forestry in England.

Funding is available for projects that can help address key industry challenges, including improving productivity, increasing resource-use efficiency, enhancing crop and animal health, reducing waste and supporting sustainability. The competition also aims to encourage technologies that reduce reliance on seasonal labour and deliver practical benefits for farmers and growers.

Applications are open now and must be submitted by 11:00 on 30 September 2026. Eligible projects must be collaborative and demonstrate how their innovation will benefit the farming sector in England.

Defra has also published further information about the competition, including details of two upcoming webinars for prospective applicants:

Competition briefing webinar: 6 August 2026, 14:00
Consortia building webinar: 13 August 2026, 10:00

The webinars will provide guidance on eligibility, the application process and opportunities for collaboration. Both sessions will be recorded and added to the webinars page.

Members interested in applying can find full details, eligibility criteria and application guidance through the Farming Futures Automation and Robotics competition and read Defra's published update on the Farming Blog.