---
title: "UKRI-3131 Innovation Support Hub for Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra) Farming Innovation Programme ADOPT Fund."
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-03eae2"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-03eae2"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-03eae2.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-03eae2.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Tender"
buyer: "UK RESEARCH & INNOVATION"
published: "2024-05-03"
---

# UKRI-3131 Innovation Support Hub for Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra) Farming Innovation Programme ADOPT Fund.

Buyer: UK RESEARCH & INNOVATION  
Current stage: Tender  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-03eae2

[View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-03eae2)  
[Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-03eae2.json)

## Summary

The UK Research & Innovation is inviting tenders for the "UKRI-3131 Innovation Support Hub for Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra) Farming Innovation Programme ADOPT Fund." This project falls under the "Research and development services and related consultancy services" category and is located in England. The procurement stage is currently active, with a contract period starting on August 5, 2024, and ending on August 3, 2029. The total value of the contract is £6,000,000 GBP. The procurement method is an open procedure with a tender period closing on June 24, 2024. The aim of this tender is to support on-farm trials to enhance farm profitability, productivity, and sustainability, focusing on innovative, farmer-led, and collaborative projects.

This tender by UK Research & Innovation presents an opportunity for businesses, especially small or medium enterprises (SMEs), with a focus on research and development in agriculture and related consultancy services. Companies with expertise in innovative agricultural technologies and practices, as well as those involved in knowledge-sharing and collaborative projects in the farming sector, would be well-suited to compete. The tender aims to promote open innovation and peer-to-peer knowledge exchange, creating a supportive environment for successful project outcomes. The optional contract extensions offer long-term partnership opportunities for businesses interested in sustainable agriculture development.

## Notice

The ADOPT fund aims to support on-farm trials to evaluate tools, technology, systems, and approaches that can enhance the profitability, productivity, and sustainability of farmers, growers, and foresters in England. The funding aligns with the broader goals of the Farming Innovation Programme (FIP), with a specific focus on 1-to-2-year projects that meet these criteria: Innovative Solutions: Funding is provided for practices or technologies that aren't widely used but show potential to improve farm productivity and sustainability. Farmer-Led: Projects are centred on groups led by farmers. Collaborative: They involve cooperation among farmers, industry, and researchers. Scientifically Grounded: Trials are based on rigorous scientific methods with detailed measurement and recording. Knowledge Sharing: Projects are open to sharing results and lessons learned with others. Innovate UK oversees the scope of competitions and project eligibility

### Lot Information

Lot 1

The UK is focusing on innovation and technology to increase agricultural productivity, improve environmental sustainability, and meet the demands of a growing global population. The country has strong capabilities in bioscience and research, supported by notable institutions and innovative farmers. The UK Government has invested significantly in agricultural technology through the PS270 million Farming Innovation Programme (FIP), managed by the Department for Food, Environment, and Rural Affairs (Defra) in partnership with UKRI Innovate UK, which oversees funding and grant competitions. A grant support hub is being established to complement the grant competitions for the ADOPT fund. This hub aims to guide applicants and is considered vital for the fund's success. Its role is to encourage more on-farm trials and innovation in agriculture and horticulture. Previous experiences with the European Innovation Partnership for Agriculture Productivity and Sustainability (EIP-Agri) showed that inconsistent support and knowledge-sharing limited the effectiveness of the program. The new grant support hub is designed to address these issues by providing consistent guidance and facilitating better knowledge exchange among participants. The support hub for the ADOPT fund has several key objectives: Raise Awareness: Promote the ADOPT fund to the target market to increase awareness and generate interest. Encourage Quality Applications: Drive a high number of quality applications to ensure a competitive selection process and support impactful projects. Provide a Supportive Interface: Act as a friendly and accessible 'front door' to help applicants understand the ADOPT fund and have a positive initial experience. Offer Specialist Advice: Give guidance to potential applicants on how to gather insights, find partners, and access resources for their applications. Direct Unqualified Applicants: Signpost other relevant services for those whose proposals don't fit the ADOPT fund's criteria. Enhance Project Success: Advise funded projects on effective trial management, open innovation, and peer-to-peer knowledge exchange to maximise success. Promote Knowledge Sharing: Support projects in communicating and sharing their research findings with farmers and other stakeholders during and after project completion to maximise the fund's impact. Additional information: To respond to this opportunity please click here: https://ukri.delta-esourcing.com/respond/7Y995DHD55

Options: The Contract duration shall be for a period of 3 years with optional extensions of 2 years (1 year + 1 year)

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/014431-2024 |
| Notice type | Planning Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Open |
| Procurement method details | Open procedure |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Not specified |
| All stages | Planning, Tender |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 3 May 2024 |
| Submission deadline | 24 Jun 2024 |
| Future notice date | 9 Oct 2023 |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 4 Aug 2024 - 3 Aug 2029 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | £6,000,000 |
| Lots value | £6,000,000 |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | Not specified |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Active |
| Lots status | Active |
| Awards status | Not specified |
| Contracts status | Not specified |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | UK RESEARCH & INNOVATION |
| Locality | SWINDON |
| Post town | Swindon |
| Postcode | SN2 1FL |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLK South West (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLK7 Gloucestershire and Wiltshire |
| ITL 3 | TLK71 Swindon |
| Local authority | Swindon |
| Electoral ward | Rodbourne Cheney |
| Westminster constituency | Swindon North |
| Delivery location | TLK14 Swindon |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 71 - Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services
- 73 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

### Codes

- 71313000 - Environmental engineering consultancy services
- 73000000 - Research and development services and related consultancy services

## Release History

- 3 May 2024 at 18:05 - Tender - Tender Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/014431-2024
- 27 Jul 2023 at 13:05 - Planning - Planning Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/021835-2023

## Notice URLs

- https://ukri.delta-esourcing.com/respond/7Y995DHD55
- https://ukri.delta-esourcing.com/tenders/UK-UK-Swindon:-Research-and-development-services-and-related-consultancy-services./7Y995DHD55
- https://www.delta-esourcing.com/tenders/UK-UK-Swindon:-Research-and-development-services-and-related-consultancy-services./7Y995DHD55
- https://www.ukri.org

## Provenance

This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-03eae2. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-03eae2.json.