ADOPT

Funded by the UK Government ADOPT is a competitive grant programme that funds one to two year projects that are:

• Using innovations, practices or technologies that have the potential to address on-farm productivity and sustainability challenges
• Based around farmer-led groups
• Collaborative - involving farmers, industry, researchers
• Scientifically based trials with significant measurement and recording
• Willing to share results and learnings with others.

Acknowledging that many farmers may have struggled with the processes that are needed to access research and innovation funding in the past, ADOPT has been designed so that each project includes a dedicated facilitator who may act as project manager and provides support during the project. Alongside the main competition there is also an additional facilitator grant that allows farmers to work with a facilitator to take their idea from a few notes on a page to the on-line grant submission stage. 

Niab has been successful in applications to become a project facilitator. Since spring 2025, Niab has been actively working with farmers and innovators to turn project ideas into fundable projects with clear questions, robust on-farm tests and trials and strong plans to share the findings to help support wider adoption. Niab will continue to work with farmers to develop proposals for future rounds. 

Throughout the ADOPT programme, from Spring 2026 Landmark will feature regular updates and outcomes from ADOPT tests and trials, with the introductory article in Landmark Issue 60 - "Trialling new technology and practices on farm with ADOPT"