Food & Drink Innovation grants
Innovate UK, Defra and BBSRC funding for food, drink and agrifood technology
Food and drink is one of the UK's largest manufacturing sectors and one of the most active for public R&D funding. Innovate UK, Defra and BBSRC support everything from alternative proteins and precision fermentation to sustainable packaging and food safety, as long as the project addresses a genuine technical or production innovation.
Funders funding food & drink innovation
- Defra
- BBSRC
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Programmes that fit food & drink innovation companies
Innovate UK Transforming Food Production
Funding for productivity and sustainability improvements across food production.
Defra Farming Innovation Programme
Research and innovation that benefits UK farmers and food producers.
Horizon Europe Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources
Collaborative EU research on sustainable food systems and bioeconomy.
What assessors actually score
- Food safety, shelf life or production benefit stated in measurable terms
- Sustainability and resource efficiency backed by lifecycle thinking
- Producer, retailer or consumer pull evidenced by letters or partnerships
Where we work in food & drink innovation
Food & Drink Innovation grants in our directory
Live programmes from the UK grant directory that suit food & drink innovation projects. Deadlines move between rounds, so each listing links through to the current detail.
Horizon Europe
[HORIZON - Agriculture] African Union – European Union Partnership on Food and Nutrition Security and Sustainable Agriculture (FN…
Due to the scope of this topic, legal entities established in all African Union member states* are exceptionally eligible for Union funding. * "African Union member states" includes countries whose membership has been temporarily suspended. International organisations with headquarters in a Member State or Associated Country are exceptionally eligible for funding.
Horizon Europe
[Horizon - Food & Bioeconomy] Europe-wide environmental benchmarking of industrial bioeconomy sectors
Expected to open. Consortium; UK eligible (Assoc. Country); SMEs as partners
Horizon Europe
[Horizon - Food & Bioeconomy] Using CCRI to strengthen urban manufacturing (Clean Industrial Deal) (two-stage)
Expected to open. Consortium; UK eligible (Assoc. Country); SMEs as partners
Horizon Europe
[Horizon - Health] Cell-free protein synthesis platforms for discovery/production of biologicals
Expected to open. Consortium; UK eligible (Assoc. Country); SMEs as partners
Horizon Europe
[Horizon - JU] Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking 2026 Call – HORIZON-JU-SNS-2026-FEM
Grant summary The SNS JU 2026 FEM call funds the design and validation of a low-cost, energy-efficient 6G Front-End Module for future radio systems. The focus is on FR3 frequency bands, advanced radio-frequency components, massive MIMO, antenna arrays, spectrum sharing, integrated sensing and communications, full-duplex operation, AI/ML-enabled radio optimisation, and European microelectronics supply-chain sovereignty. The call is intended to strengthen Europe’s position in 6G telecoms, radio systems, semiconductor technologies, RF components, and advanced microelectronics, with strong links…
Other funders
[ABER Innovation] LEAP III (Farming call)
Are you at the start of your entrepreneurial journey? Do you want to innovate in food, dairy or animal feed? The LEAP Accelerator Programme returns for round three and will support visionary projects, inspired by Dick Lawes and his experiences, that push the boundaries of our food systems. They're looking for ambitious UK-wide entrepreneurs and very early stage enterprises to provide up to £50,000 of support. They're goal is to help you achieve proof of concept, foster collaborations, and bring innovative products or services to market.
Fund your food & drink innovation R&D
Talk to us about your grant funding plans and we'll help you make it happen through effective, results-driven grant writing.