The ADOPT Fund’s goal is to support farmers, growers and foresters testing new ideas on farm (either new practices or new technologies) in a collaborative, farmer-led way. Since these are time intensive processes that require internal and external coordination, research and planning, ADOPT has made it mandatory to engage a facilitator to support the process.
What is expected from an ADOPT facilitator?
The level of support that will be required is for the farmers to decide. Who can be an ADOPT facilitator and how to become one?
To apply to an ADOPT Fund it is mandatory to have a facilitator registered in the Project Facilitators database managed by Innovate UK Business Connect. To apply they must:
-
Be based in the UK (not only England).
-
Have worked within agriculture, horticulture, forestry for a minimum of five years.
-
Have facilitation experience, including working with groups of farmers and growers on key projects (ideally Innovate UK funded but other relevant public funded grants will be considered).
-
Have experience in successfully supporting and writing R&D/Innovation grant applications (ideally Innovate UK funded but other relevant public funded grants will be considered).
-
Have experience with successfully managing R&D/Innovation grant funded projects. (ideally Innovate UK funded but other relevant public funded grants will be considered)
Project Facilitators are individuals and the assessment is based on their own merits Applying and, if accepted, appearing in the database is free. To apply, facilitators must complete this short application form. Make sure to provide information that supports how you meet the eligible requirements highlighted above.
It will take up to weeks to receive a mail with the decision (positive or negative), so consider this in your timeline if you are coordinating an application to a Facilitator Support Grant or Full Grant (details on these grants below).
If your facilitator application is rejected, you can reapply. Feedback or guidance on which aspects of your application could be strengthened is available by contacting a member of the Innovate UK Business Connect team at ADOPTfacilitator@iukbc.org.uk. They will be happy to advise you on how to enhance your application for future opportunities.
What ADOPT funding is available to engage facilitators?
Support grant: funding to engage a facilitator before the full ADOPT application: projects can fund a set amount of £2,500 to fund the work of a Project Facilitator in the pre-application stages of a project, from idea exploration and fine tuning until the submission of a Full ADOPT Grant application. If the grant submission is successful, the amount is paid upon submission of a full grant. This is a competitive grant and to apply the facilitator must be registered in the Project Facilitators database managed by IUK Business Connect.
Full grant: a facilitator in the team: when applying for an ADOPT full grant a registered Project Facilitator must registered in the Innovate UK Business Connect Directory of Facilitators. The costs of the facilitator in the Full Application must be included within the project costs: facilitators can be engaged in the project either as a subcontractor or as a project partner. This decision is up to the project consortium.
You can find more information about facilitators and ADOPT grants here.
Further questions?
If you need more information, you can find it in the ADOPT Support Hub website, specifically in its facilitator-specific information in our FAQ document. You can also contact the Support Hub directly (here) or join our online Drop In Sessions (find details on our events page). Finally, you can also visit the Innovate UK Business Connect Directory of facilitators here; or contact Innovate UK Business Connect here: ADOPTfacilitator@iukbc.org.uk.
Download a more detailed version of this guidance below.
