Briefing on how to access funding for agri-tech innovations
Find out how you can benefit from funding to translate agri-tech innovations by joining a briefing with Professor Simon Pearson, Head of the Institute for Agri-Food Technology.
Simon will be explaining how academics and RTO teams can access funding from the LINCAM Ceres Agri-Tech cluster in two sessions – 1-2pm on Monday 19th February and 3-4pm on Tuesday 20th February. A Teams invite will be sent for both options to hopefully enable more colleagues to join.
LINCAM is led by the University of Lincoln with the support of the University of Cambridge and is a £4.9m programme to translate their agri-tech innovations from lab to field by the onward development of their technologies and commercialisation using the established Ceres Agri-Tech model. LINCAM offers access to the EPSRC funding to all UK higher education institutes involved in agri-tech research with the potential to drive economic and environmental or social sustainability in the region.
Ranging from £5,000 to £150,000 funded to charity/IAA rules, our LINCAM Ceres Agri-tech awards support the commercialisation of plant agri-tech innovations, e.g. through proof-of-principle work, prototype development or field trials. Proposals are assessed based on a pitch to the Ceres Investment Committee, with funding decisions made on the day.
In this February 2024 Call, LINCAM Ceres Agri-Tech is seeking Expressions of Interest for EPSRC scope technologies that will significantly improve crop production in the LINCAM region (Greater Lincolnshire and North Cambridgeshire Fens) and which have the potential for global impact.
We have particular interest in technologies that address the following priorities for the crop production sector in the LINCAM area:
Facilitate the transition to Net Zero crop production, e.g. through addressing energy efficiency and supporting the transition to sustainable energy sources;
Enable better sustainable soil and water management; Increase labour productivity in intensive crop production.
There are two award streams
LINCAM Ceres Agri-Tech Proof of Concept ranging from £5,000 to £20,000 (no FECC) www.ceresagritech.org/lincam-uk/concept/
LINCAM Ceres Agri-Tech Project Award ranging from £20,000 to £150,000 (no FEC) www.ceresagritech.org/lincam-uk/awards/
Proposals are assessed by a pitch to the Ceres Investment Committee.
Interested? Please submit a completed Expression of Interest form to info@ceresagritech.org no later than close of play on Tuesday 2nd April 2024. Ceres can help to develop your idea and pitchdeck.
In addition, our Research England funded Agri-Tech Global programme is another mechanism designed to translate UK agri-tech research and build international academic and commercial links for partner Universities, Lincoln, Cambridge and UEA, to facilitate commercialisation.
The project will support impact delivery for plant agri-tech technologies , e.g. plant or crop sciences, as well as robotics, chemistry, computer science, etc, which support the crop-based production sector and its supply chains in Lincolnshire and the East of England.
More details can be found here: www.ceresagritech.org/updates/agri-tech-global-february-2024-call-open-for-lincoln-cambridge-and-east-anglia-universities/
In the sessions, Simon will be providing more detail and how you can develop existing or new proposals and partnerships.
Story submitted by Marie Daniels
mdaniels@lincoln.ac.uk