Sector funding guide

Horticulture, Glasshouse, Nursery & Packhouse Grants UK

Capital and innovation grants for commercial fruit, vegetable, salad, ornamental growers, nurseries, and fresh produce packhouses.

1 funding discovery records · 2 scheme preparation profiles. Recorded categories and status are starting points; confirm current rules with each funder.

Guide reviewed: · Page content updated:

Funding records to investigate

These source-linked records are recorded as open or rolling, without a recorded deadline in the past; inclusion does not confirm availability or eligibility.

Plan ahead

Seasonal & recurring funding profiles

Use these stored scheme profiles to prepare questions, documents and project costs. Typical ranges and applicant descriptions are catalogue context, not a verified offer. An earlier round does not guarantee another round or an opening date.

DEFRA & Rural Payments Agency

Improving Farm Productivity: Packhouse Solar PV & Robotics

Recorded as open — confirm with funder

Stored programme profile

Recorded / typical grant range
£15,000 – £500,000 (up to 50% capital costs)
Timing
Unconfirmed catalogue deadline: 10 December 2026. This is not a verified current application date.
Recorded applicant profile — confirm eligibility
Commercial horticulture businesses, fruit/vegetable packhouses, and nurseries in England.
Recorded project focus
Packhouse automated optical grading, robotic picking, robotic box movers, glasshouse LED lighting, and rooftop solar PV arrays.
Preparation checklist

Planning prompts to confirm against the current guidance:

  • Item quotes verified against RPA eligibility specifications
  • Structural engineering audit for packhouse roof load capacity
  • DNO grid connection approval or formal application for solar export
  • Active SBI registration with RPA

DEFRA & RPA

Improving Farm Productivity: Robotic & Automated Horticulture

Recorded as open — confirm with funder

Stored programme profile

Recorded / typical grant range
£25,000 – £500,000 (50% capital contribution)
Timing
Unconfirmed catalogue deadline: 10 December 2026. This is not a verified current application date.
Recorded applicant profile — confirm eligibility
Horticultural growers, commercial nurseries, and packhouse operators in England.
Recorded project focus
Robotic harvesting, automated packhouse sorting, LED vertical farming, and glasshouse climate controls.
Preparation checklist

Planning prompts to confirm against the current guidance:

  • Item code verification against Defra robotic specifications
  • Structural suitability survey for packhouse or glasshouse integration
  • 3 competitive quotes from accredited equipment vendors
  • Proof of energy efficiency and water recycling gains

Preparation checklist

  • Item specification cross-checked against FETF horticultural annex codes
  • Structural engineering survey for rooftop solar PV or glasshouse retrofits
  • 3 written supplier quotes with detailed component breakdown
  • Proof of planning permission or permitted development rights for new packhouse structures

These are planning prompts. Specific deadlines, award amounts, eligible costs and future rounds must be confirmed in the current official competition documents.

Potential applicant fit

  • Commercial growers with 0.5+ hectares protected cropping or field vegetables
  • Packhouses adding post-harvest optical grading and cold storage
  • Nurseries adopting water recycling and automated potting

Eligibility questions to resolve

  • Non-commercial domestic allotments or lifestyle gardens
  • Quotes that don't match specific FETF annex item specifications

Official funder discovery

Relevant funders include DEFRA Improving Farm Productivity, FETF Horticulture Annex, Innovate UK, Welsh Government Horticulture. Appearance here does not establish an open competition.

GOV.UK Find a Grant · UKRI funding opportunities · Rural Payments Agency · National Lottery Community Fund

Related preparation guides

Funding window watch

Follow Horticulture & Packhouses funding

Create your profile to follow relevant opportunities and prepare your evidence. Future rounds and notification timing depend on published scheme information and your account settings.

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