Overview
The Farm Innovation Grant supports delivery of farmer-led solutions to improve local water quality across the Anglian Water region and has previously supported 241 projects worth over £3.6 million across more than 113,000ha.
About the Farming Innovation Grant 2026
We welcome applications to support measures which reduce nitrate loss in the River Great Ouse catchment.
With fertiliser costs at current levels, reducing nitrogen loss is a farm business priority, and this grant aims to support local farmers to achieve this.
Research suggests that arable land can lose between 20 and 40kg of nitrogen per hectare annually through leaching alone, without accounting for surface runoff and drainage losses. At current prices, this is a significant and unrecovered input cost from every field, every year. Nitrogen leaving your holding is money lost from your business.
The pathways are well understood and include Autumn and Winter leaching from bare soils, runoff from compacted or poorly structured soils and nitrogen losses following applications that miss the crop uptake window.
Grant applications focused on nutrient use efficiency improvements, whether through application timing and rates, cover cropping, soil health or precision nutrition, will be prioritised in this round. The practices should benefit the farm business and reduce the nitrate pressure on the Great Ouse catchment, where concentrations are constraining long-term drinking water supply options. There is no prescribed list of options - you know what works best on your farm - however the grant is competitive.
How much is available? Up to £7,500 per holding
Key dates:
- Submission deadline: 31st August 2026
- Decisions confirmed: By end of September 2026
- Evidence submission deadline: end of December 2026, or by arrangement with your local Anglian Water Catchment Advisor
More Information
Ideas for protecting raw water quality
We would like to hear from you if you are trying a new approach or expanding an existing approach that helps protect raw water quality.
There are no fixed options so we are keen to hear your innovative and unique ideas.
As a starter, previous projects have fallen into the following categories:
- Soil Health and Resilience
- Nutrient Management
- Organic Materials Management
- Pesticide Management
- Livestock Management
- Precision Farming
- Water Resource Management
- Out of Production
- Natural Flood Management
- Other
Examples of successful measures
Measures that we have successfully supported include:
- Second-hand equipment - see example in video below
- Direct drill
- Water bowser with integrated drinking trough
- Low disturbance subsoiler
- Fertiliser spreader with section control
- Development of robotic weeding technology
- Strip till cultivator
- Precision fertiliser measures
Watch a brief video from one of the successful applicants last year:
Assessment criteria
The grant will be competitive and to ensure fairness all applications will be assessed on potential raw water quality protection and the following criteria:
- Location & connectivity to Anglian Water raw drinking water resources (priority areas)
- Objectives/outputs being delivered in relation to local raw water quality challenges
- Project's ability to meet local challenges and the scale of risk reduction
- Learning opportunity and potential to expand
- Funds requested vs farmer funding and any previous Anglian Water support received
- Delivery timescale & length of benefit
- Cost justification for both Anglian Water and applicant
- Degree of innovation on your farm
If you have an idea which you feel could benefit Agriculture and Water sectors in protecting our soil and water resources but you are outside of a targeted area, please contact your nearest Catchment Advisor as shown in the further support and guidance section below.
Priority locations
As budget is limited, applications are invited from the currently prioritised Anglian Water drinking water catchments. See the map showing the focus areas.
Open the map below and scroll/zoom to your location. If you are within a highlighted area of interest (Catchment) you can click on this area to see the local challenges to which we are seeking solutions.
Read the map background information.
Groundwater catchments
Applications which link to reducing Nitrate leaching can be submitted from anywhere within the Ouse Catchment's main boundary line. If unsure please do contact any of the Anglian Water advisors to check if you are within a groundwater catchment.
Further support and Guidance
For more information, including contact details for local catchment advisors, visit the Anglian Water website.
