Overview
This grant supports delivery of farmer led solutions to local raw water quality challenges, in key priority catchment across the Anglian Water region.
The Farm Innovation Grant is now entering its seventh year. It has already successfully supported 260 applicants with projects worth over £3.7 million, helping reduce risks to raw water quality across an area of over 118,211ha.
About the Farming Innovation Grant 2026
Soil erosion, pesticide and nutrient losses all affect raw water quality but its land to water connectivity which is the key.
By altering management practices or breaking and slowing pathways for losses you can help reduce risks at source.
See the priority areas map for the local challenges we are looking to address in your catchment, as grants helping address these will be the most likely of success.
How much is available? Up to £7,500 per holding
Key dates:
- Application Window: 1st to 29th November 2026
- Decisions confirmed: Jan 2027
- Evidence submission deadline: 31st July 2027, 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:
Anglian Water Farming Innovation Grant successful applicant video
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.
Further support and Guidance
Read the FAQs document here.
For more information, including
contact details for local catchment advisors, visit the
Anglian Water website.
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Application form
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Application Questions,
terms and conditions and
FAQs.