Commercial horticulture enterprises across Northern Ireland are strongly encouraged to participate in an upcoming online informational session designed to shed light on the Innovation Driver and Support Horticulture Pilot Scheme. This significant event will be conducted via Microsoft Teams on Thursday, August 20th, at 7:00 PM, catering specifically to growers eager to understand the scheme’s intricacies and the associated application procedures. The session promises a comprehensive overview of the pilot scheme, detailing the myriad opportunities it presents to foster innovation within the vibrant horticulture sector. Furthermore, attendees will gain invaluable practical guidance tailored for businesses contemplating the development or adoption of novel ideas that are currently new to the Northern Irish landscape.
Kieran Lavelle, a Senior Adviser at the esteemed College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE), enthusiastically promoted the online gathering. He highlighted that the event will serve as a crucial platform for growers to discover precisely how the scheme can facilitate the transformation of innovative concepts from their nascent idea stage through to successful implementation. Moreover, the interactive nature of the session will allow participants to pose questions directly to experts, thereby gaining a much clearer and more profound understanding of the scheme’s requirements and expectations.
The core objective of the Innovation Driver and Support Pilot Scheme is to actively stimulate innovation and provide tangible assistance to commercial horticulture businesses. This support aims to empower them in exploring cutting-edge systems, advanced technologies, and novel crop varieties that hold substantial potential to enhance overall productivity, bolster environmental sustainability, and sharpen their competitive edge in the market. As an integral part of this informative online event, participants will receive detailed instructions regarding the Expression of Interest application process, along with comprehensive information about the extensive support available at every stage of their application journey. The Expression of Interest form itself is readily accessible via this link: https://www.cafre.ac.uk/business-support/knowledge-transfer-programmes/horticulture-pilot-scheme/.
The application process for this pioneering scheme will unfold in two distinct stages. The initial Expression of Interest phase will remain open until Friday, September 4th, 2026. This preliminary stage is crucial for assessing the level of industry interest and for determining the eligibility of prospective applicants. Following this, a more comprehensive full application process will commence in the autumn. Further exhaustive details regarding the Innovation Driver and Support Pilot Scheme, which is being spearheaded by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), including detailed guidance on how to submit an Expression of Interest, can be found within the Business Support section of the CAFRE website: https://www.cafre.ac.uk.
To reiterate, the online information event, hosted on MS Teams, is scheduled for Thursday, August 20th, at 7:00 PM. Growers who wish to delve deeper into the scheme and its application process are strongly encouraged to attend. Access to this pivotal online event can be obtained by visiting the CAFRE website’s events page: https://www.cafre.ac.uk/events/.
