British Apples and Pears, in collaboration with Niab, utilised one of our small grant programmes to trial novel treatments for apple scab. The project identified a promising alternative to lost chemical fungicides and proved that a risk-based spray programme could reduce application costs by £65 per hectare.

A C Hulme and Sons, a Kent farm, led a collaborative project supported by Growing Kent & Medway to tackle apple cold storage energy costs. One of our medium-sized grant programmes funded R&D using AI and sensors to test Demand Side Flexibility (DSF), providing vital data to help the horticulture sector move towards net-zero.

RUBISKO, a Kent-based agri-tech start-up, used support from Growing Kent & Medway to develop a new data management platform for emerging agricultural industries. One of our medium-sized grant programmes funded R&D to build two modules for seaweed nurseries and insect farms, saving farms 50% on admin time and attracting international customers.

Tensei Limited, supported by Growing Kent & Medway, led a project in Kent to turn Second Harvest farm waste into sustainable bio-fillers. This medium-sized R&D grant project proved that materials like hop bines can be compounded with plastic polymers, creating a new revenue stream for growers and reducing plastic use.

Canterbury Brewers & Distillers, an award-winning Kent spirit producer, used support from Growing Kent & Medway to solve their primary waste problem. One of our medium-sized grant programmes helped prove they could utilise whiskey by-products – spent grain, water, and CO₂ – to cultivate speciality gourmet mushrooms, creating new high-value food products and a true circular economy model.