Drawing on expertise in robotics, manufacturing and scale‑up support, MTC works with entrepreneurial companies to overcome technical and production challenges that often prevent good ideas from reaching the field, helping innovators to attract investment. Bhavnita Patel, MTC’s Business Development Manager for agri-food, says too many strong ideas fail before reaching market.
“We’ve been working with DEFRA and Innovate UK to find the best way to help bridge that gap, taking a great technology to something that is manufacturable and commercially viable,” she says.
That approach took a major step forward with AgriScale, a pilot programme delivered by the HVMC centers – MTC and the Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) to support agri‑tech companies tackling manufacturing challenges.
Following the success of the pilot, AgriScale has now been expanded into a major national initiative delivered by Innovate UK and DEFRA, with up to £13 million available in spring 2026 across two competition strands (Industrial Research and Experimental Development). The pilot supported five companies, and the newly expanded AgriScale competition will support innovators with market‑ready products who need help to scale manufacturing and reach commercial deployment.
“There are smaller pots of money focused on solving bottlenecks that businesses are facing with regards to scaling up, but there are also bigger pots of funding for a few companies to really help them reach that commercial point.” Bhavnita says.
Lindsay Roome, DEFRA Head of Agri-Tech and Innovation said: “AgriScale is helping innovative products and businesses to reach the next level on their production journey. This ultimately makes sure new solutions become available to farmers and growers.
“MTC and WMG brought fresh perspectives and a depth of experience and expertise that was transformational for pilot participants. We’re delighted that Innovate UK is extending the programme as we feel AgriScale is a key piece of the puzzle for UK Agri-Tech Advanced Manufacturing growth.”
Find out more about AgriScale here – entries close on 3 June 2026.
