What's Happening?
A new specialist growth and delivery business, Concept to Commercial, has been launched in the UK to assist arable businesses in conducting well-managed field-scale trials. Founded by Darren Hassall and Corrie-Anne Holden, former colleagues from CHAP
and UK Agri-Tech Centre, the consultancy aims to help farms and their advisers test new crop varieties, biologicals, crop-protection methods, soil-management practices, machinery, sensors, and decision-support tools. The company will provide support in building funding cases by identifying suitable UKRI and Innovate UK opportunities, finding partners, preparing bids, establishing project governance, and managing collaborative delivery, reporting, financial claims, and liaison with Monitoring Officers. Concept to Commercial also offers expertise in structuring field trials, coordinating various stakeholders such as growers, agronomists, researchers, and technology suppliers, and ensuring that evidence is presented in a format that supports practical adoption and commercial viability.
Why It's Important?
The launch of Concept to Commercial addresses a critical need within the UK arable sector: the translation of innovative agricultural ideas into commercially viable outcomes through rigorous field trials. Many promising ideas often lose momentum due to insufficient resources for project and commercial management. This consultancy fills that gap by providing specialized support, enabling growers and agronomists to effectively evaluate new approaches under commercial conditions. By streamlining the process of securing funding, managing complex collaborations, and ensuring robust data collection and reporting, Concept to Commercial helps de-risk innovation for arable businesses. This is crucial for enhancing productivity, sustainability, and competitiveness in the agricultural industry, allowing for the adoption of advanced technologies and practices that can lead to significant improvements in crop yields, soil health, and overall farm efficiency.
What's Next?
Concept to Commercial will focus on actively engaging with UK arable farms and their advisers to identify promising innovations and facilitate their testing through field-scale trials. The company will continue to build its network of partners, including funding bodies, researchers, and technology suppliers, to create comprehensive support systems for its clients. The co-founders, Darren Hassall and Corrie-Anne Holden, emphasize that their business will take responsibility for the project and commercial work surrounding trials, allowing growers to concentrate on the agricultural aspects. This approach is expected to accelerate the adoption of new technologies and practices across the UK arable sector, leading to more informed decision-making and tangible commercial benefits for farmers. The consultancy's success will likely be measured by the number of successful trials and the subsequent uptake of validated innovations.
Beyond the Headlines
The emergence of specialized consultancies like Concept to Commercial signifies a maturing ecosystem for agricultural innovation. It highlights the increasing complexity of modern farming, where technological advancements and scientific research require dedicated expertise to be effectively integrated into commercial operations. This development also underscores the importance of collaboration between academia, industry, and government funding bodies to drive agricultural progress. By bridging the gap between research and practical application, Concept to Commercial contributes to a more resilient and forward-thinking agricultural sector. This model could also inspire similar initiatives in other regions or agricultural sub-sectors, fostering a more systematic approach to innovation adoption and ensuring that cutting-edge research translates into real-world benefits for farmers and the broader food system.
