Transforming the way we produce food: apply for business funding

27 Sep 2019 11:32 AM

Businesses can apply for a share of up to £20 million to support ambitious projects developing new and more efficient ways to produce the UK’s food.

World demand for food is expected to grow by 60 per cent to feed a rising and more prosperous global population.

Food producers need to supply what we eat in a more sustainable and efficient way, reducing pollution, minimising waste and improving soil conditions.

The UK is a global leader in the technologies that will help to achieve this, including in environmental management, earth observation, sensors, big data, artificial intelligence and robotics.

The UK Government’s Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund Transforming Food Production Challenge has up to £20 million from the fund to invest in large-scale and ambitious projects that help UK food production break out of a traditional land-based model and move towards a sustainable position of net-zero emissions.

Find out more about the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund Transforming Food Production Challenge.

Areas of work could include new food sources

The competition is seeking projects either developing new and efficient low-emission food production systems or addressing technological and other bottlenecks holding back state-of-the art systems from supplying consumers.

Areas of work could include indoor growing systems, aquaculture, and new food sources such as insects and fermentation-based systems.

Projects must show how they will:

• significantly contribute to achieving net-zero emissions across one or more food products
• provide nutrient dense foods that are accessible to mainstream consumers
• deliver other relevant benefits to society, such as reduced resource consumption and waste or improved animal welfare
• apply a systems approach as opposed to working on a single technology

Find out more about a funded business exploring insects as a food source

Competition information

• the competition is open and the deadline for applications is at midday on 22 January 2020
• businesses of any size may apply
• projects could range in size between £1 million and £10 million
• a webinar will be held on 3 October 2019
• a briefing event will be held in Edinburgh on 8 October 2019
• a briefing event will be held in Birmingham on 23 October 2019

Find out more about this competition and apply.

2 more farming-related competitions will open soon

• UK-China: precision for enhancing agricultural productivity

We will fund projects to focus on autonomo*us technologies (sensors, systems, vehicles and robotics) and data-driven solutions to enhance productivity. Projects should include demonstration sites in China, in the UK, or both.

• Science & technology into practice

Up to £15 million will support projects that either evaluate early stage feasibility or demonstrate the viability of precision solutions that will transform food production.

Case study: Improving potato yields

Find out how Tuberscan is improving potato yields