Next Welsh Government must support growth of vital food and drink industry
The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) Cymru and the British Soft Drinks Association (BSDA) have today launched what it sees as the key priorities for the next Welsh Government.
Funding provides opportunities for food and drink manufacturers to address both contemporary and future business challenges through the development of innovative solutions.
Funding bodies in the UK including Innovate UK, the KTN, and the research councils (such as BBSRC and the EPSRC), run several calls throughout the year which are in line with the UK’s Industrial Strategy. The FDF maintains close ties to these organisations and seeks to provide an understanding of what funding is available to its members.
The FDF has also established connections with researchers within academic institutions and businesses, which provide innovative solutions to various business challenges. The FDF can connect you with the right people to drive innovation through suggesting funding routes and collaboration partners for project consortia. Project support is also available to our members when funding applications are submitted.
Information on industry developments, funding and supported projects are updated on our site regularly.
Updates & milestones
Call: IBioIC Biotechnology Innovation Funding
Location: Scotland
Closes: 1 July 2021
Project Costs: £12 million+
Eligibility and Scope:
The Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC) invites applications for industry-led collaborative research projects from businesses with a foothold in Scotland or those who can deliver inward investment to help stimulate Scotland’s Economy. Projects should focus on innovative applications of industrial biotechnology and address a real market need or commercial opportunity through collaborative knowledge exchange and research between Industry Members and at least one of Scotland’s talented HEI research teams.
- The project must demonstrate a clear market need / commercial opportunity through the innovative use or application of biotechnology.
- The project must demonstrate an economic, societal and/or reputational benefit to Scotland.
- The project must be championed and led by an Industry Partner and should include at least one of IBioIC’s Higher Education Institution (HEI) Partners.
- IBioIC will contribute up to £100K towards the HEI Partner’s costs.
- Where an application for funding is successful, companies must become Members of IBioIC prior to the project start date and remain members for the duration of the project.
For more information, please visit IBioIC’s website or contact evangelia.thoukididou@fdf.org.uk.
Call: IBioIC Scale-up Accelerator Projects for SMEs
Location: Scotland
Open call
Eligibility and Scope:
This open call for projects gives SMEs the unique opportunity to develop, optimise and scale-up their bioprocesses in partnership with our Scale-Up Team, utilising specialist equipment within our Bioprocessing Scale-Up Centres at Heriot Watt University and the University of Strathclyde.
• IBioIC will contribute up to £15k towards the project delivery costs and their funding will not exceed 50% of the total delivery costs.
• The project must demonstrate a clear market need/ commercial opportunity through the innovative use or application of biotechnology.
• The project must be led by an SME and demonstrate a clear economic, societal or reputational benefit to Scotland.
• Where an application for funding is successful, companies must become Members of IBioIC prior to the project start date and remain members for the duration of the project.
For more information, please visit IBioIC’s website or contact Neil.Renault@ibioic.com.
Call: Low Carbon Hydrogen Supply 2
Expression of Interest Deadline: 7 June 2021
Eligibility and Scope:
The proposed £60 million Low Carbon Hydrogen Supply 2 Competition aims to catalyse innovation in the supply of hydrogen, reducing the costs, bringing new solutions to the market, and ensuring that the UK continues to develop world leading hydrogen technologies for a future hydrogen economy.
Stream 1
Stream 1 will run over two phases: Phase 1 will support the development of feasibility studies with technology readiness levels between 4 and 6, valued at up to £300,000 per project.
Phase 2 will down select projects from Phase 1 and support demonstrations at up to £6 million per project.
Stream 2
Stream 2 will support demonstration of projects that are closer to market with technology readiness levels between 6 and 7. This could support projects with up to £10 million per project to demonstrate the hydrogen supply opportunities.
To register your Expression of Interest visit: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/HydrogenSupply2/
A virtual Stakeholder Engagement Day is proposed to be held on 8 June 2021 to provide applicants the opportunity to understand more about the competition and to ask questions.
For more information, please contact evangelia.thoukididou@fdf.org.uk.
Call: Carbon Capture, Usage and Storage (CCUS)
Opens: 28 June 2021
Closes: 8 August 2021
Eligibility and Scope:
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) is looking to support the deployment of advanced carbon, capture, usage and storage (CCUS) technologies within the UK. Applicants will demonstrate reduction in the cost of deploying CCUS and create competitive pressure on current available technology
Projects will be split into 2 lots:
• Lot 1 CCU: for projects primarily focussed on developing technology for carbon capture and usage
• Lot 2 CCS: for projects primarily focussed on developing technology for carbon capture and storage
Projects will be considered for grant applications of:
• up to £1 million for projects developing and piloting mid-stage (TRL 3-5) CCUS technology
• up to £5 million for projects demonstrating late-stage (TRL to 6-8) CCUS technology at intermediate scale at site
An online Industry Engagement Day will be held on June 16th 13:00-14:00. To register, please visit: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ccus-innovation-20-engagement-day-tickets-154532373489.
For more information, please contact evangelia.thoukididou@fdf.org.uk.
Call: Innovate UK Smart Grants
Opened: 28 May 2021
Closes: 25 August 2021
Total project costs: £25,000-£2 million
Eligibility and scope:
Projects of 6 - 18 months must have total eligible project costs between £25,000 and £500,000 and can be single or collaborative. Projects of 19 - 36 months must have total eligible project costs between £25,000 and £2 million and must be collaborative.
• You must be a UK-registered business or research and technology organisation. You must include at least one SME in you project or be an SME if you wish to work alone.
• Your project can utilise any type of technology and be applied to any industry but must be disruptive.
• You must be able to demonstrate strong deliverables with a clear plan to achieve ROI through commercialisation and growth.
• The project must have a clear, considerable potential to impact the UK economy or productivity.
• The following R&D project types will be considered: feasibility projects, industrial research projects, experimental development projects.
For further information, please visit this website or contact evangelia.thoukididou@fdf.org.uk.
Call: Driving the Electric Revolution- Supply Chains for Net-Zero
Opened: 8 March 2021
Closes: 30 June 2021
Total project costs: £500k- £5 million
Eligibility and Scope:
The aim of this competition is to address key R&D in power electronics, machines, and drives for low volume/high value and high volume/high efficiency supply chains.
- Up to £22 million is available for investment into solutions which result in productivity, capacity, quality or efficiency.
- The competition is targeting multiple sectors and solutions should be applicable across sectors.
- The project should start by 01/02/2021 and last between 18 and 36 months.
- Projects can focus on the areas of manufacturing process development, design for manufacture, innovative end-of-line testing or product validation circular economy.
For further information on the call and how to apply, click here.
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