Collaborative funding to support plant-based protein innovation

Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, will work with Protein Industries Canada (PIC) to invest up to £6.5 million in innovative solutions for the plan-based protein sector

The objective of the competition is to meet global consumer demands for alternative proteins and to create export opportunities for the technologies, products and services developed.

Projects must include the use of plant-based proteins from crops that have potential for deployment at scale across Canadian and UK food and feed supply chains. This can include, but is not limited to:

• field peas
• lentils
• canola
• beans
• oats
• lupin

Your project can consider innovations that utilise high-protein crops in combination with other plant-based proteins, for example potato and hemp. You can also consider other innovations that help enhance plant-based products, for example oils or fats derived from cellular or acellular fermentation.

This competition is open to UK and Canada collaborations only. To lead a project your organisation must be a UK registered business of any size. All Canadian partners must hold a current PIC membership.

This is stage one of a two stage competition:

1. Expression of interest (EoI) - There is no funding in this stage.
2. Full stage application - If you are successful in the EoI stage, you will be invited to apply to the full stage competition.

If successful in the EoI stage, your full stage UK application's total grant funding request must not exceed £1.5 million.

Interested businesses can register for:

• an applicant briefing event on 20 September 2023
• collaboration building event on 21 September 2023

Find out more about the Canada-UK: Plant-based protein innovation competition.

First published 18 September 2023