The Technology Strategy Board, together with the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the Medical Research Council (MRC) is to invest up to £6.25 million to stimulate innovation in the food and drink sector.
The investment is intended to encourage the development of innovative processes and technologies with an emphasis on providing “healthy” and “safe” food and drink, and will support both feasibility studies and collaborative research & development projects.
Providing safe, healthy and nutritious food is key to ensuring global food security, enabling all people to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.
Applications to the Nutrition for Life funding competition should propose to conceive and develop innovative and challenging technologies and processes that seek to underpin advances in two key areas – (a) novel, healthier foods & processes and (b) safety, authenticity & traceability.
All proposals must be led by a business. The initiative is open to all UK-based companies and research organisations, through business-to-business or business-to-science collaborations, or in the case of feasibility projects led by a single business.
The feasibility funding is a single-stage competition that will open on 9 May 2011 and close on 29th June 2011. Collaborative R&D is a two-stage competition opening on 9May 2011. Expressions of interest must be submitted by 15 June 2011. The second stage, for invited applications, will open on 11 July 2011 and close on 17 August 2011.
For further information: Nutrition for Life competition document