Agri-tech and food science innovators across East Anglia have the chance to win a share of £7.5m to invest in new technologies and drive business growth.
The East of England has been chosen for government funding under the Launchpad programme, which aims to build on the region's existing strengths in farm technologies and food science.
A competition is now open until December 6, which will award grants to businesses and researchers ranging from £25,000 to £300,000.
Successful projects will need to demonstrate a significant impact on farming productivity, biotechnologies relating to food quality, nutrition and animal welfare, or environmental sustainability, such as minimising pollution and food waste.
The Eastern Agri-Food Innovation Launchpad is funded by Innovate UK and jointly developed by New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), which covers Norfolk and Suffolk, Greater Lincolnshire LEP, and Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority.
New Anglia LEP chief executive Rosanne Wijnberg said: "We are delighted that New Anglia LEP and partners across eastern England have secured this important government-funded Launchpad programme which will support our agri-tech, agri-biotech, and food-tech clusters.
"This Launchpad will drive automation and innovation right across the agri-food chain, supporting businesses such as those in Norwich Research Park, Broadland Food Innovation Centre [at Easton], Adastral Park [near Ipswich], and those represented by New Anglia Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering, Space East, and Agri-TechE cluster networks.”
Applicants must be active, or growing their work activities, within the agri-tech, food-tech and agri-biotech clusters within Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, and Greater Lincolnshire.
Businesses across Norfolk and Suffolk can also benefit from free support to develop their applications through mentors and bid writing coaches provided by the Innovation Grant Mentoring Project.
New Anglia LEP’s Connected Innovation Programme is sponsoring the networking reception at Agri-TechE’s REAP Conference 2023 at Newmarket on November 8, where businesses can learn more about the Eastern Agri-Food Innovation Launchpad. For full information, see iuk.ktn-uk.org/programme/launchpads/
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