£15,000 vouchers available for horticultural, food and drink research

A voucher scheme, offering food and drink businesses 75% funding towards projects worth up to £20,000 with leading research organisations, has been launched by Growing Kent & Medway.

Our Business Innovation Vouchers are designed to open the doors to three new cutting-edge research centres in the Kent and Medway region. The scheme will make technical support more accessible for start-ups, micro, small and medium-sized businesses.

Over 40 vouchers each worth up to £15,000 are available to plant-based food and drink companies and businesses related to horticulture across the supply chain in the Kent and Medway region. 

Sophie Packer, one of our Innovation Growth Manager’s said: “We have invested in three new state-of-the-art research facilities. This means we now have modern facilities to match the world-leading expertise and capabilities in our region and are able to deliver a wide-range of technical projects for the horticulture, food and drink sectors.

“We hope these vouchers encourage people who may not have worked with a research organisation before, to get in touch and find out how our technical teams can help grow their business through innovation.”

The research projects funded by the vouchers can help with challenges in;

• Crop production
• Food processing
• Packaging
• Producing high-value compounds from plants
• Agri-tech solutions.

Robert Saville, Innovation Growth Manager, said: “Whether you would like to test new products in a food laboratory, or trial new technology in horticultural production systems, we have specialists on hand who are able to help.

“We will work with businesses to explore the types of research support that could benefit them, and connect them to the right facilities and expertise to help drive their business forward.”

The vouchers can be used to work with the following research organisations:

• GreenTech Hub for Advanced Horticulture and NIAB
• Medway Food Innovation Centre and University of Greenwich
• The Biotechnology Hub for Sustainable Food and Drink and University of Kent

The Business Innovation Vouchers are awarded on a competitive basis, with the best ideas receiving funding. To apply, you must first complete an Expression of Interest form and discuss your business or project ideas with one of our Innovation Growth Managers.

Applications close on 3 October 2022.

We have a range of grant opportunities for business-led innovation, for more information visit growingkentandmedway.com/funding/grant-funding/.