BBSRC/Defra – Diet and Health: Collaborative Research and Development Grants

Funding for partnerships between academia and industry to develop novel food products and innovations to deliver healthy, sustainable, and resilient diets for the UK population.

This joint funding opportunity provided by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) aims to build and strengthen partnerships between academia and industry and enable the co-development of collaborative research and development projects that develop novel food products and innovations to deliver healthy, sustainable, and resilient diets for the UK population.

Proposals are invited for collaborative research and development projects that explore the following and support the Good Food Cycle.

Projects should address one or more of the following priority areas:

• Improving the nutrition of food and drink products to support populations at higher risk of malnutrition, muscle loss or both, for example those using GLP-1 drugs, older population groups and those from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds.
• Supporting research and innovation to assess the impact of food processing and final food product composition on health, including but not restricted to assessing and improving the nutritive value retained by different processing methods, as well as evaluating the impact of food. additives and emulsifiers on human physiology, to develop innovations and sustainable alternatives to support healthy sustainable diets
• Improving environmental outcomes for novel innovations in the food and drink sector for example by considering a circular economy approach seeking to reduce waste and food losses.

To address these themes, projects can focus on one or more of the following:

• Biofortification to enhance the nutritional profile of food and drink products and improve nutrition of the UK population (including, but not limited to, fibres, folates, iron, vitamins, proteins, omega-3 etc.).
• Re-formulation and processing innovations to retain and or/improve the nutritional value of food products and provide suitable and sustainable alternatives to processing ingredients.
• Increasing the affordability and accessibility of nutritious food and drink products across the UK, reducing food inequalities and empowering a productive workforce contributing to the UK economy.
• Considering consumer behaviour towards diet and health and drivers of food choices.
• Increasing resilience of the UK food system by creating conditions for a robust supply chain, enabling the UK population to access healthy sustainable food.

Projects should consider:

• Sustainability in the context of environmental challenges, such as climate change and resource scarcity, where an innovation has the potential to support the UK in establishing resilient supply chains for healthier foods, and reduce negative impacts on climate and nature
• How the innovation will contribute to economic growth within the food and drink sector, contributing to spreading growth and opportunities around the UK. The innovation should also demonstrate potential for economic growth beyond the food and drink sector, for example by delivering healthier diets with the potential to reduce the burden on the NHS, and by having a net positive impact on growth by increasing healthy life expectancy and improving the workforce productivity

Project proposals should clearly articulate how the project will contribute to the vision set out in the Good Food Cycle, specifically the four pillars below:

• A healthier population with reduced diet related ill-health, especially for children and vulnerable people. Applicants are encouraged to consider how their innovation may support consumer behaviour change towards healthier diets.
• A thriving UK food sector that feeds a healthier and more productive UK population and enables economic growth. Applicants are encouraged to consider economic growth within the food and drink sector and beyond.
• Improved environmental outcomes on land and sea, enhancing nature and ecosystem services while reducing pollution, waste and greenhouse gas emissions. Applicants are encouraged to consider the upstream supply chain requirements of their proposed innovation, as well as the potential environmental implications associated with its scale-up.
• Improved resilience of the supply chain, with reduced impact of shocks and chronic risks on access to healthy and sustainable food. Applicants are encouraged to consider the preparedness of the innovation for supply chain shocks, disruption and impacts of chronic risks.

The duration of the award is 36 months. Projects must start by 31 October 2026.