Annual Seeding The Future Global Food System Challenge
Hosted by the Institute of Food Technologists and funded by the Seeding The Future Foundation, the Challenge is intended to support innovations that have the potential for significant impact at scale and over time and benefit at least one or more of the following intersecting domains: nutritious food for a healthy diet; sustainably produced; and accessible, appealing, affordable, and trusted by consumers.
Applications for the 2023 Challenge are now open.
IFT and the Seeding the Future Foundation are calling on all scientists, engineers, innovators, entrepreneurs, and multidisciplinary teams from non-governmental organizations (NGOs), non-profits, social enterprises, universities, research institutions as well as small and emerging for-profit enterprises to submit game-changing innovations that will help transform the food system.
About the Challenge
Providing a growing global population with access to affordable, safe, and nutritious food for a healthy diet while maintaining the health of our planet will require transformational changes in the food system. Advances and discoveries in science and technology and creative new approaches and collaborations across cultures and multiple disciplines will lead to forward-thinking innovations with the potential for significant food system changes.
The goal of the Seeding the Future Global Food System Challenge is to inspire and support innovative, diverse, and multidisciplinary teams to create game-changing innovations that will help transform the food system.
Eligibility
To be eligible for an award, the project must be innovative, impactful and lead to new advances that benefit at least one but ideally more than one of the intersecting domains of the Innovation Focus Area, shown in the diagram below, while not negatively affecting any of the other domains. Innovations that benefit two or more domains and are at an advanced development stage are eligible for the highest award levels. The definition of Innovation in the context of this challenge is A novel idea, approach, concept, or technology that is practicable and leads to a significant benefit for people or the environment.
The following organizations are eligible to compete in the Challenge:
Non-profits located in any country
Academic or research institutions located in any country
Early-stage or emerging North American or European-based for-profit companies (‘small companies)
Individuals are not eligible to apply. Please note, however, that teams of students or researchers may participate as part of their University or Research Institution’s submission. Organizations are encouraged to form teams to compete in the Challenge. If two or more organizations form a team to compete, they should choose one of the organizations to serve as the applicant.
Benefits
The Seeding The Future Global Food System Challenge will provide monetary awards in the form of grants and prizes totaling up to one million US dollars annually. They invite applicants from national or international universities, research institutions, or nonprofit organizations, as well as small or early-stage North American or European for-profit businesses.
The Challenge will provide three levels of awards to incentivize transformative food system innovations at different stages of their development. Applications can only be submitted at one award level. Please review the Selection Criteria carefully to determine the appropriate award level for your project.
Seed Grants($25,000 each) will be awarded to organizations that are planting and nurturing high-potential, innovative ideas and have developed a prototype and/or initial proof of concept demonstrating feasibility. Innovation must benefit at least one, ideally two domains of the Innovation Focus Area without negatively impacting the others.
Growth Grants($100,000 each) will be awarded to organizations that have demonstrated that their innovation is doable and have projected both economic feasibility at scale and high-impact potential to transform the food system. The innovation must benefit at least two, ideally three domains with no negative impact on the others.
Seeding The Future Grand Prizes($250,000 each) will be awarded to organizations that have created innovations that are scalable, economically feasible at scale, trusted, and compelling to consumers, and have demonstrated major impact potential to transform the food system. The innovation must benefit at least two, ideally three domains with no negative impact on the others.
