Deadline Date: September 22, 2026
The European Commission is requesting grant applications to support the development and scaling of sustainable bio-based solutions to diversify nutritional food ingredient sources and strengthen resilience and strategic autonomy in the food sector.
The focus areas of the programme include industrial-scale biorefinery development for nutritional food ingredients, diversification of food ingredient sources, strengthening resilience and strategic autonomy of food systems, improving environmental sustainability through efficient resource use, enhancing consumer awareness and acceptance of alternative ingredients, and promoting sustainable and healthy diets.
The funding allocation of 170,760,699 euros, the programme is open to a wide range of legal entities, including international organizations, provided they meet the eligibility requirements outlined under the Horizon Europe framework. Diversification of nutritional food ingredient sources for increased EU resilience and strategic autonomy – €20 million.
The initiative aims to address growing global challenges related to food security, resource constraints, and environmental sustainability by encouraging the development of alternative sources of key nutritional ingredients such as proteins, lipids, fibres, and specialty carbohydrates. It emphasizes the role of bio-based industries in reducing dependence on traditional agricultural inputs while maintaining or improving nutritional quality.
Projects funded under this programme are expected to demonstrate efficient production processes at industrial scale, focusing on at least one primary nutritional ingredient that drives the business case. The programme also supports the co-production of multiple food and feed ingredients through integrated and cascading approaches to maximize resource utilization and value creation.
The scope includes the use of various bio-based feedstocks, including industrial-grade inputs derived from agricultural crops, while excluding direct food production from conventional sources such as livestock, fisheries, and aquaculture. This ensures a focus on innovative processing and transformation techniques that add value to existing resources.
In addition to production, projects must validate the application of these ingredients in food products by demonstrating their quality, stability, nutritional value, and sensory properties. Considerations such as digestibility, palatability, potential health benefits, and avoidance of allergens or intolerances are also relevant depending on the product developed.
The programme also emphasizes resource efficiency and circularity, encouraging solutions that minimize environmental impact while ensuring safety and preventing contamination in circular systems. This approach supports long-term sustainability and economic viability across the food value chain.
For more information, visit European Commission.
