Scaling-up nutritional proteins from alternative sources

The main goal of this opportunity is to ensure a sustainable and sufficient supply of proteins for both human and animal nutrition. It aims to increase the availability of nutritional proteins from sustainable sources, make food systems more resilient by diversifying protein sources, and support food system sustainability within environmental limits. Another important goal is to improve consumer awareness and acceptance of alternative protein sources for healthier diets. The focus is on scaling up alternative protein production from sources such as plants, invertebrates, microorganisms, fungi, aquatic biomass, and bio-based fermentation, with a strong emphasis on resource efficiency, circularity, and safety.

• Projects must follow the required proposal format and page limits.
• Only applicants from eligible countries may participate.
• Projects must focus on efficient and cost-effective protein production processes.
• They must demonstrate nutritional adequacy and perform safety testing.
• Resource efficiency, circularity, and complementarity with past research are required.
• End-user involvement for market acceptance is necessary.

Example projects:

• Developing a scalable process to produce protein from microalgae, ensuring safety and consumer acceptance.
• Creating new food products using insect-derived proteins, with thorough safety and nutritional testing.
• Improving fermentation techniques to produce plant-based proteins more efficiently, involving consumers in product trials.

• Personnel costs
• Subcontracting
• Travel and subsistence
• Equipment (depreciation or rental)
• Consumables and materials
• Dissemination and communication
• Access to research infrastructure
• IPR and certification
• Audit costs
• Indirect costs (25% flat rate)
• Internally invoiced services

• Budget for this Call: 14,000,000€
• Number of Grants attributed: 2
• Budget per grant: 7,000,000€

• Applicants must follow the specified proposal format and page limits.
• Participation is open to organizations from eligible countries.
• Some non-EU and non-Associated Countries may participate if they have special funding provisions.
• Applicants must meet additional conditions as described in the relevant guidelines.
• Organizations must demonstrate financial and operational capacity.
• Applicants must not be excluded under the rules of the program.