FIGHT FOOD WASTE – SME SOLUTIONS CENTRE
The challenge
Australia has two million-plus small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that contribute over 50% of Australia’s GDP. SMEs have many challenges given their size, one of which is tackling food waste. To support SMEs to find the best food waste solutions and assist in their efficiency and sustainability, the Fight Food Waste SME Solutions Centre (SME Solutions Centre) was created to provide access to funding, skills and expertise. The aim of the SME Solutions Centre was to provide dollar-for-dollar co-funding to successful industry applicants to use researchers in the End Food Waste CRC (Formerly Fight Food Waste CRC) to conduct short-term research that would find a solution to their agri-food waste problems.
Our plan
Launching in August 2019, the SME Solutions Centre was an industry-led initiative from the End Food Waste CRC, comprised of a $450K grant program funded by Food Innovation Australia Ltd (FIAL) and administered by Queensland Department of Primary Industries (Formerly Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries) to assist SMEs to invest in research and development solutions to their food waste challenges. This unique program recommended the best research solutions to SME applicants, offered matching cash funds, and provided access to Australia’s best food waste researchers and a network of industry participants.
The remit of the SME Solutions Centre was to:
- test new and novel food processing, packaging, and agricultural technologies to REDUCE food and agricultural waste
- identify valuable products in food and agricultural waste streams and TRANSFORM into new commercial opportunities
- ENGAGE experts from the End Food Waste CRC industry and research participants to identify technology opportunities and processes to enhance food and agricultural waste reduction
The SME Solutions Centre ended on 30th June 2022, with full allocation of available funds to SMEs. Please contact the End Food Waste CRC to express an interest in future solutions to support SMEs.
“A business is only as good as its product, and research is critical to understanding your product.”
Director, Banana Feeds Australia Pty Ltd
Timeline
August 2019 – June 2022
Project Manager
Outputs/resources/publications
Participants
SME SOLUTIONS CENTRE – SHELF LIFE, NUTRITIONAL AND SENSORY VALIDATION OF VALUE-ADDED UNMARKETABLE STRAWBERRY PRODUCE AND COMMERCIALISATION TRIAL
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SME SOLUTIONS CENTRE – PRODUCTION OF POTATO PROTEIN ISOLATE POWER USING A MILD, LOW COST AND HEALTHY EXTRACTION METHOD
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SME SOLUTIONS CENTRE – MAXIMISING ANTIOXIDANTS IN QUEEN GARNET PLUMS DURING PROCESSING AND BOTTLING
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