The funding call focuses on future-oriented technologies such as cell cultivation and precision fermentation, which have the potential to make a significant contribution to more sustainable and resilient agricultural and food systems. Funding will support an interdisciplinary innovation hub bringing together partners from academia and industry to jointly develop platform technologies for the production of novel food products, including alternatives to dairy, meat, and fish products.
The establishment of the innovation hub will follow a two-stage funding process. In the first stage, project outlines for a six-month concept phase can be submitted until 9 July 2026. During this phase, up to five institutions will receive funding based on their scientific expertise and infrastructure, positioning them among Germany’s leading players in the fields of cell cultivation and precision fermentation. Each selected project may receive up to €60,000 in funding to develop the hub concept.
During the concept phase, the partner structure, governance framework, research agenda, and concrete milestones for the future innovation hub are to be developed. The most convincing concept will then be selected for the implementation phase, which is scheduled to begin in 2027 and may receive funding of up to €15 million during its first three years.
The funding call is part of the High-Tech Agenda Germany and the Biotechnology Roadmap. It highlights the strategic importance of modern biotechnologies for the future of food production and for strengthening Germany as a hub for innovation. Further information can be found here.