Background

The new £15 million Tackling Food Surplus at the Farm Gate scheme is provided by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) as part of the Government’s work to complement the wider food waste reduction agenda, the UK commitment to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12.3 to reduce food loss and waste from farm to fork.

Through this new initiative, the UK government aims to bridge the gap between farmers and charities, ensuring surplus food reaches vulnerable communities rather than going to waste.

Objectives of Fund

The funding aims to strengthen links between farms and charities to help solve the problem of food surplus on farms with the objective of helping  organisations fight hunger in communities.  

Proposals need to:

• Build stronger collaborations with farmers to access surplus food.
• Expand logistical capacity to transport and distribute rescued produce efficiently.
• Invest in critical infrastructure such as refrigeration, storage facilities, and transport vehicles to keep food fresh and safe for redistribution.
• Procure packaging and labelling equipment to streamline the handling of surplus goods.

Who Can Apply

Not-for-profit organisations in England that redistribute surplus food to charities for a discounted or free food offer can apply.

Redistributors working in partnership would be considered. This could enable large redistributors to work with small redistributors at a local level, utilising the large redistributors’ distribution and storage networks and contacts, while bringing in localised redistributors. Applicants must be from the not-for-profit sector but can utilise the commercial sector to deliver the outcomes.

Applicants must have credible plans to form relationships with farmers to access the surplus.

Location

England

All relevant documents and the online form are available on the Defra e-Commercial system. (Defra is using Atamis for this grant competition.)