Boosting trust, transparency and responsibility in the food system through digital solutions


The main objective of DRG4Food Open Call #1
is to enable the development and testing of responsible
data-driven solutions in the food sector’s key areas:
food tracking, targeted nutrition, and enhancing
consumers‘ food decisions.

Open Call #1 is closed!

About Us

The heart of the DRG4Food project beats for responsible data-driven solutions that empower people, champion data rights, and drive the creation of sustainable food systems. Our focus is on catalyzing data-driven innovation in the food industry, all while staying aligned with Digital Responsibility Goals and principles.

Facts & figures

2

Open Calls

€950,000

Funding Available

for Open Call #1

€300,000

Maximum Budget
per Pilot Project

3-6

Expected No. of Pilot
Projects

Who is it for?

The open call invites multidisciplinary consortia comprising 2-3 entities, including startups, SMEs, research organizations, universities, technology adopters, and users in the food sector, with a focus on NGOs and consumer associations. Consortia must demonstrate the capacity to develop data-driven solutions aligned with Digital Responsibility Goals and actively engage with end-users to shape technical requirements and improve pilot activities. Specific consortium conditions are in place.

The Consortium

DRG4Food – Open Call #1 seeks to support projects developed by a consortium consisting of 2 to 3 partners,

> Micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), including startups, developing data-driven solutions in the areas of Food Tracking, Targeted Nutrition, and Consumers’ Food Choices.
> Research and technology organisations (RTOs) and universities, and other non-profit research organizations, working on advancing the state-of-the-art and addressing challenges—rooted in principles such as openness, user-centricity, sovereignty, and trust

Together, they must demonstrate their ability to engage users and contribute to the central mission of advancing digital transformation and data-driven innovation, with a particular emphasis on data rights and Digital Responsibility Goals. This is achieved through concise research cycles aimed at identifying and nurturing the most promising ideas.

Funding & Budget

The budget per experiment can range from €150,000 to €300,000, and financial support is divided between starting and advanced grants, taking into account factors such as duration, TRL level from start to end of the pilot, and travel requirements.

Proposals must meet specific Technology Readiness Level (TRL) criteria. The TRL level at the time of submission should be a minimum of 4 or 5, and the proposed technology should have the potential to advance to TRL 7.

Program Roadmap

Our program spans 6 to 12 months and is designed in a hybrid format, combining on-site activities and online sessions. The program is tailored to each pilot project, and the curriculum includes lectures, workshops, personalized expert mentoring and group coaching. Each pilot project is assigned an end-to-end Mentor to guide them through the program, set goals and track progress.

The program is structured in sprints covering 5 key areas: Data Rights and Digital Responsibility for the food sector, product development and service design, business development & partner cooperation, fundraising, soft skills and events.

Phase 1
Setting up and planning for a trustworthy data-driven food system
Phase 2
Digital responsibility-driven innovation, research and piloting
Phase 3
Scaling up – Bring your digital solution to market

Key Dates

April – May 2024
Call #2 opening & applications submission
June – August 2024
Evaluation, selection & contracting
September 2024
Program start

Open Call Now Closed!

Mark your calendars for DRG4FOOD accelerator: your chance
to level up and drive positive impact in the food industry!

DRG4Food Open Call #2 to Launch in April 2024

Support material and documentation to apply

To submit your proposal for DRG4food Open Call #1, it is advisable to thoroughly review all relevant documentation.


Last updated on November 20, 2023. Clarification on the eligibility of Swiss entities. Annex B: Total page limit: Sections 2, 3, 4, 5and 6, together, should not be longer than 12 pages.

Annex A: DRG4Food Open Call Guidelines for Applicants

Information about the open call, rules for participation, the evaluation process, funding scheme and general information on how to prepare and submit a proposal.

Annex B: Technical Proposal – template

Template with the guidelines on the sections and information that must be included in the proposal. This annex is mandatory and must be submitted with the proposal.

Annex C: Applicant Declaration of Honour

This annex should be completed by each individual consortium representative, confirming their acceptance of all specified conditions..

Annex D: Consortium Declaration of Honour

This annex declares that conditions are accepted by the consortium.

Annex E: SME Declaration form

This annex must be filled and provided by all SME applicants, which evaluates the status of the SME.

Annex F: Subfunding Grant Agreement

The contract to be signed between winning pilots and DRG4Food. 

Annex G: Bank Account Information

(For reference only) Template that will collect information about the back to which payments will be made.

All proposals for DRG4Food Open Call #1 must be submitted through the dedicated DRG4Food page on the F6S platform.

Find Your Ideal Project Partner:
Register for DRG4Food
Matchmaking

Looking for the perfect consortium partner for your project?

Register for DRG4Food’s matchmaking service where we link startups and SMEs
with leading researchers and end users for Open Call #2.

Register for Matchmaking

Q&A

Welcome to the Q&A for the Open Call #1 hosted by DRG4Food consortium. This page is designed to provide clarity and official responses to inquiries from prospective applicants. Below, you will find a range of questions that have been submitted by applicants, along with the official answers provided by DRG4Food. Please note that this page is regularly updated to ensure that all applicants have access to the most current and relevant information.

Would it be possible to apply with all partners from the same country? Thank you.
We have no limitations regarding partners originating from the same countries. For more information, kindly review chapter 3.1.2. Consortium Requirements in our Guidelines. Nonetheless, it’s crucial to take into consideration that under EC3. Business Viability, Scalability, and Impact, there is an expectation for applicants to showcase their capability for rapid expansion into European and international markets. Therefore, it is important to ensure the inclusion of dependable partners who can significantly contribute to fulfilling this particular evaluation criterion.
I have a question regarding DRG4FOOD projects. Do you expect any in-kind contribution or, in other words, how high is the funding rate? Do you differentiate in this regard between academic and non-academic partners?
I want to clarify that we do not require any in-kind contributions for participation. For more detailed information, I encourage you to consult chapter 3.2 in our Guidelines for Applicants. Please note that the funding rate for this project is 100%. Additionally, when it comes to budget distribution, we maintain a uniform approach across all types of partners, whether they are from the academic/research sector or industry/SMEs. There are no specific budgetary restrictions based on the type of entity.
Based on overview of the documentation, first open call for DRG4FOOD is intended to create baseline components (not solutions!). Base enablers describe the capabilities of base line components and must be compatible with at least one Digital Responsibility Goal. They will be added to Responsible Technology Toolbox and later integrated into digital solutions in areas of Food Tracking, Targeted Nutrition, and Consumers' Food Choices in the second DRG4FOOD open call. Is this correct understanding?
Yes, this is the correct understanding.
If consortium has digital solution from areas of of Food Tracking, Targeted Nutrition, and Consumers' Food Choices, such solution should be applied to second DRG4FOOD open call. These solutions will then use baseline components from the Responsible Technology Toolbox according to Digital Responsibility Playbook. Is this correct?
Indeed, that's the approach we're aiming for.
If all assumptions are correct, will baseline components, that will be developed during first DRG4FOOD open food, be available as open-source and if not under what license?
Our objective is to make them open-source and part of the DRG4Food toolbox. While we don’t have a specific license in mind, we’ll engage in individual discussions with participants about this.
Among recognized costs there can be salaries, but also subcontractor costs and there are no percentage limitations for different cost types. Is this correct?
Yes, salaries are eligible. However, subcontracting is not eligible in the DRG4Food Open Call #1 (see Guidelines for Applications, chapter 3.2). Also, there are no percentage limitations for different cost types.
My question is about the Consortium eligibility. According to the call text, it would seem that in terms of project finance administration, a sub granted project should comply with HE rules, however is not clear whether this also applies in terms of partner eligibility. Is it possible that two or three entities are from the same country?
Regarding the Consortium requirements (as outlined in chapter 3.2 of the Guidelines for applicants), there aren't any country-specific limitations. This means entities within the consortium can indeed originate from the same country (3.1.3 Eligible Countries). However, applicants must showcase their ability for "quick scaling to European and international markets'' (refer to section 4.2 Proposal evaluation and selection, remote evaluation, criterion 2). With this in mind, it might be beneficial to integrate partners who can help in this scaling process.