GEC Food Innovation Call   

"Feeding the world in a sustainable, healthy and resilient manner"

Your chance to scale your start-up with the

GEC Factory (value 200.000EUR)

and

GEC Catalyst (value 20.000EUR)

The Problem

The Global Entrepreneurship Centre (GEC) is seeking innovators driven by sustainability and technology in the food sector. The Call for Solutions aims to support innovative solutions addressing the current challenges of the food sector, including:

GHG Emissions in food productions

1/3  of GHG  Emissions caused by human activity can be attributed to the way we produce, process and package food

Health issues

 Obesity​,  Antibiotic resistance,​ Degradation of air, water, and soil quality, Malnutrition  & animal waste from industrial farming​

Limitations of personalized nutrition

 Affordability and nutrition food challenges in constraint to meet the different needs of consumers

Food Security

Breaking-up of  global food supply chains by moving to regional, self-sustainable solutions

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

The Response: Call for Solutions

What we are looking for:
Add Your Heading Text Here

The GEC will look at all barriers to scale, and tailor its services to deliver concrete solutions for the most pressing needs of its portfolio companies together with its network of senior subject matter experts.

Alternative Protein Supporting  Technologies 

Including  ingredients & equipment to scale alternative protein technology 

Fermentation-based Solutions  

Using precision, biomass, gas fermentation or hybrid forms

Functional Nutrition

Making food more healthy, affordable, and nutrient-dense

Food Self-Sufficiency

Breaking-up of ​global food supply chains by moving to regional, self-sustainable solutions​

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

What you get

Benefit from our online programme to validate your business plan, become investment- and scale-up ready (valued up to 20.00 EUR)

Tailor-made operational scale-up services worth up to  200.000 EUR (no equity) to build the company you want

Join our lifelong, collaborative community of likeminded startup founders

Connect with innovators, industry partners, investors, scientists, and other experts from our global network

Get access to our lab facilities, co-working space, and event space in Düsseldorf

We offer two different programmes – GEC Catalyst or GEC Factory – tailored to your individual start-up needs & stage

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

The GEC Factory

GEC Scaling Factory

The GEC Scaling Factory provides SusTech companies with tailor-made operational services, assets and scaling infrastructure to enable growth and lasting impact. It is established in coordination with the company around its priorities across key operational areas.

GEC Factory companies receive up to 200.000 EUR in services from the GEC for a period of up to 15 months. 

You qualify for the GEC Factory, if you have at least developed a first product/ service (TRL >6), secured first (pre-)seed funding, you are located in Europe/ Israel, and your solution demonstratable serves the SDGs.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

The GEC Catalyst

The GEC Catalyst Programme in cooperation with Think Beyond™ is a online programme designed specifically for start-ups who have already launched the business, dedicated time to grow it and have initial feedback on their product and market. 

Program participants refine and test business assumptions to support their lean start-up journey. Upon completion of the programme, start-ups will have a personalised scale-up map designed to advance them on the path to full commercialisation.

GEC Catalyst program is worth 20.000 EUR in terms of services and comes free of charge for start-ups.

You qualify for the GEC Catalyst Program, if you have a complete team, you have at least developed a first prototype (TRL 5-6), you are located in Europe/ Israel, and your solution demonstratable serves the SDG goals.

Key Dates

Step 1: Application Deadline - June 19, 2022
Application window for entrepreneurs & startups
Step 2: Assessment - June-August 2022
Review and assessment of applications based on sustainability, innovation, business viability, partner ecosystem. Semi-finalists will be requested to fill the assessment questionnaire in the course of July
Step 3: Selection - September 2022
Joint development of a scaleup plan based on company priorities and bottlenecks to scale
Step 4: Finalists - October 2022 
Announcement of selected companies for the GEC Catalyst and the GEC Factory

Terms

The GEC will invest up to 200.000 Euro (no equity) in the selected company as in-kind scale-up services. This company will receive unique, individualized GEC scale-up Factory services (including, if applicable, soft-landing services for settlement and/or access to the German market) to craft the economy of the future. The investment as in-kind services (worth up to 200.000 EUR) is to be reimbursed upon success and individual agreement. The GEC investments/services are subjected to German subsidy law and the EU de minimis state-aid regulation.

In addition, up to 5 companies will be granted access free of charge to the GEC Catalyst Programme worth up to 20.000 Euro.

 

Contact

In case of any questions – please reach out to our team

Besan Dahboor Engel
Venture Developer –Sustainable Agriculture  & Food

bengel@gec-scaleup.com