British Apples and Pears, in collaboration with Niab, utilised one of our small grant programmes to trial novel treatments for apple scab. The project identified a promising alternative to lost chemical fungicides and proved that a risk-based spray programme could reduce application costs by £65 per hectare.

Asplins Producer Organisation and Niab utilised our R&D support to investigate whether specific strawberry and raspberry varieties could naturally resist spotted wing drosophila (SWD). While the project ultimately proved that varietal selection alone does not resist the pest, the research provided the industry with vital data, redirecting focus toward other essential control strategies.

Cecii Health utilised our business support ecosystem to transform a handmade fermented juice shot into a scalable, market-ready product. By combining technical R&D from our Food Accelerator with expert business mentoring, founder Cecilia Wu has refined her formulation, become a finalist for the Nourish Awards, and is now scaling up for national retail.

Inspro, supported by Growing Kent & Medway, successfully demonstrated a circular solution for organic waste using Black Soldier Fly larvae. By converting waste streams into nutrient-rich "frass", the project validated a sustainable alternative to synthetic fertilisers that boosts soil health and microbial diversity.