USDA FAS Sustainable Packaging Innovation Lab to Assist Fresh Produce Exporters

FUNDING PROGRAM: USDA FAS Sustainable Packaging Innovation Lab to Assist Fresh Produce Exporters.

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY NUMBER: https://foundationfar.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/RFA_Sustainable-Packaging-Innovation-Lab_USDA-FFP-Clemson_Final.pdf.

FUNDING AGENCIES: United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Foreign Agriculture Service (FAS).

OPPORTUNITY:

Worldwide, emergent restrictions on the use of single-use and plastic packaging will limit access of specialty crops to global markets. Therefore, Clemson University and The Foundation for Fresh Produce (FFP) of the International Fresh Produce Association are partnering with the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) to implement the Sustainable Packaging Innovation Lab of the Assisting Specialty Crop Exports program (ASCE-SPIL) by the United States Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA FAS).

DESCRIPTION:

FFAR is accepting applications, on behalf of Clemson University and FFP, for the Sustainable Packaging Innovation Lab program to develop packaging and packaging alternatives for specialty crops compliant with the emergent packaging regulations in the EU, UK, Canada, Japan and other key markets.

This funding announcement seeks novel sustainable packaging or packaging alternatives that can replace single-use packaging and single-use plastic packaging but can offer at least some of the same functions in an economical manner.

The Sustainable Innovation Packaging Lab consists of three distinct tracks:

• Track 1 (Applied R&D) seeks proposals aimed at bringing a solution for specialty crop exports that is still at the laboratory stage but shows high promise to be implemented in pilot-scale manufacturing with minimal further effort.
• Track 2 (Technology Accelerator) seeks proposals aimed at scaling innovations in sustainable packaging for the fresh produce industry.
• Track 3 (Scale-up and pilot) seeks proposals to run pilot-scale manufacturing projects aimed at commercializing a packaging solution for specialty crop exports.

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS: 

Clemson University and FFP welcome applications from:

• Domestic or international companies of all scales (from start-ups to well-capitalized enterprises)
• Institutions of higher education
• Non-profit organizations
• For-profit organizations
• Government-affiliated researchers

Note: Applications from international entities are invited as long as there is a clearly described collaboration with U.S.-based researchers, packaging companies or exporters of specialty crops.

COST SHARING: None.

FUNDING AVAILABLE:

• FUNDING AVAILABILITY: $10 million.
• INDIVIDUAL AWARD AMOUNTS: Funding will be provided for up to twenty (20) awards of between $50,000 and $250,000 each.

APPLICATION WINDOW: February 12, 2025.