SA Government announces AFM grants program to support development of new innovative food products

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Agriculture, Food and Fisheries Minister Leon Bignell has announced that expressions of interest for Round 2 of the Advanced Food Manufacturing (AFM) grants program, aimed at supporting co-funded projects for the development of new or improved food products or manufacturing processes, are now officially open.

Image credit: flickr User: Summer Huggins
Image credit: flickr User: Summer Huggins

Round 1 supported nine projects with a total value of $1.23 million – $694,000 of State Government funding and industry co-funding of $542,000.

Solar Eggs is one of the companies that were awarded a grant last June.

“The grant allowed us to combine our expertise with their insights to innovate in a new direction for this business,” said Solar Eggs Managing Director Jonathan Attard.

This time, the Government will provide a total of $500,000 for the approved projects.

“Our food industry generated a record $15.3 billion for the state’s economy in 2013-14. The AFM program offers opportunities to grow our food industry and economy even further by supporting local food manufacturers and researchers to work together to develop innovative food products in South Australia. The $500,000 available in Round 2 will support projects that commercialise new or existing research. It will also build on the success from AFM Round 1 projects, with new products and processes already being developed,” the Minister said in a news release.

Interested parties should apply for the available grants of between $25,000 and $100,000 no later than 25 February, 2015.

For more information, please go to http://www.pir.sa.gov.au/food