Over one hundred applicants among industry, startups and research centers have applied to receive Danish’s funds to foster plant-based protein production in the country.

The Danish government approved in 2021 a climate agreement that includes the largest investment in plant-based research and development in the European Union in an effort to reduce emissions from the country’s food systems.

According to the The European Alliance for Plant-based Foods (EAPF), a grouping of organisations working in the plant-based value chain, livestock farmers in the European Union receive 1,200 times more public funding than the plant-based food sector.

Thr Scandinavian country made a total of $195 million available up to 2030 in what is now colloquially called ‘plantefonden’, where part of the grant is allocated to farmers and companies with innovative ideas, plus a yearly fund of $11.7 million to support the transition to plant-based food.

The newly created Plant Foundation held its first call of applications to present by the end of this August, where projects would race to get a first chunk of $195 million grant.

Marie-Louise Boisen Lendal, head of the foundation said the foundation has received 101 applicants, said to be satisfied of “the great interest in the Plant Foundation, and look forward to, together with the rest of the board, reading all applications. The Ministry had an initial reviewed, finding 'only' 97 to be elegible for the funds.

For this first round $ 8,35 million should be distributed, but according to the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fishery the total amount requested to satisfy the 101 applicants would equal $29,4 million, and therefore not everyone will be receiving part of that grant.

The Plant Foundation board has now the lengthy task to read the hundred applications and select best ideas. The main criteria of selection for this first round will focus on demand promotion in public and private food services such as canteenes, supply promotion and increase exports of these foods.

By the end of November this year's pool of applicants will know whether their project has been selected to access the grant.