Planned to open in October 2020 the Future Plastic Packaging Solutions competition will see Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, invest up to £2 million in early-stage projects.
This is part of the Smart Sustainable Plastic Packaging (SSPP) Challenge which aims to establish the UK as a leading innovator in smart and sustainable plastic packaging for consumer products. Its goals are to deliver cleaner growth across the supply chain, with a dramatic reduction in plastic waste entering the environment by 2025.
Projects must aim to:
- help make the plastics packaging supply chain more circular
- deliver the targets of the UK Plastics Pact
- improve on current state-of-the-art plastic packaging, or supply chain data
- embed life cycle thinking / end of life in packaging design and decisions
In this competition, projects which do not seek direct commercial output or financial value for participants can be funded. In these cases, beneficial information and outputs must be made freely available to UK Stakeholders.
Grants of between £50,000 and £150,000 will be available. Match funding requirements will be at the normal state aid levels for project type and organisation size.
A wide variety of project ideas are encouraged, suggested themes include, but are NOT limited to:
- Packaging suitable for reuse, refill and online delivery
- Marking and tracking of packaging to improve supply chain circularity
- Better outcomes for film and flexible packaging applications
- Low carbon, non-fossil polymers for packaging applications
- Business models leading to reduced waste plastic going to landfill
- Behaviour change leading to less packaging waste or higher recycling rates
- Food grade Polypropylene in the UK marketplace
- Diverting small format and medical packaging from incineration
Ideas could include the re-design of existing goods, services or business models, or the design of entirely new ones which serve an existing need.
If you want help to find a project partner, contact the Knowledge Transfer Network.
If you need more information, email us at support@innovateuk.ukri.org or call the competition helpline on 0300 321 4357 between 9am and 5:30pm, Monday to Friday.
