Latest updates on FoodValleyNL SME Innovation Voucher 2026
Building on the success of the SME Innovation Voucher since 2023, Foodvalley NL has just launched another round of subsidies. This subsidy encourages collaboration and partnerships between small and medium-sized agrifood enterprises (SMEs) and research or production facility providers. The aim of this scheme is to accelerate the market introduction of innovations in agri-food by accessing research or production facilities in Gelderland and Utrecht.
In Q2/2026, Foodvalley NL, a leading Dutch innovation network in the food and agriculture sector, has introduced an expanded voucher program. Under this new scheme, SMEs have the potential to receive up to €50,000 to conduct technology scaling trial productions. This voucher offers substantial advantages, accelerating technology and product scaling while mitigating financial risks through subsidized access to facilities, thus enhancing market competitiveness.
NIZO, as a recognized leader in food and health innovation, is honoured to be among the partners in this initiative, offering dedicated support to SMEs throughout the grant application process.
Foodvalley NL’s innovation voucher program empowered SMEs to scale up their innovations, with NIZO playing a crucial role in this success. Many SMEs selected the NIZO Pilot Plant as their preferred scale-up facility, where they benefited from NIZO’s guidance throughout the application process. Now, with NIZO’s expert support, these companies are developing their products further at NIZO’s Pilot & Scale-up Facilities.
The high success rate is attributed to the voucher program’s effectiveness in bridging the gap between SMEs’ growth momentum and the costs of high-quality consultancy and facilities. Key factors behind this success include the capability of entrepreneurs, the significance of the projects, and NIZO’s experienced support team.
“This success is neither a given nor a matter of luck. NIZO’s achievements are built on 75 years of accumulated expertise, combining deep industry knowledge and experience. We work closely on each submission to make sure that our expertise complements the customer’s innovative ideas, therefore ultimately increasing their chances of success.” said Nikolaas Vles, CEO of NIZO. “The voucher scheme from Foodvalley NL is pivotal, promoting the development and competitiveness of the food industry, particularly in Ede and across the Netherlands.”
Leonie Raamsdonk, NIZO’s Business Development Manager, who works closely with SMEs during the application process, further explained: “NIZO is a key player in shaping the future for food and health products. Applying for SME subsidy vouchers together with our partners is not just an opportunity but a strategic move. These funds enable to accelerate the combined R&D efforts, test new ideas, and bring innovative solutions to market faster. It’s a critical investment in both our growth and the growth of startup community we serve.”
Ysamar Rodriguez, CTO at Happy Ocean Foods:
“NIZO has been a skilled and reliable research partner. Their expertise and collaboration were key to the smooth development of our Shrymps 2.0™ product. The SME Innovation voucher from Foodvalley NL was crucial to the project’s execution and especially valuable for a start-up.”
Bert Knol, Founder of Magnificent Proteins:
“We have chosen for NIZO since they have a proven record on developing alternative protein extraction processes and can help start-ups with scaling-up their process as their research partner. The expertise of NIZO and its multi-disciplinary teams approach have been invaluable in accelerating our product development and ensuring the highest quality outcomes. The collaborative approach with NIZO was key to the development of our faba bean protein isolate. The process was fast, which is especially valuable for a start-up.”
Our successful awardees:
The subsidy provides SMEs with a unique opportunity to access the facilities they need to develop (TRL 4-6) and demonstrate (TRL 7-8) innovative products. The subsidy covers:
The voucher programme recognises that innovation and scaling often take place in phases. SMEs are allowed to split a larger innovation or scaling trajectory across multiple vouchers, with:
Each application will be assessed individually; a previously granted voucher does not automatically guarantee approval of a subsequent application. A new application can only be done once the previous project has been fully and successfully completed.
The SME Innovation Voucher is intended to subsidy expenses related to the use of a research or production facility, including the facility’s expertise, staff, and operating expenses necessary for the execution of the proposed project.
Vouchers will be granted on a first-come-first-serve basis, application will be open until June 2029 or until the subsidy’s budget has been exhausted. The SME Innovation Voucher will be supplied under the use of the AGVV-art. 25 clearances or -if not eligible- under the de miminis.
NIZO, as a recognized leader in food and health innovation, is honoured to be among the partners in this initiative, offering dedicated support to SMEs throughout the grant application process.
For more information, contact Foodvalley NL or NIZO. We encourage you to share this opportunity with food SMEs in your network seeking funding.
Based in Ede, the Netherlands, NIZO is a globally leading, private, and independent contract research organization specializing in food and health innovation. Over more than 75 years of development, NIZO has evolved alongside the continuous innovation in the food industry, bringing together experts in many different areas of food science and production, including protein technology, fermentation, bioinformatics, health, food processing, food safety and sensory experiences of food. These steps come together in our NIZO Pilot Plant – the largest open-access food-grade pilot plant in Europe. NIZO leverages the integrated power of science and technology to assist food companies from the laboratory scale to the semi-industrial level. This enables food companies to achieve their innovation goal more successfully, sustainably, and efficiently, ultimately leading to better food and health.
NIZO today focuses on 4 high-value propositions:
