Covid Recovery Challenge Fund
Covid Recovery Challenge Fund
Mentera was commissioned by the Welsh Government’s Food Division to project manage and distribute grant funding for the food and drink sector in Wales, collectively known as the Covid Recovery Challenge Fund.
The aim of the grant was to fund projects that can deliver new and innovative solutions in relation to the recovery of the Welsh food and drink processing and manufacturing sector which has been adversely affected by the pandemic.
The challenge fund aimed to deliver the vision of Food & Drink Wales;
To create a strong and vibrant Welsh food and drink sector with a global reputation for excellence, having one of the most environmentally and socially responsible supply chains in the world
The Covid Recovery Challenge Fund was developed to facilitate the delivery of innovative projects that could introduce new ways of working. The projects were expected to be collaborative, with deliverables that demonstrated a clear benefit to the development and sustainable growth of the Welsh food and drink sector. The sector was significantly impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, with supply chains and consumer shopping habits changing during this unprecedented time.
The strategic and thematic objectives of the Covid Recovery Challenge Fund were as follows:
- To create a strong and vibrant Welsh food and drink sector with a global reputation for excellence in environmental and social responsibility
- To innovatively support businesses to commercially grow beyond pre-pandemic levels
- To encourage a change in mind-set incorporating sustainable methods of production
- To drive additional growth in the UK and key export markets
- Stimulate innovation and R&D spending amongst Food & Drink businesses in Wales
- For the food and drink sector to be at the forefront of Covid recovery in Wales
A total of 21 applications were received with 8 successful projects awarded. They included a diverse range of size, sectors and graphical locations within Wales. The project duration was 12 months. The final amount awarded for all 8 projects was £2,511,290 with full project costs £2,764,661.09.
Further details of the fund and the individual projects can be found in the following resources:
