The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is offering grants of between 20,000 and £14.642 million to not-for-profit organisations for projects that take surplus food off farms and into the redistribution system with the aim of helping to fight hunger in communities in England.
Proposals need to:
Build stronger collaborations with farmers to access surplus food.
Expand logistical capacity to transport and distribute rescued produce efficiently.
Invest in critical infrastructure such as refrigeration, storage facilities, and transport vehicles to keep food fresh and safe for redistribution.
Procure packaging and labelling equipment to streamline the handling of surplus goods.
Match funding of between 10% and 20% is required depending on the size of the organisation.
Project delivery is from 14 May 2025 to 31 March 2026.
The funding can go towards purchasing new packaging and labelling equipment and vehicles to move goods from farms to a redistribution organisation, as well as new equipment, like fridges or freezers, to safely store food and ensure it lasts longer.
Surplus food should be from farms that are geographically located in England only, to be redistributed to those who have a need in England only.
Not-for-profit organisations in England that redistribute surplus food to charities for a discounted or free food offer can apply.
Redistributors working in partnership would be considered. This could enable large redistributors to work with small redistributors at a local level, utilising the large redistributors’ distribution and storage networks and contacts, while bringing in localised redistributors. Applicants must be from the not-for-profit sector but can utilise the commercial sector to deliver the outcomes.
The deadline for applications is 13 March 2025 (11:55am).