Food Safety Research Network Funding Call: AI pilots award

The FSRN Pilots Award is a rapid call for new short-term projects and collaborations focused on using AI for safe and sustainable agri-food supply chains. We invite applications for cross-sector and cross-disciplinary projects centred around current food safety challenges and opportunities.

The Network welcomes project ideas from partnerships formed from across the food sector, including from primary producers, manufacturers, distributors, retailers, through to policy organisations and academics.

Funding is available for current Food Safety Research Network members and must represent a new collaboration between an academic lead applicant eligible to receive BBSRC funding and at least one non-academic partner. You can join the UK Food Safety Research Network for free.

Activities can include small collaborative research projects that are demonstrational or translational, or cross sector secondments to establish a new collaboration.

Multiple academic and non-academic partners are encouraged where it benefits the project.

Project applications should be for £2,000 to £10,000 representative of the scale and type of the project.

Applications for the funding close on 30 October 2026 and the funded activity must be complete by 17 December 2027.

To apply, please fill in the application form by the deadline.

• Further information can be found in the AI Pilots Award Call Guidance
• If you have any questions, please refer to the UK FSRN First Call Frequently Asked Questions

You can find other open funding calls in our Funding Finder.