The scheme was announced at the start of the year and will see grants of up to £20,000 made available to the not-for-profit food redistribution sector in England.
An estimated 330,000 tonnes of edible food are either wasted or repurposed as animal feed before leaving farm gates every year. The government said that charities that redistribute food often lack the means to collect food from farms and get it to those who need it.
Circular economy minister Mary Creagh said: “Nobody wants to see good food go to waste – especially farmers who work hard to put food on our nation’s tables. This fund will help charities work more closely with farmers to create new ways to get fresh produce to the people who need it most.
“I encourage our brilliant, dedicated redistribution charities and non-profits to apply for this funding to ensure more British fruit and veg gets to those who need it most.”
Having opened on 7 February this year, the scheme was originally set to close at 11:55am on 13 March 2025 but has been extended an extra two weeks.
Applicants can submit bids outlining how they intend to form relationships with farmers to access any surplus food, and how they would seek to increase their capacity to redistribute this food to communities.
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.
‘An opportunity to make a profound impact’
In a joint statement, the CEOs of food redistribution charities The Bread and Butter Thing, City Harvest, FareShare, The Felix Project and Co-Chairs of The Xcess Group said: “As leaders of the surplus food redistribution sector and following years of campaigning, we are delighted to welcome the launch of this fund ahead of British growing season.
“It presents an opportunity to make a profound impact by empowering local charities and community organisations. These groups are the backbone of British society, and we are proud to support them.
“By working across the charitable redistribution sector, we can help ensure that this scheme is implemented efficiently through our joint capacity, delivers tangible value to taxpayers, and helps millions of meals reach as many people as possible at a time of considerable need.”
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