Welcome to our latest newsletter! In the first half of 2026, the NFX UK team has been busy expanding the content of our Knowledge Hub and securing funding to continue supporting innovators across the novel food space.
Building on last year’s foundational work, we’ve secured significant new funding, welcomed a new network lead, and continued to grow our presence across the industry. Thank you for your continued support — we look forward to an exciting second half of the year, deepening our collaboration and driving meaningful initiatives together.
We hope you have a wonderful rest of the summer – enjoy the read!
Included in this edition:
- NFX UK secured $650,000 in funding for 2026-2028
- Meet the new NFX UK Network Manager
- New FSA and FSS guidance for cell-cultivated and novel food businesses
- NFX UK shortlisted for the FDF Industry Awards 2026
- External funding opportunities for the novel foods community
- NFX UK website update: Organisation Directory is live!
- NFX UK on the move
NFX UK secured $650,000 in funding for 2026-2028
We’re excited to announce that Coefficient Giving has awarded NFX UK $650,000 to fuel our mission over the next two years. This funding will enable NFX UK to continue supporting food innovators, expanding our network, and extending our reach to companies looking to bring novel products to the EU market.
This 2-years’ funding marks an exciting new chapter for our network and is a strong vote of confidence in our mission to support the future of novel foods by supporting a more collaborative, innovation-friendly regulatory environment.
With this funding we will be able to expand our reach, build new partnerships across Europe and provide even greater assistance to businesses developing the next generation of novel foods, supporting them to accelerate their progress through the novel foods regulatory process.
A huge thank you to Coefficient Giving for believing in our vision and supporting the next phase of our growth. Together, we look forward to reinforcing the UK’s position as a global leader in novel foods regulatory excellence.
Meet the new NFX UK Network Manager
We are delighted to introduce Patricia as the new NFX UK Project Lead and Network Manager. Patricia brings valuable experience in novel food safety to the role, and we are thrilled to have her driving us forward as we enter this exciting new chapter.
Patricia is an Analytical Toxicologist at RSSL, with a strong background in the safety evaluation of products across the food industry. Her toxicology work focuses on the risk assessment of novel foods and ingredients, supporting evidence-based decision-making that bridges product safety and regulatory compliance.
We warmly welcome Patricia to the team and look forward to the impact she will make across our network.
New FSA and FSS guidance for cell-cultivated and novel food businesses
On the 10th July, the Food Standards Agency in partnership with Food Standards Scotland have published addition guidance documents to help clarify regulatory pathways for cell-cultivated and other novel food businesses.
The guidance, produced through the Cell-Cultivated Products Sandbox Programme, covers four key topics which are detailed within the following guidance documents:
1) Food business hygiene requirements for cell-cultivated products: guidance on applying General Food Law and Hygiene Regulations.
2) Supplementary guidance on identity, production and microbiology: detailed scientific requirements for novel foods applications.
3) Improving cell-cultivated product application: practical recommendations for stronger submissions.
4) Novel food taste trials supplementary information: additional guidance on conducting compliant taste trials, supporting the guidance published last year.
As a network advocating for food innovation, we welcome these new guidance documents as a significant step forward in giving businesses the clarity they need to drive the sector forward and develop safe cell-cultivated and other novel food products with confidence.
NFX UK shortlisted for the FDF Industry Awards 2026
We are delighted to announce that NFX UK has been shortlisted for the Manufacturing & Technological Innovation Award by the Food and Drink Federation (FDF).
This is a testament to the collaborative efforts of our team at RSSL and our partners at Imperial College London and Pfeifer & Langen and everybody involved in NFX UK ecosystem.
The winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on 17 September 2026, and we would like to wish the team good luck!
External funding opportunities for the novel foods community
We recognise that access to funding is one of the biggest enablers for innovation in the novel foods space. Below, we’ve compiled a selection of open funding opportunities relevant to our community.
Whether you’re at the early research stage or scaling up, we encourage you to explore these and get in touch with the respective organisations if you’d like support connecting with the right programmes.
BEZOS Centre for Sustainable Protein – Sustainable Food Accelerator
The Sustainable Food Accelerator is an equity-free 12-month program run by Imperial College London’s Bezos Centre for Sustainable Protein, the Microbial Food Hub and Undaunted. It helps early-stage startups scale sustainable food technologies, secure commercial pilots with committed corporate budgets, and access up to £2 million in follow-on investment.
Applications close on 21st August.
NAPIC – ICURe Discover
NAPIC (National Alternative Protein Innovation Centre) ICURe Discover is a part-time hybrid market exploration programme for researchers, technicians and research students, offering up to £2,500 support for testing assumptions and market discovery activities.
Applications close on 3rd September.
Know something we should share?
Know of an upcoming funding opportunity or an event relevant to the novel foods community? Let us know! We’re always happy to help amplify opportunities that support innovation in this space. Reach out to us and we’ll share them with our growing network.
NFX UK website update: Organisation Directory is live!
We’re thrilled to announce the launch of our brand-new Organisation Directory, designed to bring together the diverse players shaping the UK’s novel food landscape. Whether you’re an innovator, researcher, service provider, or consultant, the Organisation Directory makes it easier than ever to discover collaborators and build meaningful partnerships. By joining the Organisation Directory, you’ll boost your visibility within the community, connect with like-minded organisations, and support NFX UK’s mission to accelerate food innovation. Explore the Directory or add your organisation today.
NFX UK on the move
It’s been another busy period for the NFX UK team! Over the past few months, we’ve been out and about attending key events across the novel foods landscape in the UK and Europe. Events have included:
BioIndustry Association (BIA) BioSolutions conference – highlights included scaling engineering biology and strengthening the UK’s position as a global leader in the transition to Net Zero.
Food Day at London Climate Action Week – discussions explored the risks and opportunities shaping global food systems, with cross-sector perspectives on climate resilience and innovation and transformation.
Innovate UK Regulatory Science and Innovation Summit 2026 – an insightful day bringing together regulators, government, academia and industry. Speakers highlighted how evidence-driven regulatory science is key to enabling innovation, strengthening public trust, and ensuring the UK stays competitive in fast-moving sectors like novel foods.
European Biosolutions Coalition (EBC) and UK BioIndustry Association (BIA) July expert roundtable – key participants in the UK CCP sandbox came together to share their learnings with innovators and industry representatives and chart a way forward for novel foods across Europe.
As always, these events provided valuable opportunities to engage with the community, share updates on the NFX UK mission, and explore new avenues for collaboration and partnership. It was fantastic to connect with many of you in person — and we look forward to seeing even more familiar faces at upcoming events later this year!
A special thanks to the BioIndustry Association (BIA) for inviting us to their BioSolutions conference and expert roundtable, both of which provided valuable opportunities to engage with key stakeholders across the novel foods landscape.
Where to meet us next
Future Food-Tech | London: 24th – 25th September 2026
Argenta’s Regulatory Conference – Navigating the Feed & Food Regulatory Landscape | Barcelona: 29th – 30th September 2026
NAPIC Conference | Glasgow: 14th – 15th October 2026
We would love to hear from you, share what we are building and explore how we can support each other. If you are attending any of the above events, feel free to reach out to schedule a meeting with the NFX UK team.
Join our community
Sign up for exclusive access to the NFX UK Knowledge Hub.
Join our Novel Foods Network today for free and get access to the Experts Directory and to our Knowledge Hub, including insider information regulation, industry knowledge. Becoming a member is easy, all you need to do is fill out the form. If you have any questions, visit our FAQs page or Contact Us.
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