Call for Partners: research with social and economic impact
Learn more about our Call for Partners proposals: initiatives that bring together organisations to collaborate and co-create innovative solutions for sustainable agriculture and food. By joining forces, we can address complex challenges within the agri-food sector.
Impact through collaboration
The societal challenges in the agri-food sector are too extensive and complex to be solved by individual parties alone. That is why we work together in public-private partnership (PPP) projects, where innovative and scientifically grounded solutions are developed and tested. These solutions are practice-oriented, widely supported by stakeholders, and deliver lasting positive impact that benefits both society and your organisation.
New PPP proposals will be announced in spring 2026.
Why join a PPP?
A PPP may be of interest to your organisation if you:
- seek insights on topics too complex to address alone
- value access to a professional network with shared objectives
- wish to benefit from partners’ expertise and experience
- want to have a say in defining research priorities
- aim to maximise the return on your investment by pooling resources
“By collaborating in a public-private partnership such as TKI Project Smart Food Intake, we can generate deeper and richer insights than we would have been able to do on our own.”
- Liesbeth Zandstra
- Science Leader Unilever Foods Innovation Centre Wageningen | Professor Wageningen University & Research
More about Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs)
A PPP (Public-Private Partnership) is a multi-year research collaboration between at least one research organisation and two (private) partners from the agri-food or horticulture sectors. All partners participate as equals and work together on innovations that are relevant to both the sector and society.
The Dutch government stimulates knowledge development and innovation through its Top Sectors policy(link in Dutch), and links this to societal challenges through the Mission-driven Innovation Policy. The Top Sectors Agri & Food, Horticulture & Starting Materials, and Water & Maritime focus on the Knowledge and Innovation Agenda(link in Dutch) for the societal theme Agriculture, Water and Food, and support PPPs with both national and international scope. PPPs must be in line with this agenda and generally have a duration of up to four years.
PPPs are co-funded by public and private partners. The Dutch government usually provides up to 50% of the total budget as a public subsidy. The remaining 50% is contributed by sector partners through co-financing in cash and/or in-kind. The cash contribution helps cover the costs of the research institutions. In-kind contributions may include time, materials, or data provided by partners actively involved in the project.
Get inspired
Get in touch with our expert
Do you have a question about our Call for Partners proposals or opportunities to work with us? Please get in touch.
PAJ (Arjen) Daane, MM BSc
Programma Manager
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