CroBio Ltd is leading a 3-year industrial research project aimed at developing a non-GM version of its soil regenerating technology for use in the UK and around the world. CroBio's innovative technology is a microbial soil biostimulant that boosts retention of nutrients, water, and carbon in the soil leading to decreased need for fertiliser and reduced pollution from fertiliser run-off. Additional benefits include improved drought tolerance and increased carbon capture that could help reduce greenhouse gases. The technology works by enhancing soil bacteria naturally found around plant roots, giving them the ability to produce bacterial cellulose, a sponge-like material that significantly increases the soil's water holding capacity. To deliver this project, CroBio is collaborating with the Biorenewables Development Centre, the University of York, and Bramley & Sons who run Manor Farm (Kelfield, Yorkshire). In this project, CroBio will create a non-GM version of its soil biostimulant. In collaboration with project partners the Biorenewables Development Centre and the University of York, CroBio will test its non-GM technology in glasshouse trials to validate its effectiveness for decreasing fertiliser usage. Following glasshouse trials, the partners will work with Bramley & Sons to conduct field trials.

Brand owners are increasingly under pressure to transition from plastic to paperboard packaging in response to consumer, industry, and regulatory pressures; however, in many paperboard packaging applications (for example, single-use takeaway containers), functional and barrier coatings are required to deliver performance in use. Yet, traditional petroleum-based coatings (typically, polyethylene) consume non-renewable fossil fuel resources, are non-biodegradable (breaking down in the environment to release persistent microplastics), and are hard-to-recycle (being both highly contaminated with food waste and grease, as well as difficult to separate from the paperboard), contaminating paperboard recycling streams. Consequently, single-use plastic-coated paperboard takeaway containers are often destined for incineration, landfill, or environmental release. Xampla's mission is to replace the world's most polluting plastics for good. Originally spun out from the University of Cambridge in 2018 and now with a team of 42 people based in the Cambridge Science Park BioInnovation Centre (R&D site) and at the Bourn Quarter (pilot plant site), our patented and game-changing technology harnesses the natural ability of plant proteins to self-assemble into organised nanoscale structures that provide enhanced mechanical and barrier properties. We have created a new class of structured protein materials that deliver performance in use, are bio-/plant-based, biodegradable, manufacturable, and can be solubilised and removed within conventional recycling process steps. Whilst Xampla have developed its current product offerings with commercially available protein feedstocks used in food applications, we recognise the need to revalorise feedstocks sourced from waste/byproduct raw materials. In this project, we will collaborate with the Biorenewables Development Centre to develop novel plant protein extraction processes. The new process is required to maximise extraction efficiency from a range of plant waste/by-product feedstocks, followed by further processing into a coating resin formulation and final conversion into a coated paper product at pilot scale. Coated paper will be converted into end products such as takeaway boxes and assessed by key customers.

Osteopontin (OPN) is a protein found at high levels in human milk and in many tissues including bone, skin, and kidneys. OPN is interesting for nutritional and medical uses as it plays a diverse and critical role: it's involved in immune system development, immune cell attraction, wound healing, bone formation, modulation of bone and tissue mineralisation, and prevention of calcification. Several food manufacturers add OPN to infant formulas and baby foods to better match human milk composition following studies establishing benefits for immune system development; recent research also indicates benefits for elderly and sports nutrition. **Problem:** OPN for human consumption can only be produced by purifying OPN from cow's milk, where it is present in low concentrations of 18 milligram per litre - 8 times less than in human milk. This means OPN production is extremely expensive and unsustainable: costs £3,000/kg and needs 40,000 L of water for a single gram! This makes it difficult for scientists to research its health benefits and for food companies to add it in their products. **Expertise:** Better Dairy is a London-based SME specialising in a method of food production called precision fermentation (PF) to make dairy proteins without animals, reducing water use and greenhouse gas emissions by over 80%. The Biorenewables Development Centre is a research organisation associated with the University of York, which helps companies optimise production processes. In PF, microorganisms like yeast are genetically programmed to make compounds usually made via other sources like cows, hence the compound is 'animal-free' . When the microorganisms are fermented, they produce the desired compound - just like when yeast is fermented, it produces alcohol to make beer. PF has been used for decades to make commonly eaten products like vitamins and natural flavours, and medicines like insulin for diabetic people. **Innovation:** In this project, we will produce OPN from yeast with post-translational modifications (PTMs) for the first time, using PF. OPN with PTMs is challenging to produce in this way because PTMs are dependent on a lot of different genetic pathways which have to be encoded in the microorganism. We will make new genetic modifications and optimise the fermentation conditions to achieve a high yield of OPN production at a small scale, showing that it is feasible to make OPN production sustainable and affordable. This will enable food companies to add OPN in their products and scientists to research more health benefits.

Adaptavate has developed Breathaboard: a groundbreaking, innovative drop-in plasterboard alternative. In collaboration with project partner the Biorenewables Development Centre (BDC), Adaptavate are innovating their industrial process for streamlined manufacturability and cost-competitiveness. UK-SME **Adaptavate** develops and commercialises innovative bio-based material solutions that disrupt conventional construction industry material flows. Adaptavate has historically collaborated with **BDC** on successful InnovateUK/ERDF projects. Plasterboard is responsible for 3.5% of all UK greenhouse gas emissions. Inefficient production accounts for 67% of life-cycle-emissions \[Maskell,2017\]. Traditional gypsum plasterboard's impermeability heightens moisture levels, increasing condensation leading to poor indoor air quality, mould growth, occupant health issues, and decreased thermal efficiency, directly increasing energy bills. In this 24-month project they will advance Breathaboard by incorporating hard-to-recycle waste, reducing the negative impact of this polluting waste stream, and permanently locking up the carbon in the boards. Residual and end-of-life waste from Breathaboard is fully compostable and a valuable soil additive, this will be tested and validated by BDC. In addition to offering a carbon-negative, circular solution, Breathaboard significantly improves on state-of-the-art plasterboard performance on density, thermal conductivity, indoor air quality (reducing mould and mildew), and applicability and scalability, with the same installation process as gypsum plasterboard.

This project, Alginic-acid to Safety ("A2S"), centres on the transformation of a key product from seaweed processing, Alginic Acid ("AA"), into novel materials ("Starbon") with superior performance in the field of toxic gas filtration. Scotland has a long history with seaweed processing dating back to the 18th century. Although primary Alginate production in Scotland ceased early in the 21st century, a local company Marine Biopolymers Ltd (MBL) is now using state of the art seaweed processing technology ("bio-refining"), to once more produce materials in Scotland. These products from seaweed processing have a wide variety of end-use applications, especially in nutrition and health care. MBL's product portfolio includes Alginic acid (AA). Partnering MBL in the project is Starbons Ltd (SBL), a company that holds patents for the manufacture of cutting-edge adsorbents (Starbon) which are manufactured from AA. Additional project partners are the University of York (specifically, the Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence), the Biorenewables Development Centre (an RTO associated with the University of York) and ICMEA-UK Ltd, an engineering company which specialises in scale up of processes from pilot to commercial. The project's aim is to achieve product scale-up from already demonstrated pilot scale processes currently operated separately at MBL and at SBL. The longer-term vision is to invest in an integrated full scale production facility in Scotland, co-locating MBL and SBL manufacturing, making use of indigenous and sustainably available seaweed, and also the region's abundantly available renewable energy, in an optimised, low emissions process. There will not only be a positive environmental impact but also the creation of highly skilled employment opportunities.

Palm oil is everywhere. It is in food, cosmetics and biofuels. It is in 50% of our supermarket products. Palm oil is unique in the vegetable oil market; it melts in your mouth, is great for cooking and is a high-yielding crop. However, palm oil is one of the biggest carbon emitters due to loss of tropical rainforest and peatland to make way for plantations - it contributes over 500 million tonnes of CO2e, \>1% global emissions, from 19 million hectares of tropical land. It has caused significant habitat loss, including for the Orangutan and Sun Bear, and all too often smallholder farmers do not receive a fair price for their produce. The UK Government has committed to reaching Net Zero by 2050; 20% of UK emissions stem from agriculture and the food supply chain. These emissions must be tackled if we are to reach net zero. Sun Bear Biofuture is a UK-based company using synthetic biology and precision fermentation to make an alternative to palm oil. We are optimising a naturally oil-producing yeast strain to produce our oil from food waste quickly and efficiently. Our process saves 4kg CO2 and 2000m2 of land for every kg of palm oil - a saving in both cases of 80%. We are working with the RLALab at Imperial College London on this project to optimise our strain's ability to produce fats quickly and efficiently. Feedstock costs are prohibitively expensive for scaling fermentation processes in fats - maximising lipid yield is vital if we are to have the greatest environmental impact. This project will enable a sustainable palm oil alternative to be produced domestically at scale in the UK, creating jobs in biotechnology and food production and reversing a substantial trade deficit. This builds on the work we carried out as part of our Fast Start award, project 10045430 "Alternative feedstock for precision fermentation of oil", which has allowed us to develop our yeast modification capabilities and investigate alternative feedstocks.

Nova Biochem is on a mission to revolutionise the chemicals industry with their groundbreaking platform that uses waste from the agriculture and paper industries to produce bio-based molecules. Lignin, a plant-derived polymer, is the only renewable source of valuable aromatic chemicals that are currently only obtainable from crude oil. Currently lignin is being burned and land-filled releasing \>20 giga-tons/year of CO2\. Nova's innovative technology has the potential to significantly reduce CO2 emissions and create a renewable source of important molecules for multiple industries. Led by cleantech/engineering entrepreneurs with a proven track record, Nova Biochem is poised to enter the market in 2027 with their Pilot Plant, annually processing 5,000 tons of lignin, substituting chemicals otherwise obtained from 110,000 barrels of crude, while saving 40,000 tons CO2 emissions moving closer to UK's target of Net-Zero by 2050\. If proven successful within this project, Nova's technology can add 38% of profit to UK paper industry and create 2,500 jobs.

This project is being proposed by M Ward & Son of Wellfield Farm in Great Habton as we try to develop opportunities to diversify our farming practices and become more sustainable. Our scope will consist of three separate feasibility elements. Starting with an assessment of an innovative geothermal heat/AD combined system, we will identifying the contributions which geothermal heat can have on the AD process, the appropriate infrastructure needed to connect these two assets and the appropriately sized AD for the location, feedstock and geothermal heat available. Secondly, we will undertake a feedstock survey to identify locally available feedstock and its suitability for AD, (e.g. calorific value). Finally, we will identify potential uses for the excess heat including local agricultural heat requirements, greenhouse crops which would match heat supply and other potential heat users (e.g. shrimp/fish farming, mushrooms, insect/protein farming). This project will provide a blueprint for using Net Zero solutions for agricultural heat and energy requirements while utilising surplus heat and energy to create additional opportunities to diversify current farming practices and become more environmentally and financially sustainable. In addition to ourselves, the three work scopes above will involve the following partners and contractors: 1.The Biorenewables Development Centre ("BDC" at the University of York) for review of geothermal systems and case studies and Ceraphi Energy Ltd ("Ceraphi") a leading geothermal engineer and developer; 2.NNFCC for the feedstock assessment; and 3.District Eating ("DE") for the end user assessments. The well owner, Third Energy will be providing the Innovation Manager ("IM") who, together with the above contributors, will provide a broad range of expertise and skills to the project. By identifying ways to efficiently use renewable heat for growing new produce or livestock, it will give our farm and others a way to build a resilient business as we are impacted by climate change and new farming policy. By completing these studies, we would be able to develop in-situ waste to energy solutions and make them more environmentally friendly using renewable heat, we would know what feedstock is available in the local area and determine the processes most profitable for our farm. This could then be adopted locally or be used nationally where there are other redundant wells (or indeed the capacity to drill geothermal wells).

The project will drive the growth of world-leading Total Controlled Environment Agriculture (TCEA) capacity in the UK by creating and testing a new circular and scalable model for local low emission food production, by optimising TCEA production technologies to reduce running costs and improve productivity, and by developing a nutrient-rich biofertiliser that grows healthy, high nutrition foods. This project will address the most serious threat to UK food supply -- the country currently imports 46% of its food needs, relying on long, centralised supply chains that are highly vulnerable to disruption. While TCEA has been projected to grow rapidly to help meet this £6 billion per year food production deficit, the pressing technological challenge for TCEA that this project will tackle is to reduce its high operating costs whilst improving resource efficiency. To achieve this, the project will create a containerised TCEA food production facility powered by renewable energy to inspire increased sustainable local food production in the UK. The project will increase the productivity of TCEA through a number of innovations including developing a nutrient-rich biofertiliser using anaerobic digestion (AD) to produce a low-cost, lower-emission alternative to commercial fertilisers. It will also optimise TCEA efficiency by testing different production methods - including growing system technologies and substrates such as wool -- in order to maximise the nutritional value of the food produced. The project will reduce the high overheads and emissions of TCEA by powering its containerised growing facility using renewable energy, including solar power and for the first time biogas from AD, to achieve a projected 30% reduction in emissions. This project will develop a genuinely circular food production system that emphasises sustainable local production to achieve shorter, less centralised and decarbonised supply chains. It will demonstrate how to reduce the amount of land needed for food production by operating a TCEA on disused land. The project will work in collaboration with experts from the Biorenewables Development Centre (BDC) and the University of York's (UoY) Centre For Novel Agricultural Products which is a centre of excellence using cutting-edge research to harness the power of nature for development of new products and processes, helping to deliver the FixOurFood programme and running its own experimental vertical farm. Our close partnership will strengthen and grow the region's bioeconomy which is already worth £91 billion per year, supporting over 400,000 jobs.

The project is focused on the use of true industrial waste streams, or the bio valorisation of low-value products derived from them. One example would be bio valorisation of whey, whey permeate, or whey derived lactose, which although produced in 180 to 190 million tonnes per annum from the manufacture of cheese and other dairy products, are still poorly exploited natural resources. The focus of this project is an accelerated development of a whey-based, sustainable bioprocess for the manufacture of lactobionic acid, a key, highly efficacious and desirable anti-ageing and moisturising cosmetic ingredient which also has applications in a range of other diverse markets such as Food/Pharma and the chemical industry. The project outcome will be a commercially relevant end-to­ end process ready for first tech transfer and initial manufacturing trials at a selected Toll manufacturing company. Targeting the environmentally sensitive manufacture of ingredients primarily for use in cosmetics and personal care and in particular for use in skincare permits Activatec to fully exploit the changing face of the cosmetics industry driven by the rapidly changing consumer trends towards 'organic'; 'natural' 'green' and 'environmentally sensitive' product labelling and the trending interest in 'fermented cosmetics' The manufacturing approach is simplistic, in line with reported non-commercial methods, but innovative in design which will permit successful commercial exploitation. The whole approach is designed for sustainability utilising environmentally benign manufacturing methods including those required for the downstream recovery and purification of the product. The technology is also expected to be flexible with the potential for cross-application for the manufacture of other related specific target products and derivatives.

Palm oil is everywhere. It is in food, cosmetics and biofuels. It is in 50% of our supermarket products. Palm oil is unique in the vegetable oil market; it melts in your mouth, is great for cooking and is a high-yielding crop. However, palm oil is one of the biggest carbon emitters due to loss of tropical rainforest and peatland to make way for plantations - it contributes over 500 million tonnes of CO2e, over 1% global emissions, from 19 million hectares of tropical land. It has caused significant habitat loss, including for the Orangutan and Sun Bear, and all too often smallholder farmers do not receive a fair price for their produce. The UK Government has committed to reaching Net Zero by 2050; 20% of UK emissions stem from agriculture and the food supply chain. These emissions must be tackled if we are to reach net zero. Sun Bear Bioworks is a UK-based company using synthetic biology and precision fermentation to make an alternative to palm oil. We are optimising a naturally oil-producing yeast strain to produce our oil from food waste quickly and efficiently. Our process saves 4kg CO2 and 2000m2 of land for every kg of palm oil - a saving in both cases of 80%. We are working with the Biorenewables Development Centre, a UK-based, open-access, non-profit research and development organisation, on this project to optimise our strain's ability to produce fats and test separation methods for scaling production. Conventional downstream processing is prohibitively expensive for scaling fermentation processes in fats - finding a scalable alternative is vital if we are to create maximal environmental impact. This project will enable a sustainable palm oil alternative to be produced domestically at scale in the UK, creating jobs in biotechnology and food production and reversing a substantial trade deficit. This builds on the work we carried out as part of our Fast Start award, project 10045430 "Alternative feedstock for precision fermentation of oil", which has allowed us to prove expression of key enzymes in our yeast strain for the metabolism of starch.

Pot-ale is the principal effluent co-product of the whisky industry and is produced in copious quantities with between 8.5 -10 litres of pot-ale being created for each litre of manufactured whisky. Treatment technologies have largely been restricted to applying heat to pot-ale to create a molasses type syrup or energy extraction via AD to create heat and electricity. A Zero Waste Scotland report suggested that up to 2 billion litres of pot-ale could be available for bio-refining. Laboratory research has demonstrated that a secondary fermentation process is capable of producing a valuable class of compounds known as 'volatile fatty acids'(VFAs). Chief amongst these is hexanoic acid, a C6 short-chain acid which has numerous uses across a wide range of industries, including food, pharma, cosmetics and plastics. World supplies of hexanoic acid are largely derived from palm oil which is predominantly grown in South-East Asia. The carbon footprint for world hexanoic acid production is estimated to be in excess of 37M tonnes/CO2eq. per annum. Work undertaken with the Bio-Renewables Development Centre (BDC) is currently in the process of identifying hexanoic acid producing bacteria from samples of AD digestate. The task is now to extend this research and undertake a feasibility study to determine how to best extract and store VFAs from the fermentation mixture. The results will then establish the cost profile for this element within the overall process. This is an important step in determining process optimisation and informing the financial decision to commit substantial funds to full sized plant.

Mykor Ltd (Mykor) is a manufacturing SME established in the UK with Dr. Fred Robinson and Valentina Dipietro as its primary project team members. With its cutting-edge and environmentally friendly loose-fill insulation for the building industry, Mykor is filling a sizeable unmet need. Current building materials contribute 11% of the UK's annual carbon emissions and are unsuccessful at reducing climate change. The eco-friendly product from Mykor is high quality and reasonably priced. The product will provide businesses with a low-carbon, fire and water-resistant solution that complies with building and carbon laws and uses natural materials recovered from waste sources.

Inflation, Ukraine war, the shortage of fuel and gas supply, Brexit, food security and climate change, we address these challenges by enhancing a brand new patent pending biotechnology based process that can improve the current organic fertiliser manufacturing process effectively, reduce the reliance on natural gas, and improve food production with lower cost. In this application, we will explain why and how the enzyme technology could do what it claims to deliver. The claims will be tested by our partner research organisation: The Biorenewables Development Centre (BDC). A Lifecycle Assessment (LCA) will be carried out by top UK Agricultural University: Harper Adams University (HAU, subcontractor to LOHAS Recycling) to see the sustainability of the enzyme-based process. Organic agricultural waste, such as livestock manure, contains valuable nutrients for plants' growth, especially poultry manure, its balanced blend of nutrients, as a perfect feedstock to manufacture organic-based fertiliser, that is suitable for a wide range of crops and leafy plants and vegetables. However, without the effective and sustainable technology and process to manage and treat the poultry, the bio-based material brings negative environmental impacts, such as ammonia emission, GHG emission and river pollution. Previous work has been done on processing the poultry manure from a random choice of farms in England and Mid Wales, including broiler farms and egg farms. The output from the enzyme-based process has been tested for its safety (free from pathogens) by Sci-Tech, and its nutrient content and organic matter comparing before and after the process by NRM. The 12 months self-funded tests and trials have supported our application and our process in treating animal by product: poultry manure, has been successfully approved by Animal and Plant Health Agent as a new method. We have also carried out a commercial project with HAU on the broccoli growth trials to test our novel fertiliser. The results are positive: stable chemical form, rich in organic matter, odourless after field application (because it is fully fermented), perform well in combination with synthetic fertiliser for the best Nitrogen Usage Efficiency, but maintaining the yield. This call offers an opportunity for the UK science research and innovation base collaborate to address the challenges. We aim to turn the challenge of problematic manure feedstock into golden opportunities with the unique enzyme technology for a more resilient and sustainable UK organic-based fertiliser manufacturing industry.

Miscanthus giganteus has been grown as a perennial biomass energy crop for over 20 years. After being planted only once it will, after three years development, begin to produce an annual harvest reaching a stable yield of c.12 tonnes of biomass per ha after c.year 5 and can add over 3 tonnes of CO2 per ha per annum to long term Soil Organic Carbon storage. It is named as a key contributor to the attainment of carbon neutrality by 2050 in the government's Carbon Reduction Strategy which has set an annual planting target of 30,000ha of perennial biomass crops per year up to 2050\. However, it's recent rate of take-up has been slowed due to the lack of other opportunities to exploit its annual biomass output beyond just burning for energy. This project has the aim of transforming the status of Miscanthus Giganteus from an herbaceous perennial energy crop to a source of multiuse feedstock for a wide range of sectors such as packaging, food additives, and construction. The project team will work with the University of York's Biorenewables Development Centre (BDC) to build on the industrial research already carried out by the project applicant Bash Farms Ltd (BFL). The object is to assess the potential for the development of an on farm value adding process to improve the profitability of Miscanthus through valorising several feedstocks derived from its biomass. BFL has already identified several key process factors and the work with the BDC will focus on optimising their interrelationships. It is the intention to then factor these results into a techno economic assessment of the feasibility of establishing an on farm Miscanthus biomass processing plant and to scope out the impact of its operations on the sustainability, environmental impact, and carbon footprint of the whole farm. BFL's M.D. & Project Leader Hugh Massingberd-Mundy commented "_We view this project as the first step on a journey of fundamental change for our farming business. We're very excited by the opportunity this initial study gives us to develop this process and to expand the range of opportunities it can give us and the wider farming community"_

This project will investigate the feasibility of a hybrid farming system that combines controlled environmental agriculture (CEA) technology with the outputs from an on farm anaerobic digestion (AD) facility to create additional income streams, reduce the environmental impact of traditional farming practices and ensure a financially viable farming business for the next generation. Traditional agriculture in the UK is struggling to feed the nation due to the changes in weather conditions, climate change, increasing population, and lower soil fertility. Additionally, Brexit and workforce shortages are putting increased pressure on farmers and the agricultural sector in the UK. To preserve natural habitats and improve UK food security there is a need for a complete overhaul of food production methods. Controlled environment agriculture (CEA) can offer the solution to traditional UK agriculture by reducing the resource input required to grow food and removing the need for some harmful substances typically associated with traditional farming. The project will investigate the feasibility of a hybrid farming system that combines CEA technology with the outputs from an onsite anaerobic digestion (AD) facility and possibly other renewable efficiencies whilst maintaining traditional arable/livestock farming practices. This creates a circular approach that offers a closed-loop system in which resources are not wasted and have added value. If D A Platt and other farmers and growers are to remain viable farm businesses for the next generation, they must adapt and encourage diversification. There are 382 agricultural ADs throughout the UK currently, all of which also could, and are, using their outputs to diversify into a commercial product. As there are currently no government incentives to build new ADs this also raises the same answer, that if new biogas plants are to be built then they need to utilise all outputs, which this feasibility study would help provide.

This project will establish a **Centre for High Carbon Capture Cropping** (**CH Cx3**). The diverse team will work together on a selected set of four crop groups (already known to be associated with high carbon-capture potential). The team will ensure Project outcomes and outputs will be made available to farmers and government via a central knowledge hub dealing with dissemination and outreach. CHCx3 will evaluate and develop the potential for increased carbon (C) capture within UK agriculture by improving these crops' ability to capture and store Carbon-dioxide. In addition to capturing atmospheric Carbon-dioxide from the air and storing it in the soil, we will consider how the crops themselves can be used in production of: new products made from those crops. These include substitutes bricks/breeze blocks, fabrics and chip-board. Energy-crops substitute for gas/oil. In short, replacing non-renewable, carbon-intensive production materials where possible. Diversifying crop species (e.g., hemp and flax in sustainable building materials) and crops to feed livestock production systems (e.g., diverse grass and flower mixtures) has the potential to increase farm resilience, reduce crop inputs and help improve the environment. Addressing climate change goals requires that farmers and industry using and selling crop products (known as value-chains) have confidence in economically viable crop production. strengthening and piloting components of value-chains is a major component of the project. We will help farmers to deliver government incentive schemes, such as the 'Environmental Land Management' scheme (ELM) which, through payments, enables farmers to hit targets for broader public good.  CHCx3 brings together businesses, growers, industry-experts and other stakeholders; evaluates economic returns and validates anticipated climate-change mitigation and emissions reductions on-farm and through product-use by discussion, rigorous testing and life cycle analysis. Farmers and other stakeholders will be able to access data from the project through two user friendly Webpage-based 'Apps', one of which is already being developed in a recently funded sister project. Networking, knowledge exchange grower/user interaction and engagement with policy-makers are at the heart of the **CHCx3** hub; continued activity and growth is guaranteed through App development and recruitment of farmers; assisted by national membership groups such as the National Farmers Union, FarmED, NIAB and the British, Northern-Irish and Scottish Hemp Associations. Breeding work will continue too following completion The main 'Green House Gas (GHG) emission considered is carbon-dioxide, but a second key GHG will be reduced through reduced use of nitrogen-based fertilisers; namely nitrous-oxide emissions; this will also be quantified.

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Adaptavate Limited, a UK-based, award-winning SME, is focused on developing and commercialising sustainable materials that disrupt the construction market. This project accelerates the development of a world-first carbon-negative zero-carbon plasterboard created from pyrolyzed agricultural crop waste, **Breathaboard.** Traditional methods of manufacturing and utilisation of gypsum plasterboard present several challenges in terms of suboptimal performance capabilities and considerable environmental damage. Supply of synthetic gypsum, a by-product of coal power generation, is diminishing due to global reductions in coal-power generation, leading to rising prices and feedstock scarcity. Adaptavate seeks to make Breathaboard carbon-negative by incorporating "biochar". Adding char will make Breathaboard a genuinely carbon-negative alternative to plasterboard, supporting the industry's transition to Net-Zero. Biochar is also expected to improve the strength and durability of the boards. Breathaboard responds to growing global and user demand for more environmentally friendly construction materials, utilising next-generation, bio-based, renewable materials and production methods, offering: * Superior condensation, air quality and energy efficiency performance * Bio-based, non-toxic materials with excellent closed-loop credentials * Lower lifecycle carbon emissions and natural resource impact. This project focuses on enhancing Breathaboard's design to improve performance characteristics and support carbon-negative achievements. Adaptavate will partner with the University of Bath (UoB) and the Biorenewables Development Centre (BDC) to scope, test and validate this truly disruptive carbon-negative world first.

Project Grown Graphene aims to overcome a key hurdle in making graphene from plants. A renewable source for graphene is considered by the graphene community to be the only way to make enough for the worldwide requirement for bulk applications. Anthony Turnbull has invented a new process in his outhouse to make graphene from plants . This project will subject his process, and materials to analysis by professionals in the field of graphene and sustainability. This carbon capture bioeconomy opportunity means the UK farmers could soon use carbon capture bast crops such as flax for high return material manufacture, including the option of pre farm gate processing. UK farmers could feed UK manufacturing and capture carbon at the same time, thereby creating farm revenue, and helping ease climate change.

Bell & Loxton Innovations is a highly innovative, circular-economy spin-out from a working farm in South Devon. Our consortium has recognised an opportunity to produce high-value biorenewable (HVB) materials from abundant agricultural and food-processing co-streams. Many co-streams such as oilseed presscake created during oil extraction and spent brewing yeast and grain are high in protein and are routinely discarded or used downstream in low-economic value applications. Proteins from different natural sources have unique compositions of amino acids both in prevalence and in terms of their sequence. Consequently, proteolysis of these biorenewable proteins will create unique distributions of smaller peptides that differ in size, amino acid compositions and sequence. This diversity enables different high-value market sectors to be catered for such as nutrition, personal care and pharmaceuticals as different peptides have different biological properties. Historically, bespoke peptides have been chemically synthesised at high cost from chemical/fossil fuel feedstocks. Identifying unique high-value biorenewable proteins and then producing tailored peptides and blends (hydrolysates) will enable a circular economy approach to supplying multiple industry sectors with a consequent benefit to the environment. Our consortium brings together the necessary parts for developing a successful and scalable 'green' chemicals business: Bell & Loxton Innovations with its strong farming, food and agricultural production experience, The Biorenewables Development Centre (BDC) with its in-depth knowledge of waste and co-stream valorisation techniques, and Thomas Swan & Co Ltd as an established chemicals manufacturing business to enable scale-up production coupled with a mission to move to 100% biorenewable feedstocks. Continuing this project from a successful valorisation feasibility study conducted with the BDC, we will work with our route to market manufacturing partner, Thomas Swan, to develop a scalable and patentable process that controls the composition and molecular weight range of resulting peptide hydrolysates each with their own unique bioactivity and targeted to specific markets. To enable revenues within a reasonable timeframe, we will focus initially on personal care applications (skincare, haircare) where a high demand for such peptides already exists and is proportionally regulated.

Plastic is an incredibly useful material, emphasised recently during the Covid-19 pandemic. The need for protective equipment such as face-masks, acrylic screens at supermarket check-outs, and single-use plastic bags in home shopping deliveries etc., has resulted in a dramatic surge in demand. However, across the world, millions of tonnes of plastic are wasted every year. Despite the fact that technology now exists to mechanically recycle much of the 'hard' plastic that is discarded, 'soft' material (such as film and flexible packaging) is difficult to process and therefore consigned to landfill or incineration where it has a devastating effect on the environment. Together with Enva (a leading provider of recycling resource recovery solutions) and The Biorenewables Development Centre (a renown R&D centre converting waste into products), Sylatech Ltd (a UK manufacturer of precision RF Microwave engineering components) is developing a new, enhanced recycling technology called Microwave Assisted Pyrolysis (MAP) to address this issue. Using this novel process, high-energy microwaves convert plastic waste into useful molecules by heating it in the absence of oxygen in order to break its chemical bonds (i.e. pyrolysis). This methodology is often termed "chemical" recycling due to this effect, but is sometimes referred to as "thermal" recycling due to the high temperature conditions of the process. The end result is the recovery of molecular building blocks (oil), from which new virgin-grade plastic can be made. A report by the World Economic Forum has estimated that up to 95% of plastic packaging material value (or $80-120bn annually) is lost to the economy after a short first use \[1\]. This project will help to mitigate this colossal waste of value, keeping plastics in the supply chain where it belongs, and out of the environment where it doesn't. \[1\] http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF\_The\_New\_Plastics\_Economy.pdf

Adaptavate Limited is seeking to disrupt conventional building materials within the construction industry, through the development of a world-first gypsum plasterboard alternative created from agricultural crop waste, **Breathaboard**. Breathaboard responds to a number of challenges associated with traditional manufacture and utilisation of gypsum plasterboard, including performance limitations, dwindling gypsum supplies/rising raw material prices and environmental damage from production & disposal. This project explores cutting edge production methods, combined with waste valorisation analysis to enhance Breathaboard's performance and environmental capabilities into an optimised, commercially viable, circular economy product, ready for mass production and adoption across the UK, Europe and worldwide.

There are significant issues in India with regard to the pollution of waterways from effluents from sugar processing plants. Sugarcane processing produces notable levels of industrial waste due to inefficiencies in capturing full value from the biological components of the raw material. In particular, large amounts of woody biomass residues accumulate and enter water effluents from processing plants, causing significant pollution of waterways. We will develop innovative biotechnological approaches to generating new value to sugarcane processing, while simultaneously minimising waste from process plants. We will convert the polluting components from waste streams into sugars that can be fermented to make citric acid that can be sold into various commercial markets. By doing this we will help reduce the pollution from sugarcane processing, providing cleaner water and a cleaner environment. By creating valuable new products out of sugarcane waste we will help increase industrial productivity and create new jobs in the production of citric acid. These changes will lead to improved environmental impacts, increased profitability and new job creation. Our work will be compatible with four of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/). 1. Clean Water and Sanitation- our work will help improve water quality for populations near sugarcane plants. 2. Decent Work and Economic Growth- our work can underpin increased economic production from sugarcane processing leading to new jobs and improved incomes in rural area. 3. Industry Innovation and Infrastructure- by developing new industrial biotechnological industries we will help strengthen economic growth in India. 4. Life Below Water- by reducing harmful emissions of waste-water we will improve aquatic ecosystems in waterways associated with sugar mills in India.

This project aims to develop a new process to extract valuable complete undenatured proteins from potato waste (whole stockfeed grade potatoes and peel), for use as high quality food grade vegan/vegetarian protein supplements, sport protein sources and as functional food processing ingredients. B-Hive Innovations Ltd are set to be first to market with this UK-sourced process and material. Our novel extraction process promises a step change in simplicity and cost effectiveness for handling complex waste compared to industrial chromatography, the only currently available technique. The project will build upon our existing proof-of-concept work and will solve the challenges we have identified in our initial scale-up investigations - dealing with variability of the complex input materials, eliminating the flow and membrane fouling problems, and optimising the balance between the two innovative modes at the extraction stage. The consortium members, who carried out parts ot the initial work, have come together to provide an integrated end-to-end group, with partners who own the waste problem, can scientifically progress the scale-up work, can build and operate at pilot scale, and who can take the final products and use them in New Product Developments.

The UK has had to develop a national strategy to meet EU targets for reducing the amount of biodegradable municipal solid waste (BioSW) going in to landfill. By next year, the UK must have reduced levels of BioSW going to landfill by 35% compared to 1995 levels. This will mean a maximum of 6.9 million tonnes BioSW going to landfill. The UK has performed well but further reductions are still required, and BioSW currently accounts for 55-75% of the municipal solid waste going to landfill. This resource of lignocellulosic material (such as paper, cardboard, wood, and natural fibre) has a value. This project aims to develop a technology that can separate and upgrade the BioSW into a commodity fuel that can be sold to solid fuel users, such as coal-fired power stations and domestic users. Both the commercial feasibility and the greenhouse gas emissions savings will be evaluated. Successful completion will deliver an alternative technology to landfill or "energy-from-waste" which will help the UK to deliver its national strategy on waste, meet EU targets, and reduce the environmental impact of waste use and power production.

Oilseed rape is the UK’s third largest crop. As well as being edible, rapeseed oil is used extensively in biodiesel. There is potential for higher-value industrial uses, for example in applications such as lubricants and hydraulic fluids, to which it brings advantages of low toxicity and biodegradability. However, rapeseed oil is thermally unstable, due to a high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Recent advances in predictive mutation breeding have led to the development of oilseed rape lines in which this problem has been solved. To overcome the final hurdle to commercialisation, we aim to characterise temperature responses in controlled environments of a range of these lines and investigate more closely the agronomy of these new varieties through field trials, to maximise oil content and seed yield Whilst doing this, we will produce sufficient quantities of the new types of rapeseed oil to distribute to commercial users for evaluation.