Santander X Global Challenge | Food for the Future
Banco Santander and Oxentia Foundation are happy to announce the launch of Santander X Global Challenge | Food for the Future.
This challenge is targeted at startup and scaleup businesses working on solutions that support food technology innovation.
Specifically, this challenge asks innovators to address the following categories:
Feed the World – How can your solutions help address food security issues?
Solutions that address the increasing world population and general shortage of food. This may include transforming agriculture, producing alternative proteins, avoiding produce damage and waste.
Super Food – How can your solution help improve the quality of food and people’s health?
Solutions which focus on the health and environmental benefits of the food we consume. This can include the increase in plant-based foods and the linked benefits on the environment, but also utilizing medical properties in food, as well as nutrition education and solutions to improve diet and preserve our health.
Food Tech – How can your solution improve food technology and production?
Harnessing technology to innovate the food industry. From home preparation devices and gadgets to better inform customers, to technology used in manufacturing, packaging and distribution.
Solutions could address challenges such as climate change, impact of conflict and covid-19 on food production and security, nutrition (particularly for children) or can focus on agriculture, supply chains, vertical farming, alternative proteins etc.
Legally incorporated companies from 11 countries (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Germany, Mexico, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Uruguay, USA or the UK) can apply for the challenge, and must meet specific startup and scaleup eligibility criteria.
There will be six winning projects selected, sharing a prize fund of €120,000. All winners will join the Santander X 100 prime community of the most outstanding Santander X entrepreneurial projects, accessing world-class resources to support the growth of their businesses.
‘Food security, nutrition and sustainable agriculture are pressing issues, affecting everyone on the planet. I’m pleased to say that this challenge will promote solutions that support the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal of ending hunger, achieving food security and promoting sustainable agriculture. Developing new technologies, and new processes for sustainable food production has never been more important, and we are truly excited to see which companies out there will come forward with their fresh ideas.’
Steve Cleverley, CEO, Oxentia Foundation
Applications are open until 10th November 2022. Full details on competition eligibility and the application portal can be found on the Santander X website.
About the Oxentia Foundation
The Oxentia Foundation was created to support Oxentia’s goal to address global inequalities through innovation and entrepreneurship activities. Globally, Oxentia has designed, developed, and run awards, competitions and programmes supporting early-stage innovators and entrepreneurs to promote commercialisation of science and technology based-innovation projects impacting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Oxentia developed out of the University of Oxford’s technology transfer company, Oxford University Innovation, with the aim to deliver specialist innovation management services to clients in the public and private sector all over the world. Its approach is grounded in a strong Oxford heritage based on over 30 years’ experience in supporting academic innovation and entrepreneurship in Oxford, and globally in over 70 countries
About Banco Santander and its support for higher education
Banco Santander, the leader in responsible banking, is firmly committed to progress and inclusive sustainable growth. It has a pioneering and long-standing commitment to education, entrepreneurship and employment through Santander Universities, which has been operating in this area for over 25 years, setting it apart from the world’s other financial institutions. Since its launch, the bank has allocated over 2.1 billion euros and supported more than 790,000 students, professionals and entrepreneurial projects through agreements with around 1,000 universities and institutions in 15 countries.
