SME Innovation voucher
Report
Read the insights, impact and reflections
Lessons learned from supporting SMEs on their innovation journey
For many startups and scale-ups in the agrifood sector, moving from lab to market is a major challenge. Access to specialised facilities and expertise is often costly, yet essential to taking innovations further. The Foodvalley SME Innovation Voucher, made possible through the Regiodeal Foodvalley, helps bridge this crucial gap.
The programme has already shown tangible impact. In the recently published report “SME Innovation voucher: Accelerating agrifood growth and impact”, results and lessons learned from 2023 – 2026 are collected to showcase the impact of the subsidy for SMEs, Shared Facilities and Region.
“It has been truly instrumental for our time-to-market. Without the voucher we would have spent far more time and money, and perhaps never achieved the same results.”
“After our voucher project we returned two or three more times to run small sample productions. Thanks to the voucher we also built a strong relationship with the facility.”
Entrepreneurs indicate that the voucher accelerates their development, reduces risks, and improves their investor readiness. With access to advanced knowledge and equipment, companies can bring viable innovations to market faster.
Shared Facilities also benefit. The vouchers attract new clients who otherwise could not afford to collaborate. This dynamic exchange enhances the ecosystem and fuels collective growth within the Gelderland – Utrecht region.
The evaluation confirms that the programme is highly valued, while also highlighting opportunities for further improvement, such as increased flexibility in the size and amount of vouchers to connect better to the natural innovation cycle and make projects more entrepreneur-driven.
With these insights, there is a solid foundation to strengthen the programme and further enhance the international positioning of Gelderland and Utrecht as leading agrifood innovation regions.
Download the full report
Read the insights, impact, and reflections from voucher recipients in the full report >