Improving lives of those with coeliac disease

Coeliac UK in collaboration with Innovate UK are offering jointly funded grants to bring industry and researchers together to make improvements in three priority areas, for people living with coeliac disease:

• improve the diagnosis of coeliac disease, including alternative methods of diagnosis that do not involve ingestion of gluten, and tests that are less invasive than endoscopy and biopsy

• develop better gluten-free food, including novel ingredients, foods with improved nutrients and flavour, new methods of preservation, and technologies to lower manufacturing costs and improve shelf-life
• help people to self-manage their condition through digitally-supported health care

Although there is a diagnosis pathway for coeliac disease with blood tests and an endoscopy with biopsy, it relies on a person continuing to eat gluten – the very thing that is making them ill. People are seeking alternative methods of diagnosis where ongoing ingestion of gluten is not necessary or where tests are less invasive than endoscopy and biopsy.

Over the last decade the variety and quality of gluten free products has vastly improved however they continue to be expensive and can have a poorer nutrient profile. There is an ongoing need for further innovation in gluten free staple foods, this could include; novel ingredients, foods with improved nutrient profiles and desired flavour texture characteristics, new methods of preservation, innovation in processing and manufacturing efficiency for lower cost options and technologies to improve shelf life.

Funding available: £750k; £500k from Innovate UK, £250k from Coeliac UK.

Grants can range from £50k to £250k:

• Feasibility projects to have costs of up to £100,000 and to last between 6 and 12 months
• Industrial research projects to have costs of between £50,000 and £250,000 and to last between 12 and 36 months
• Experimental development projects to have costs of between £50,000 and £250,000 and to last between 6 and 18 months

A maximum of 30% of total eligible project costs are available to research participants, with the exception of early stage feasibility grant applications, where the maximum is 50% of total eligible costs.

Other Notes

• projects should normally be business-led.
• Researchers can work in collaboration with business partners
• All projects must include a UK SME.
• Must align with Coeliac UK’s Research Strategy

Applications should be made through Coeliac UK.