About us

Broadland Food Innovation Centre is a partnership project to leverage with food and drink sector opportunities and the Centre’s purpose is to help secure the commercial futures of food and drink concepts,

We hear people say they wish they'd had access to a centre like this when their food business was at that critical point of expansion. Find out why for yourself.

The organisations behind the Broadland Food Innovation Centre

The Centre, Support and Cluster offered by the Broadland Food Innovation Centre project, has been welcomed by the region’s food and drink businesses since its launch in 2022.

In the ERDF phase of the project between 2022 and 2023, when support and facilities were fully available to the food & drink community, the following was achieved.

Following the conclusion of the ERDF phase of the project in 2023, Broadland District Council and New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership are ensuring continuity of the expert Innovation Support services, which is being delivered by Hethel Innovation until 2026.

Hethel Innovation is also managing the bespoke food-grade facilities at the Centre.

The University of East Anglia will also continue to build on its work to date, developing and expanding the Food and Drink Cluster, rebranded as the Tastebuds Collective in 2024, with support and funding from Broadland District Council.

Broadland District Council, jointly with New Anglia LEP, are funding Innovation Support and the Food Advisor role through income generated by the Centre. The Shared Prosperity Fund will fund the Cluster. The intention is to build on the valuable work achieved to date, accelerating business growth and adding value to the local economy through food processing and drink production.

Funding for the original project

The Broadland Food Innovation Centre project received £5.7 m of funding from the European Regional Development Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020. The Department for Levelling Up Housing and Communities is the Managing Authority for European Regional Development Fund. Established by the European Union, the European Regional Development Fund helps local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support innovation, businesses, create jobs and local community regenerations.

This ERDF project stage was supported by New Anglia LEP, which has contributed £4.14m, including £2.7m from the HM Government Getting Building Fund. The balance of funds come from Broadland District Council, UEA and Hethel Innovation.

For further information please contact the Economic Growth Team at Broadland District Council.

Tanya Nelson email