Public-Private partnerships: join forces to receive tailormade answers to major questions

Wageningen Economic Research is happy to partner with agrifood parties in Public-Private Partnerships. By finding answers together, we tackle the bigger questions. From March 2025, you will find our PPP proposals below.

Why should you join?

Societal challenges in the agrifood sector are too big and complex to solve on your own. For example, producing more sustainable and healthy diets, shifting towards more plant-based diets, and minimizing environmental impacts. Fortunately, there is a way for you to receive innovative, scientifically proven solutions to these major questions. Solutions that are tailormade to your business, are supported by your stakeholders, and that will have a positive and lasting impact on society. How? By joining a Public-Private Partnership project.

The Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Sustainable Dairy Chain is an exceptional initiative. Nowhere else globally do dairy farmers, the dairy industry, knowledge institutions, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and government collaborate as closely as they do in this project. Their shared goal is to enhance the sustainability of the dairy sector. By working together, the entire dairy chain can collectively and pre-competitively drive the necessary transitions toward a more sustainable future.

Mona van Spijk, NZO

By collaborating in a public-private partnership such as TKI Project Smart Food Intake, we can generate deeper and richer insights than we would have been able to do on our own.

Liesbeth Zandstra, Science Leader Unilever Foods Innovation Centre Wageningen | Professor Wageningen University & Research

Need more information?

What is a PPP?

A PPP stands for Public-Private Partnership. A PPP project is:

A multi-year collaboration project
between at least 1 research organisation and 2 (private) parties from the agrifood or horticultural sector, in which the participating partners are equal and
in which work is done on innovations that are important for the agrifood sector and society.

The Dutch government encourages knowledge development in innovation through the Top Sector Policy and links this to solving societal challenges through the Mission-Driven Innovation Policy. Top sectors Agri&Food, Horticulture & Starting Materials and Water deal with the Knowledge and Innovation Agenda within the societal theme Agriculture Water Food and encourage PPPs with national and international orientation. PPPs must be in line with this agenda and have a maximum duration of four years.

How is a PPP financed?

PPPs are partly publicly funded with subsidies. By default, a PPP is financed 50% (the subsidy) by the Dutch government. The other 50% is financed by PPP partners from the sector.

The sector partners' contribution (private contribution) consists of a cash contribution and/or an in-kind contribution. The cash co-financing is to cover the costs of the research institutions. An in-kind contribution is made, for example, through the 'free' deployment of own hours by the PPP partner, when it also actively participates in the project, or through contribution of materials and information.

Why is taking part in a PPP interesting?

Gain insights on a subject that is too large and complex to tackle alone.
Have access to a business network with shared goal.
Benefit from collaborative partners’ knowledge and experience.
As a partner to help decide what should be researched.
Receive greater returns on your investment by joining forces with partners.

I am interested. What are the next steps?

Please sign up for the information session on the topic of your choice, with no obligation. The project team will explain the research idea and answer all your questions.
If there is sufficient interest, the PPP proposal will be submitted by 1 September 2024.
In autumn 2024, it will be announced whether the PPP proposal has been approved.
The consortium agreement will then be drawn up and signed.
The project will start in the first quarter of 2025.