GRANTS FOR businesses looking to develop products that use grain are now available from the Home-Grown Cereals Authority (HGCA).

Under the latest round of Enterprise Awards, launched at the beginning of April, grants of £5,000 to £50,000 are available to companies developing new food or non-food products.

Previous award winners include firms producing wheat-based lubricants, straw pellets for co-firing power stations and wheat-filled teddy bears for the retail gift industry.

Successful projects must generate a market for 500 tonnes of grain, or 250 tonnes of oilseeds and all HGCA grants must be match-funded by the company.

“The awards are designed to encourage innovation and to help companies large or small realise their ambitions for products which use grain,” said Cobra Beer founder, Karan Billimoria.

There are two rounds of Enterprise Awards each year, launched in April and September and the closing date for this latest round is June 30 2005.

Further details and an online application are available from www.hgca.com/enterprise.