Capital and Innovation
The good news about food waste is that solutions exist, more are being developed all the time, and many have a strong potential for investment returns. But that can make it challenging for funders to know where to start when they’re exploring investments in the food waste space. And without funding to scale and amplify their work, businesses offering food waste solutions aren’t able to prove them out in the market—and all of their potential impact is lost.
That’s why ReFED is working to catalyze the $15.9 billion in public, private, and philanthropic capital needed each year to fund the work of food waste solution providers. We’re helping to close the funding gap by bringing investors and innovators together in mutually beneficial collaborations.
To do it, we’ve designed a set of tools and resources to help both funders and solution providers alike understand the food waste landscape, develop a funding strategy, engage with partners, and track their progress. From affinity networks and regranting funds to pitch sessions, promotional opportunities, and more, we’re building the foundation for impact.
Funder Resources
In the fight against food waste, funders of all types play a critical role in developing and scaling food waste solutions—many of which have provided investors with monetary returns, in addition to their environmental and social benefits. With our deep understanding of financing food waste solutions and a range of resources designed to help funders make informed investments, we can help you align your funding strategies with the most promising areas for impact.
Funder Resources
Food Waste Funder Circle: Education, Collaboration, and Investment
Launched in 2021, ReFED’s Food Waste Funder Circle is an exclusive network for private, public, and philanthropic funders—including individuals and representatives from organizations—dedicated to solving the food waste problem through the strategic deployment of capital. Your free membership includes regular programming, including pitch events and networking sessions, deal flow reports and other valuable resources, all designed to provide the information and insights you need to make smart investment decisions.
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Learn more about how being part of the Food Waste Funder Circle can help you advance your investment goals by contacting:
Funder Resources
Catalytic Grant Fund
ReFED’s Catalytic Grant Fund was specifically developed to connect interested funders with the most promising food waste solutions—without requiring them to do a lot of legwork to understand the potential impact of their investments. Designed around a series of open calls built around priority food waste themes—determined by ReFED’s data, analysis, and subject matter expertise about where grant funding and innovation support is most needed—the Grant Fund deploys its capital via non-recoverable and recoverable grants to opportunities where its funding and post-grant support can unlock additional capital and impact that might not otherwise have been achievable.
Learn MoreHow ReFED's COVID-19 Fund Led to the Catalytic Grant Fund
COVID-19 upended the food system, creating barriers to access and distribution that prevented good, nutritious food from reaching the people who needed it the most—and leaving it at risk of going to waste. In response, ReFED launched our COVID-19 Food Waste Solutions Fund to quickly deliver more than $3.5 million in vital funding to help organizations rapidly scale hunger relief and food waste reduction efforts. The Fund’s 37 grantees (including White Pony Express, left) ultimately rescued more than 91 million pounds of food for more than eight million people. And our learnings from standing up the Fund directly informed our work on the Catalytic Grant Fund—including the importance of providing funders with vetted organizations to support, simplifying the application process for grantees, and always focusing on how grants can be catalyzed into additional future funding.
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Learn more about how contributing to the ReFED Catalytic Grant Fund can complement your investment goals by contacting:
Solution Provider Services
Solution providers play a crucial role in combating food waste by developing innovative technologies, systems, and resources that improve the efficiency of food production, distribution, and consumption. From apps that connect surplus food with those in need to data-driven tools that help businesses track and target waste, solution providers bridge the gap between excess and need—helping businesses and consumers save money while also reducing environmental impacts. ReFED supports the work of solution providers across the food system in scaling effective solutions with a suite of resources to help grow your impact.
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Learn more about how we can help solution providers like you expand your impact by contacting:
Innovation Services
Food waste is a complex problem that requires innovative approaches to develop smarter, more efficient, and scalable solutions that can drive impact across the entire supply chain. To foster that innovation, ReFED’s Innovation Services are designed to help partners identify, evaluate, and accelerate high-impact food waste solutions. Whether you're looking to surface cutting-edge technologies or catalyze new collaborations, our team provides the strategic guidance and operational support needed to turn big ideas into measurable outcomes.
Innovation Challenges
ReFED serves as a strategic advisor and managing partner to design and execute custom innovation challenges that inspire creative problem-solving. From framing the challenge to attracting top applicants, we offer thought leadership, marketing support, judging and evaluation services, and operational execution—all backed by ReFED’s robust network of solution providers and industry experts. Check out our work on the The Wonderful Company’s $1 Million Wonderful Innovation Challenge, which was designed to find new uses for pomegranate husks that otherwise would have gone to landfill.
Innovation Scouting
ReFED conducts targeted Innovation Scouting to discover the most promising solutions and disruptive ideas—helping businesses stay competitive and forward-thinking in the rapidly evolving food waste solutions landscape. Leveraging our deep sector expertise, network, and extensive database of innovators, we identify, vet, and recommend technologies, business models, and partnerships that match your specific priorities and impact goals.
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Learn more about how ReFED’s innovation services can give your business a leg up by contacting:
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