The Startup Grant Fund (SGF) program of the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD) has now entered its third round of funding. To kick off the program, an inception meeting was held at R.D. Guerrero III Room, DOST-PCAARRD lnnovation and Technology Center (DPITC), Los Baños, Laguna last September 18, 2024.
This initiative is in support of the Republic Act No. 11337, or the Innovative Startup Act and the DOST Startup Grant Fund (DOST SGF) program. Through this undertaking, DOST-PCAARRD offers assistance to startup and/or spinoff companies planning to commercialize DOST-PCAARRD-funded or -assisted technologies, as well as non-DOST-PCAARRD-funded technologies in the agriculture, aquatic, and natural resources (AANR) sector.
In addition to the 13 grantees from previous batches 1 and 2, eight grantees will be added to the list. After rigorous evaluation, the following startup and/or spinoff companies made it to the top: 7JF Steel Fabrication; 4G Ice cream House; Bencals Food Products; Ebang’Z Mushroom Farm; ELDICA Seafood Processing; Farmvocacy, Inc.; Healthy Bite Food Processing and Preserving; and Thega Coconut Farm.
Bencal’s Food Products is a processing company that produces cacao and cacao products located at Bagong Buhay Village, Poblacion, Pangantucan in Bukidnon. The company will use the grant to expand its cacao processing capabilities and enhance its marketing efforts.
On the other hand, HealthyBite Food Processing and Preserving is an agri-business venture that maximizes local production surplus and rejected harvests of the agrarian reform beneficiaries and local farmers in Guimaras. The grant will aid HealthyBite in scaling up its processing facility, improving marketability, and strengthening partnerships with local farmers.
Ebang’Z Mushroom Farm offers fresh mushrooms and mushroom-based products like mushroom chicharon and mushroom ‘kropek.’ The grant will support in improving its product quality, production process, and compliance with food safety standards through the adoption of science and technology (S&T)-related interventions.
The 4G Ice Cream House located at Hemingway Street, Roxas City will adopt the seafood ice cream technology from the Capiz State University (CAPSU). With the grant, they can enhance the operational capacity, product quality, and market reach of their company.
7JF Steel Fabrication is a single proprietorship business engaged in steel and postharvest machine fabrication in Brgy. Poblacion, Dumalag, Capiz. The firm will adopt CAPSU’s agri-machinery and postharvest technologies through licensing, fostering innovation, and commercializing research outputs, particularly those related to agri-aqua technologies.
Meanwhile, ELDICA Seafood Processing produces milkfish and milkfish products at Bonuan-Binloc, Dagupan City, Pangasinan. The project will help the company develop innovative milkfish products through upscaling facilities and upcycling milkfish wastes and by-products.
Thega Coconut Farm is located in San Juan, Batangas, which produces charcoal briquettes used as cooking fuel in local households and food establishments. The grant will play a crucial role in funding the fabrication, delivery, and installation of the DOST-Forest Products Research and Development Institute (FPRDI)-developed hydraulic charcoal briquettor. This investment will enable the startup to scale up production and meet the growing market demand, targeting to produce at least four 4-ton charcoal briquettes per month.
Lastly, Farmvocacy is a climate-focused fintech company based in Occidental Mindoro. It offers smallholder rice farmers opportunity and incentive to safely store their rice paddy during the peak season, allowing for later sale in the off-peak period and giving farmers greater control over their livelihoods. The project will support the startup in developing a prototype and facility, conducting market testing and refining its business model, and strengthening partnerships and intellectual property (IP) protection.
DOST-PCAARRD and UP ISSI key officials, staff, and SGF batch 3 beneficiaries during the signing of their partnership agreement held at the DPITC, Los Baños, Laguna on September 18, 2024. (Image credit: TTPD, DOST-PCAARRD)
To accelerate the development of these startups’ competencies in marketing, operations, human resources, and finance, the project, “Levelling-Up of Innovative Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources-based Startups/Spinoffs through Promotion, Valuation Assistance, and Development (LIPaD) Phase 2,” was also launched. This collaborative initiative led by DOST-PCAARRD and UP ISSI aims to empower these startups by assisting them prepare business plans and project financial statements. It also aims to help them identify and address operational challenges to seize new opportunities. The project will also provide mentorship, training programs, and opportunities for network and linkages within the startup/spinoff ecosystem.