Seeking Novel Composting Additives and Technologies

ICL Group, a world-leading fertilizer manufacturer, is seeking novel additives and technologies to improve the composting process of agricultural waste and improve the products of these processes. The team is interested in technologies that can be applied on a large scale to commonly used agricultural composting processes. 

Approaches of Interest: 

• Materials, additives, and biologicals that improve the composting process, including reducing the composting time or allowing in situ composting 
• Novel and improved organo-mineral fertilizers from agricultural waste 
• Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from the composting process, for example by regulating C/N ratio, water content, or pH of the compost pile 
• Methods of CO2 capture or odor trapping from compost 

Out of Scope: 

• Compost techniques that require physical pre-treatment with machinery not commonly used in farming 
• Natural pesticides added to compost 

Developmental Stages of Interest: 

• Opportunities from TRL 3 (proof of concept) onwards are in scope 

Submission Information 

Submission of one-page, 200–300-word briefs is encouraged, along with any optional supplementary information e.g. relevant publications. This campaign is also open to submissions from SMEs and start-up companies. In submitting to this campaign, you confirm that your submission contains only non-confidential information. 

Opportunity for Collaboration 

Our client is open to a range of collaboration opportunities, with the most appropriate outcome being decided on a case-by-case basis. Example outcomes include licensing assets, investment, and research collaborations, with example funding in the region of $100,000 for a maximum of one year to develop a proof of concept.