Good Food for All
How can we develop concrete solutions that embed ‘Good Food for All’ as part of our social infrastructure?
Challenges
Together with you, we have identified the following four challenges for which we are now seeking concrete solutions or suggestions. It is important that each suggestion focuses on one of the ‘How might we…’ questions.
«How might we reshape collective catering through regional partnerships and courageous governance to make sustainable food the everyday default?»
«How might we make good food affordable and accessible for every household through new financing and incentive models to achieve nutrition as a public good – not a premium niche?»
“How might we support regional producers in scaling up regional food systems by establishing new or shared (distribution) infrastructure and forming new partnerships?”
How might we practically involve local communities in decisions regarding land use and food production, so that land and food are jointly shaped and managed as common goods?
When we talk about “good food”, we think of food that tastes good, is filling and healthy. At the same time, however, we also think of production and distribution that are socially, environmentally and economically sustainable, with fair incomes, a low environmental footprint and viable funding models. By adding “for all”, we are focusing on a further social aspect: who has access to high-quality, sustainable food and who does not? Why are less “good” options often not only cheaper, but also more accessible and easier to integrate into everyday life? Let’s make good food more convenient! Or how about: Let’s make convenience food better!
For us, in this call, good food is not primarily a matter of individual choices. We view “Good Food for All” as a matter of social infrastructure and bold partnerships that link health, justice, biodiversity and climate.
We are interested in regional teams from the public sector, the market, academia and/or civil society that work together to make good food possible
We are implementing this thematic area in partnership with the One Planet Lab.
submit your ideaTimeline
The challenges within the FUS mission ‘Good Food for All’ seek to address the overarching FUS question: How will we live in urban Switzerland in the future?
We are looking for radical ideas to turn ‘Good Food for All’ into a reality in many places as a fundamental socio-ecological principle. We are looking for processes, products, platforms, services or programmes that test new forms of shared responsibility or develop concrete solutions that embed good food for all as part of our social infrastructure.
Through an open innovation process, we foster dialogue between the interested public and stakeholders from research and practice, planning authorities, politics and the investment sector.
In particular, we invite cantonal, city and municipal administrations that wish to leverage food to achieve their climate and health goals – or are already doing so. However, researchers, pioneers and initiatives from niche sectors are also invited to contribute their knowledge and practical experience and to jointly develop partnerships to scale up their approaches.
Join us and help spread social innovation around Good Food for All, and secure financial and methodological support as well as valuable contacts for the next steps within an interdisciplinary team!
What are we looking for?
We are looking for radical ideas to make the most promising social innovations acceptable to the wider public – by involving civil society, the business sector, public administration and/or politics. Are you working on relevant offerings, services, organisational structures, business and impact models, communication and intervention strategies, or strategic experiments?
We don't expect proof. We expect clarity about what needs to be tested — and what failure would reveal.
We don't select the most finished ideas. We select teams that understand the lever, know what they need to test, and have the potential to move something in the system.
We facilitate the conduct of feasibility, user or market studies, as well as the development of models and prototypes designed to illustrate and test potential solutions.
We look forward to receiving proposals that enhance and amplify the contribution of social innovations to a climate-just and liveable urban society of the future.
Who can apply?
In accordance with Innosuisse’s guidelines, only mixed teams comprising members from at least one research partner and one implementation partner may apply. The events organised during the Challenge Stage provide an opportunity for individual stakeholders to connect. If a project team is missing a partner, we can try to assist. Please contact matchmaking@futureurbansociety.ch for this or for other networking opportunities.
Research partners include university research institutes, non-commercial research centres outside the higher education sector, departmental research institutes with their own research projects, and federal research institutes.
Implementation partners are all private and public stakeholders who can put ideas into practice or at least play a part in doing so.
We can only award funding to legal entities – cooperatives, associations, foundations, companies, universities, local authorities, etc. – based in Switzerland.
How can the funds be used?
The funding can be used for feasibility, usage or market studies. Where possible and appropriate, funding is provided for the development of models and prototypes to illustrate and test potential solutions. The funds can be used flexibly as appropriate, e.g. to pay salaries, purchase equipment and materials, conduct observational and interview-based research, cover travel expenses, organise roundtables, workshops, etc.
The use and allocation of funds within the funded teams is therefore at their own discretion, but they remain accountable for their use.
A portion of the funds is reserved for content-related and methodological support from experts in the respective fields.
The total grant amounts to a maximum of CHF 22,500. Of this amount, CHF 19,000 is paid out directly. CHF 1,500 is earmarked for coaching and support from the FUS team over a six-month period. An additional CHF 2,000 is available for external experts, either from our pool of over 100 experts or chosen freely based on the project’s needs.
What needs to be submitted?
The application should ideally comprise 2–3 A4 pages in Arial 11 and should not exceed 5 pages.
Funding is available to anyone who has taken part in one of our open innovation events.
Judging criteria - how we select
Our jury evaluates every application across two dimensions.
What your idea could change carries the most weight. We look at whether your team has identified a real transformation barrier, not just a symptom. We look at whether your solution could create impact beyond your own project. And we look at whether you know what you need to find out, and show the willingness to change course if the results demand it.
Whether your team can do this is the second dimension. We assess whether your testing approach is realistic for the six-month booster, whether you have named the right partners to test with, and whether your team is well-positioned for this particular challenge.
We also look at the overall portfolio. A strong FUS cohort is not just a collection of good pilots — it includes projects that remove barriers for others, build shared infrastructure, or generate knowledge that advances the whole field.
Our criteria at a glance
Block A — Transformation potential (70%)
— Problem understanding and solution fit. Does the team understand a deeper, structural problem? And does their approach address it at the root?
— Impact potential. Could this change how the system works — beyond the lifetime of this project?
— Test logic and willingness to learn. Does the team know what it needs to find out? And does it show genuine openness to revising its assumptions?
Block B — Implementation capacity (30%)
— Testing approach and partnerships. Is the plan realistic for the booster phase? And have concrete test partners been identified?
— Team composition. Does the team have the right mix of competencies for this particular challenge?
We publish our criteria openly — not as a checklist to game, but because we believe better applications come from teams who understand what we are actually looking for.
Two brief notes on what this means in practice. First, we do not expect your idea to be fully formed. Early-stage ideas with a sharp problem diagnosis and a credible test plan are exactly what the booster is designed for. Second, naming a concrete test partner (at least identified) in your application is not a formality — it is one of the clearest signals that your idea is ready to leave the page.
If you have any questions, please check the FAQ first. If you still have questions after that, please feel free to contact us at info@futureurbansociety.ch
Submit your idea
