In Missouri, The National Corn Growers Association has launched the fourth iteration of its Consider Corn Challenge—an open-innovation contest that invites participants to “answer the call” and submit proposals for new uses of field corn as a primary feedstock for chemicals and products.
“As corn farmers continue to press forward with advanced technology that allows them to do-more-with-less, they are able to meet the growing needs for food, feed, fuel and new uses,” NCGA Market Development Action Team Chair and Colorado farmer Troy Schneider says in a press statement. “This contest continues to help us think outside-of-the-box and to meet the needs of our customers who are asking for sustainable, biobased products.”
One to six winners will be selected for the Consider Corn Challenge IV, with a total prize pool of U.S. $250,000, split equally between winners. The submission deadline is June 30, 2023. Winners will be announced at October’s Advanced Bioeconomy Leadership Conference in San Francisco.
Previous winners of the Consider Corn Challenge contests have scaled up to the next phase of development, received additional grant funding, entered into joint agreements and obtained registration for state biobased production incentives.