With the goal of encouraging eco-innovation in the catering sector, by providing a sizeable launch market for new solutions, INNOCAT addressed environmental and social improvements in a range of areas related to catering services and food. These included transport, waste re-use and recycling, bio-based products, energy efficient equipment and organic agriculture.

The partnership resulted in the formation of several buyers groups each led by a different type of organisation: a local government, a central purchasing organisation in the healthcare sector, a major international company, a university, and an environmental business park. Purchasing sectors included:

School catering services
Vending machines
Bio-waste disposal systems
Health and welfare catering services
The project also aimed to disseminate project results as broadly as possible and to promote an active experience exchange between buyers interested in eco-innovative catering. An online discussion forum was also created to facilitate this exchange.

INNOCAT began in March 2013 and ended in October 2016. It was supported by the European Commission’s Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP).