Our Story

A seasoned professional in taking ideas from concept to commercial reality, Sarah identified an opportunity in the UK market to harness the creativity that exists alongside ground-breaking research which is emerging from academic groups and innovators in the private sector, and convert those concepts into real-world commercial applications and products.

Today SPG Innovation is multi-dimensional, with the consultancy arm of the business now complemented by a range of other services including:

• Concept Generation
• Early-stage Development and Commercialisation
• Grant Writing and Technical Project Management
• Product Development
• Regulatory Strategy
• R&D

Initially the focus for SPG Innovation centred around a number of key projects in universities and SMEs. Securing appropriate funding for products through successful bid and grant writing provided a key revenue stream alongside report writing detailing how to scale up the production of ingredients. A project with the University of Nottingham working on Smartsalt and pathfinder reports for other food projects proved a turning point.

This project led to SPG Innovation expanding and in 2017 the team grew with Rebecca McDowell joining to devise the commercial potential for the product in conjunction with the University.

With two full-time employees the company was able to add project management and product development pillars to the business whilst continuing to successfully secure hundreds of thousands of pounds in funding for clients and consulting on early-stage ideas.

Work with small businesses and other universities followed including offering expertise on an insect fish feeding project and advising on implementing methods for waste valorisation from food production.

In early 2020 SPG Innovation secured funding for its own laboratory in BioCity, Nottingham, enabling the product development arm to thrive. With the lab secured, the company was able to expand the team further recruiting R&D Scientists, Megan Day and Katherine Hurst with Holly Dunleavy as an administrator. The team is now able to offer full visibility of the supply chain, providing expertise in food development and exceptional knowledge of novel foods and regulatory services.