The first-ever challenge invites researchers, students, scientists and innovators to develop soy-based, sustainable alternatives to everyday products
BLOOMINGTON, ILL – May 12, 2025 – The Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) announced the launch of the SpringBoard Seed Funding Challenge, an initiative designed to find new uses for soy by identifying and supporting early-stage innovations in soy-based, non-food applications. The announcement was part of the inaugural SpringBoard Event, held at the state-of-the-art Distillery Labs innovation hub in downtown Peoria, Ill. The event also united researchers, industry leaders and investors to fuel collaboration, accelerate commercialization, and expand market opportunities for ag-based products.
Teams are invited to submit from across the United States and the world. Concept papers are due Friday, May 30, at 5 p.m. CDT
An initiative of ISA’s Soy Innovation Center (SIC), the SpringBoard Seed Funding Challenge is designed to foster early-stage innovations and cross-sector partnerships that can unlock new markets for soy-based, non-food products. The challenge follows the 2024 launch of the SIC, which brings together academia, entrepreneurs and industry to invest, scale and commercialize sustainable alternatives developed from U.S. soy.
“Soybeans grown by Illinois farmers can help solve pressing material challenges if we connect the right innovators with the right resources,” said John Lumpe, ISA CEO. “The SpringBoard Seed Funding Challenge brings that opportunity into focus—linking researchers and entrepreneurs with the support to drive meaningful change.”
ISA and the SIC aim to reshape industrial supply chains by promoting soy as a renewable platform for innovation. Many byproducts of soy production—such as hulls, glycerin, and soy protein—currently lack commercial use, but hold significant potential to replace fossil fuel-derived inputs in products ranging from bioplastics and lubricants to textiles and PFAS substitutes.
“This Challenge is more than just a funding vehicle—it’s about cultivating a community of innovators to help commercialize the next generation of sustainable materials,” said Todd Main, ISA’s Director of Market Development.
The 2025 SpringBoard Seed Funding Challenge targets five critical sustainability categories where soy-based inputs can displace petrochemicals:
- Bioplastics – Develop scalable, soy-based plastics that rival petroleum plastics in performance, biodegradability and cost-efficiency.
- Lubricants – Engineer soy-based oils to match or exceed conventional lubricants under high-heat, high-pressure conditions.
- PFAS Substitutes – Create safe, biodegradable, soy-based alternatives to “forever chemicals” used in coatings, textiles and packaging.
- Biopolymers – Explore soy-based polymers as building blocks for industrial applications, including composites and rubbers.
- Biofibers – Develop textile-ready, soy-based fibers that offer durability, softness and water-resistance, with low-impact processing.
Each category presents a clear technical challenge with defined innovation criteria—from improving mechanical strength and processing compatibility to enhancing environmental performance and scaling up production.
“The SpringBoard Seed Funding Challenge is a powerful example of how cross-sector collaboration can drive sustainable innovation,” said Jeannette Tamayo, Executive Director of the Illinois Innovation Network (IIN), which sponsors the challenge. “By bringing together Illinois’ research universities, entrepreneurs and the agricultural sector, we’re creating new opportunities to transform soy into high-impact solutions for today’s biggest material challenges.”
The Challenge will occur in two stages:
- Stage One: Submit a 3-page concept paper by May 30, 2025. Selected teams receive a $2,000 stipend to prepare full proposals.
- Stage Two: Finalists submit detailed proposals by August 15, 2025. Winning projects will receive up to $40,000 in seed funding.
A virtual pre-submission workshop was held on May 1 and was recorded for later viewing. Registration is open at www.ilsoy.org.
Timeline:
- May 30: Concept papers due
- June 13: Invitations to Stage Two issued
- August 15: Full proposals due
- September 12: Award decisions announced
- September 25–26: Winners recognized at the IIN Sustaining Illinois Research Conference
ISA and SIC are also actively seeking research institutions and commercialization partners to support local processing capacity and explore feasibility studies for U.S.-based, soy-derived production systems. For inquiries, contact Todd Main at todd.main@ilsoy.org.
For complete Challenge details, including project requirements, FAQs and evaluation criteria, please visit www.ilsoy.org/seed-funding-challenge/.
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The Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) checkoff and membership programs represent more than 43,000 soybean farmers in Illinois. The checkoff funds market development, soybean production and government relations efforts, while the membership program, Illinois Soybean Growers (ISG) and the Illinois Soybean Growers PAC actively advocates for positive and impactful legislation for farmers at local, state and national levels. ISA upholds the interests of Illinois soybean farmers through promotion, advocacy, research and education with the vision of becoming a trusted partner of Illinois soybean farmers to ensure their profitability now and for future generations. For more information, visit the website www.ilsoy.org and www.ilsoygrowers.com.
Media Contact:
Olivia Key
Communications Manager
Illinois Soybean Association
(309)307-9382
olivia.key@ilsoy.org
