The main objective of the Mission Zero Foodprint project is to develop and modernise the business and products of small restaurant and food service companies to make them more resource-smart and towards carbon neutrality, as well as to strengthen cooperation between companies in the sector and an environmentally friendly image. At the moment, food is responsible for approximately 16 % of greenhouse gas emissions in Finland. According to Sitra, however, only one third of consumers try to minimise the environmental impact of their diet and the same amount does not do so. At the same time, only about 18 % say they want to choose a climate-friendly meal in the restaurant. There are more than 10,000 food companies in Finland, and Finns eat almost 900 million meals per year outside the home (LUKE 2015 statistics). Demand for restaurant meals has also been constantly increasing. Product portfolios are growing and new, highly specialised food service companies are being set up. Considering the whole chain of food from primary production to restaurant customer’s plate, it is not only culinary pleasures but also a significant CO2 factor. The carbon footprint reflects the amount of greenhouse gases generated during the life cycle of a product or service. According to the Natural Resources Institute Finland’s estimate, for example, the average carbon footprint of lunch is about 1 kg CO2. It is challenging to accurately assess the carbon footprint. The total carbon footprint is influenced by the energy consumption of the food business, the raw materials used, as well as the food waste generated, for example. As far as energy is concerned, according to Motiva, the efficiency of the processes in restaurants can save up to 60 %. According to MaRa, the reduction in energy costs improves the profitability of nutrition activities and is reflected in the result. The Ekokompass project calculated the electricity consumption of an average restaurant (85 servings per day) at 130 kWh/day, which means an average of 1.49 kWh/dose. If, according to this example, the 50 catering companies targeted by the project would save 20 % of their annual energy needs, this would mean a reduction of 325 MWh per year. As regards food waste, it has been calculated that the average amount of food waste is approximately 15-17 kg per person/year in restaurants (Hartikainen et al. 2013a). According to the Natural Resources Institute Finland, around one fifth of food intended to be eaten in the restaurant sector ends up in biowaste.Forum Virium and Laurea University of Applied Sciences, as innovation actors in the region, want to take the development of the catering industry in the Helsinki metropolitan area forward in a sustainable way, and through the project it is possible to involve even small businesses in the joint development path. The project will bring together a wide range of food industry companies, developers and stakeholders in the region to develop the whole production process of a nutrition company by utilising the new digital solutions and service-formed operating models that are being developed in a business-friendly way. This will, on the one hand, strengthen the energy and resource efficiency of the target group and, at the same time, a more commercially viable business image.The results of the project will be achieved by: 1. Create a resource-wise and carbon-neutral restaurant approach openly accessible through the co-creation of restaurant and catering companies, experts and twinning companies; 2. The operating model also includes the use and development of smart digital solutions. The indicators and indicators produced in this way enable the carbon footprint and resource efficiency of restaurants to be guided by changes in business choices such as raw material purchases, energy solutions or, for example, recipes.3. The green image of companies will be strengthened in order to increase the competitive advantage. The development of carbon neutrality, energy efficiency and resource wisdom of companies in the target group will be highlighted through visual elements in consumer services, and this will also aim to indirectly influence consumer choices.4. Increase the international networking of operators in order to acquire the latest knowledge and know-how in the field, disseminate information and develop new forms of cooperation between the operators in the field. The long-term objective of the project is to scale the operating model built in the project to dozens of enterprises, including outside the area of operation, and thereby to make the activities of the catering and food service companies more carbon-neutral, as well as calibrated energy savings. At the same time, the aim is to indirectly influence consumers’ awareness of the carbon neutrality and environmental friendliness of restaurants and food service companies, and thereby influence their choices and purchasing decisions.