Food Incubators Transforming Regions Erasmus Project

Project Title

Food Incubators Transforming Regions

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for vocational education and training

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2015

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Entrepreneurial learning – entrepreneurship education; Regional dimension and cooperation; Enterprise, industry and SMEs (incl. entrepreneurship)

Project Summary

CONTEXT /BACKGROUND
Across Europe, boosting the growth of food SMEs is a key part of entrepreneurship and agri diversification policy. On closer inspection, the UK government strategy Food 2030 establishes the need for “new enterprises to enter the market stimulating diversity and competition” while the Irish government forecasts 40% growth in this market between 2008-20 (Food Harvest 2020). The Netherlands takes its food sector very seriously, it is the second-largest exporter of agri-food products in the world, after the US. Slovakia’s food sector is still developing as the investment required to bring establishments up to EU standards after Slovakia’s accession to the EU (2004) was detrimental to many and they went out of business.

Partners identified that there is a recognized mismatch in the demand for and the supply of food production and learning facilities across Europe. The lack of access to food grade facilities is a serious barrier to the establishment and growth potential of artisan food producers who struggle to support the capital requirements of setting up a production facility (investing in a food production unit is second only to the establishment costs of a pharma clean room!). On the other hand, there is an abundance of underutilized properties in public and private ownership which could be re-imagined as vibrant Food Incubators but the promoters of same lack the skills and practical strategies to develop them. FITR sought to address this need and its online training course is the first of its kind in the world covering the core topics of feasibility analysis, collaborative approaches, facility renovation and equipment, the business model including finances, funding sources, management, value added services and marketing. Further, there is little or no policy approaches to the development of food incubators. Typically, they are included in the theme of incubators, which tend to be technology related.

OBJECTIVES/ACTIVITIES
Food Incubators Transforming Regions (FITR) sought to “forge an effective and replicable model to provide the learning and strategic structure to develop food kitchens and incubators as enterprise, training and support drivers at regional level’. It has 4 objectives:
a) Establish 4 sustainable, sector focused 4 Regional Partnerships to study and capture best practice in the development of Food incubators.develop 4 Action Plans as the ultimate blueprint to develop physical food incubator hubs at regional level
b) Create and publish a “The Essential Toolkit to developing a Regional Food Incubator” to facilitate the replication of Regional Partnerships and Food Incubators across Europe.
c) Create and publish a course curriculum, guiding VET practitioners on the topics and skills most needed to establish and manage a Food incubator.
d) Develop an intensive blended learning “The Essential Toolkit to develop a successful Food Incubators”

PARTNERSHIP
The FITR combined HEI and VET organizations, economic development agencies, agri food industry champions and an eLearning specialist drawn from profit, non-profit and public sectors spanning operational right through to policy levels. Each project partner has reach and connectivity to the food sector, VET and policy channels in their respective countries. Their connections were vital to support the spread of a food incubation learning culture.

RESULTS
* In all, 18 meetings of the FITR Regional Partnerships were held with a total attendance of 190 stakeholders leading to the development of 4 robust Action Plans.This has acted as catalyst for change and capacity building in the defined regions Food Incubators sector – 2 new incubators have been developed as a DIRECT result of this project
* FITR Guide was used to form 4 Strategic Partnerships (and 5 more in development), it is a best practice, action and resource based planning toolkit.
* Intellectual Output 3 Course Curriculum & Content brought together for the first time and in one source, a free training response for those interested in setting up a food incubator. It is available on www.foodincubators.how
* Five Multiplier events attracted 381 stakeholders and acted as important dissemination and exploitation platforms. The evaluation of the events show a very high level of satisfaction of same.
* Dissemination has been particularly active and partners recorded 163 individual dissemination actions.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 285905,5 Eur

Project Coordinator

Banbridge District Enterprises Ltd & Country: UK

Project Partners

• Roscommon Integrated Development Co. Ltd t/a Roscommon LEADER Partnership
• CANICE CONSULTING LIMITED
• SLOVENSKA POLNOHOSPODARSKA UNIVERZITA V NITRE
• STICHTING BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT FRIESLAND
• MOMENTUM MARKETING SERVICES LIMITED
• New Edu,n.o