The New Organic Entrepreneurs Programme

The Soil Association invites you to apply to a new seven-month, UK-wide pilot programme designed to support new entrants in organic business. It will bring together training on business skills, mentoring and peer learning, with a goal of rolling out a bigger programme to scale next year.

Grounded in our shared values, it looks to assist as broad and diverse a group of people as possible in building sustainable organic businesses that will support them to thrive. It will include support to those working towards organic certification. Our wider goal is to build the organic movement, developing and growing the ecosystem needed for all to flourish through a spirit of cooperation and collaboration.

A paper version of the application is available, along with the option to submit a short video with your answers instead of this form. Please do get in touch with Andrea Gibbons, agibbons@soilassociation.org for alternate applications and any further questions or help you need.

We have a limit of only 16 spaces for the pilot. Programme FAQs are below.

Who:

1. Businesses in their first 3 years who are organic or on their agroecological journey towards fully organic – we’re welcoming anyone along the supply chain, from growers (including flowers or agroforestry or mushrooms etc) to beauty product producers to textiles to cheese makers

2. Those interested in being part of a pilot, to help shape and design a scaled-up programme

When:

The application deadline is 14th February, but we’d encourage early applications

A fully funded face-to-face kick off on 14th March, at Woodoaks Farm (WD3 9XQ) – we are asking participants to prioritise attendance at this to be able to build the firm foundation of peer relationships and trust needed to get the most out of the online programme.

Monthly interactive online learning sessions from April through September, with a break for August, alongside monthly mentoring sessions.

What we provide:

A seven-month pilot programme to support new entrants. We will be working with participants to shape this to fit their needs. This programme will include:

- A face to face launch event to meet team and cohort at Woodoaks Farm

- Five online participatory sessions that will cover business and finance planning, logistics, comms, marketing and opportunities to expand the market, support towards organic certification

- Peer learning and support

- Dynamic mentoring

- Site visits – we are exploring online and on-site options

What we ask from you:

- Help in directly linking programme content to your needs
- Attendance at the full-day, in-person launch at Woodoaks farm
- Attendance at up to 6 hours of individual and group mentoring
- Attendance at up to 10 hours of webinars
- Engagement with the in-person and online community
- Engagement with resources
- Engagement with short evaluation and reflection activities
- Contributions to chats and discussion


The Process:

We will let applicants know the result of their application by the 21st of February. Depending on the number of applications, we may need to hold short interviews. The process for this will be clearly laid out for shortlisted applicants if needed.