A structured and inclusive 6 week program to help you scale your food business profitably
With expert advice and 1:1 food business mentoring
Ready to scale up? Or maybe you have inefficiencies that are making your product too expensive? Maybe you’ve applied to an Accelerator program like Rocket Seeder or Seedlab Australia, and been told you aren’t ready yet.
It might be time to revisit those business areas you haven’t had a chance to concentrate on.
Welcome to our pre-accelerator program.
Designed for food business owners attempting to navigate the risky scale-up process, this program is for serious start-ups or young businesses (2-3 years in operation) ready to review their processes and move to the next level.
Without a proper plan in place (including smart pricing and promotion strategies!) your profits can flatten creating a risk that your business becomes less viable. This program is designed to help you grow without the pain.
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Our next Ignite Food Passions program is planned for the 3rd March 2025 and Expressions of Interest are now open.
If you are interested in being considered to participate, add your details to our waitlist and we'll provide more detail, such as venue and cost.
What you get
Explore the major areas of building a successful food business through the topic areas listed below.
Learn from experts who work with food businesses including a food technologist, business and accounting professional, marketing and branding specialists, retail buyer and distribution experts. You also get 30 minutes of private one-on-one business mentoring per week with Jane Del Rosso, The founder of The Business of Food.
The program culminates with you delivering a presentation where you tell your story to the group and our experts. Receive structured feedback so that you are ready to pitch your idea to partners, customers, and supporters.
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Business planning
build a one-page business plan
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Food production
efficiencies of processing - looking at overwhelm and refining processes
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Pricing
how to price your product and lower your expenses
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Promotion
identifying your market and how to reach them according to your business plan
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Food laws and labelling
including food safe production and marketing for packaging
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Tips from an expert
on how to approach retailers and what buyers are looking for
How to book in for the Pre-accelerator program:
There are two options to book: our private program, available to food businesses anywhere in Victoria, and our council-run program, which is cost-subsidised and only open to residents of the councils who are currently partnered with us. Both program options cover the exact same material.
Option 1
Private program
This option is capped at 10 businesses, and run at a venue in Melbourne that is convenient for the most participants. This is the option for you if you don’t live in an area with a council-run program or are interstate.
You can also request that your council offer this program! contact us to learn now
Option 2
Council-run program
This option is currently available only to residents of Brimbank and Dandenong Councils, but more councils and community organisations are coming on board with us.
These programs are run for free or nominal cost to residents of these councils.
If you’re in these areas, contact us directly to apply.
If you’re not in these areas and think your council should also run this program, approach your local Council.
Interested to grow your food business but want to start more slowly or focus on a single area?
If you don’t see the specific service you need from our options above, please get in touch.