GrowCoastal

The Sunshine Coast's first food accelerator

16

Week

Program

150

% increase

Customers

75

Workshop

Hours

50

Industry

Experts

80

% increase

Revenue

The Innovation Centre and the Food and Agribusiness Network have partnered to provide 12 of the best food and beverage businesses in the region with the opportunity to take part in GrowCoastal, Sunshine Coast’s food innovation accelerator.

What our cohorts achieved

VALIDATE

Validate your ideas through product testing and market research opportunities

DEVELOP STRATEGY

Commercialise and develop a go-to market strategy with clear milestones and goals

LAUNCH

Launch your business to industry leaders, media, potential customers and investors

BRAND EXPOSURE

Gain brand exposure, build your reputation and gain valuable feedback.

BUILD A NETWORK

Build a global network of key business connections and mentors with industry experience

PROFILE

Gain targeted exposure, profile and communicate your venture broadly

EXPAND KNOWLEDGE

Expand your business knowledge through our industry focused accelerator program.

INVESTMENT READY

Understand how to manage your finances, become investment ready, prepare IM and pitch to investors

ACCESS TO CONTACTS

Access to our rolodex of businesses, government and university contacts. Access to visiting entrepreneurs, regular events, workshops and extensive networking.

ACCOUNT PACKAGE

Access to the Poole Group / Xero accounting startup package plus access to a range of resources (ie. prototyping, early stage capital, students, etc)

GLOBAL OPPORTUNITIES

Advice on offshore landing zones ie. Silicon Valley, Austin, London, Amsterdam, Singapore, etc. Plus free Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA) membership.

RESEARCH LAB

Access to USC’s Engage Lab and Engineering Learning Hub and research facilities (on an approved project basis).

The Program Supporters & Mentors

Our food and beverage entrepreneurs participated in business workshops and received mentoring, one to one support and industry insights from our community of industry leaders, including our extensive mentor network from the IC and FAN.

Program Delivery

Jacqui Price will deliver the 2020 Grow Coastal Program with support from Innovation Centre CEO Mark Paddenburg.

Jacqui is a marketing specialist in the Food and Beverage industry and a passionate marketer with over twenty years sales and marketing experience. Her expertise delivering Grow Coastal in 2018 and 2019 has been of value to the cohort, leveraging her background in Retail, Foodservice, Manufacturer, Grower, and Business to Business giving her a unique understanding of the complexities of the market.

This broad background inspired a passion for brand management, particularly in food, beverage and agribusiness. She has worked on household brand names like Birds Eye, Edgell, and Buderim Ginger. Jacqui is the is the Founder of JP Marketing. She is passionate about helping local businesses grow and an active member of the Food Agribusiness Network.

Want to find out more about Jacqui or about the Grow Coastal program? Email [email protected]

In 2017 Grow Coastal was delivered by Tara Mei, Founder of Kitchen Table Projects. Tara has international experience in launching and scaling innovative food businesses.