We’ve all heard the adage “You are what you eat”. Now more and more consumers are shifting towards healthier, authentic, local and sustainable choices. Big brands aren’t having the same impact on consumers as they used to.
With these changes, new opportunities open up for local and food entrepreneurs, as well as for manufacturing companies that can help introduce innovation to local products and businesses. With this in mind, jobs can be created, high quality and sustainable products can be developed to continuing the support of our community and local economy.
The 12-week Food Venture Program
With the help of different stakeholders and partners, including the Centre for Changemaking and Social Innovation at Georgian College, the County of Simcoe developed a Simcoe County Food Security Framework to guide coordintated actions that reduce household food insecurity and enhance community food security.
The 12-week Food Venture Program is available through The Henry Bernick Entrepreneurship Centre. It’s a program run in partnership with The Small Business Enterprise Centre of Barrie, Orillia and Simcoe County, The South Georgian Bay Small Business Enterprise Centre, Community Futures South Georgian Bay, Nottawasaga Futures and The Orillia CDC.
This is an In-Market Special Project Fund, to support 25 participants spanning Simcoe County. The program has a target audience of food and beverage innovators with a food or product idea, restaurant owners seeking to turn recipes into packaged goods, early-stage entrepreneurs with a product in small-scale distribution, and entrepreneurs with business ideas in the nutrition and health sector.
“This unique program aligns with the County’s goals and commitment to building healthy, sustainable communities and supporting our businesses. As an innovative region, Simcoe County is home to a wide-variety of local producers with many outstanding examples of small businesses offering sustainable products from within our area. We thank our partners for joining us in supporting this Food Venture Program, and ultimately assisting aspiring entrepreneurs, in improving our food security and growing our economy.” – County of Simcoe Warden George Cornell.
Food Entrepreneurs
Food programs like Food Venture, provide entrepreneurs with tools that will help them learn and apply these resources to their product development process. Enabling local food entrepreneurs to support the community-based food security initiatives
Co-Founders of the Food Venture Program, Kiran Bains and Sima Gandhi, are excited and looking forward to creating new partnerships to support the food entrepreneurs in our community. “Since the launch of Food Venture Program in January 2020, we quickly had to pivot to focus on helping restaurant owners and current food product owners pivot their business models to help them continue to be successful throughout the pandemic. Since our launch we’ve graduated over 200 food entrepreneurs from just Ontario alone.” – Kiran Bains
“We’ve also seen a lot of new food entrepreneurs coming to the surface over the past year and have specifically loved working with the entrepreneurs at the Henry Bernick Entrepreneurship Center! We look forward to running this 12-week intensive program with the students there this Winter!” – Sima Gandhi.
“As we strengthen partnerships across Simcoe County and build the food entrepreneurial network, we foster safe landing opportunities for local high-quality, sustainable and consumer packaged goods in stores. Together we are promoting healthy eating, food security and awareness around the county, across Central Ontario and throughout Canada.” Sara Bentham, Director, Henry Bernick Entrepreneurship Centre
Looking to get your recipe, product or idea ready for market? This 12-week virtual program is for you!
Follow the link 12 Week Food Venture Bootcamp and fill out your application, the deadline is November 1st, 2021.
Don’t miss this opportunity to prepare your product for distribution success and apply!
