English We are excited to be working with Tamar Grow Local, Shared Assets, The Apricot Centre, The Kindling Trust, OrganicLea, Ubele a Eve’s Hill to deliver a new business focussed training programme for new entrants into agroecological farming in Southwest and Southeast England.
Landworkers’ Alliance is coordinating the project in the Southwest and Shared Assets is coordinating the project in the Southeast. You can read more from Shared Assets here.
** UPDATE ** Our application deadline has been extended to 9am on Monday 9th January.
What will participants receive?
- One to one support: up to 16 hours of one to one mentoring and advice on the opportunities and challenges of your businesses or business ideas. This will include:
* business plan development and review, including financial implications of different options
* tailored coaching and mentoring on key areas relevant to each individual and business. - Online training: An online learning platform with access to a range of workshops, talks and guides that can be accessed at any time, as well as live Q&A sessions.
- Peer support: Time with other new entrants going through similar challenges. There will be in-person and online events with opportunities to share advice and discuss the latest farming opportunities.
- Site visits: We’ll take you to visit established and successful agroecological farms to learn how these experienced growers and farmers manage the business side of their work. You’ll have the chance to see in-person established sites, and talk with experienced producers about their approach including marketing food, site planning, growing your business and anything else you are curious about.
- Opportunities to pitch your business ideas to funders and landowners: You’ll have training and practice in how to pitch to land owners and finance providers. This will include real life pitching opportunities, with potential to be matched with a Farm Start Plot or independent sites if appropriate sites are found and your pitch is successful.
Who is it for?
This Defra sponsored project is available to two different cohorts of new entrant agroecological farmers with different levels of experience.
For the start-up cohort, the programme will cover foundational aspects of starting and running a farm business including: business planning, looking for land, getting planning consent, fundraising, forecasting and analysis, markets and cooperative networks.
The ‘start up’ programme is for new entrants who have at least 6 months training or experience in farming, land management or conservation who are looking to start their own new farm business.
For the scale-up cohort, learning will be focussed on expanding, diversifying income and increasing resilience within the context of changing farming landscape.
The ‘scale up’ programme is aimed at those with up to 10 years’ experience managing or being a partner in an agroecological farm business, who are looking to develop and expand.
How to apply
To apply for the start up cohort in the Southwest, click here.
To apply for the scale up cohort in the Southwest, click here.
To apply for the start up cohort in the Southeast (with Shared Assets), click here.
To apply for the scale up cohort in the Southeast (with Shared Assets), click here.
Do I qualify as a peri-urban farmer?
A. Peri-urban areas include the farming and veg producing area around a city or town, but also those which feed into supplying a city, so this can be geographically quite far depending on where you are located. On this programme we welcome applications from people living in, or close to cities and towns in south west England; are looking to set up their business close to a town or city, or anticipate their markets may include these areas.
If you would like any further information before you fill in your application, please contact us, but please be aware that Landworkers’ Alliance will be closed from the 24th December until the 2nd of January so there may be a delay in replying to you.
You can find links to projects in other parts of England as well as the rural Southwest scheme here: https://defrafarming.blog.gov.uk/2022/11/24/new-entrant-support-scheme-apply-for-the-pilot/
If you’d like to find out more about time commitments and to see our FAQs, click here.
Applying to be a mentor
If you are interested in being a paid mentor and/or delivering training and have relevant experience in agroecological/regenerative farm business management, development and sales, please apply here. You can find more information here.
Supporting the project as a landowner, funder or investor
If you are a landowner and think you may be able to provide access to land for any of our trainees to test out, establish or grow their businesses please provide your contact details yma.
If you are a funder or investor and would be interested in engaging with trainees, including hearing their pitches for funding and investment, please provide your contact details yma.
