Have a bright idea for a local food enterprise, campaign or community project that will help improve Melbourne’s local food system and grow our local food economy? We’d like to help you make it happen.
Apply now for a place in this year’s Local Food Launchpad accelerator program.
As a Local Food Launchpad participant our team will work with you over three months to refine your idea and help you develop the knowledge and skills to take your venture to the next stage. We’ll help you to create something your customers are going to love, and provide an opportunity for you to make a dollar as well as a difference.
Local Food Launchpad:
working with you to grow your big idea for a better food future.
Melbourne has developed a reputation as one of the world’s most liveable cities and is now the country’s fastest growing capital city, with a population that is expected to almost double to 8 million people by 2050. We believe that a food system that can support eight million people, and enable all to thrive, needs to be healthy, sustainable, resilient and socially inclusive — from paddock to plate. We also believe that a flourishing local food economy, is not only good for business, it’s also good for people and planet.
Since 2013 City of Melbourne, Doing Something Good, and Open Food Network have been working together to support the people, communities and organisations working to improve our local food system. Since 2015, through our Local Food Launchpad program, we’ve worked with dozens of passionate, inspiring and creative Melburnians to develop their ideas for local food ventures, and grow their ability to innovate, collaborate and shape a better food future.
Read about the 11 inspiring and innovative local food ventures that came out of the 2016 Local Food Launchpad here.
“The LFLP drew together a fascinating group of people with inspiring ideas of how to change our food system. Working together to develop these ideas into projects, under the guidance of the Doing Something Good team, was a really valuable experience.”
“Just having the space to play with ideas in a setting where everyone was in the same frame of mind was really incredible. It was a great think tank, and its been amazing to see how everyone else’s projects have developed and collaborate with other LFLP people in the last few months.”
“A terrific structured program that was results orientated.”
We’d like to help you take your bright idea to the next stage, and get you and your venture ready to launch.
We’re looking for people who have a passion for local food and a bright idea for a new product, service, enterprise, campaign or community project that they believe will contribute to:
- increasing food production in Melbourne, and/or
- increasing opportunities for Melburnians and visitors to Melbourne to purchase locally and regionally-grown food.
If this sounds like you, then we’d love you to join us for the 2018 Local Food Launchpad.
What you’ll get as a Local Food Launchpad participant
Apply now for the 2018 Local Food Launchpad program and over ten consecutive weeks, our experienced team of facilitators, presenters and mentors will help you get ready to launch, go for funding, build your team, find partners, or whatever it is that you need to take that next big step with your local food venture.
Through face-to-face presentations, practical workshops, group coaching circles, and mentoring sessions you’ll:
- grow your understanding of key issues, challenges and opportunities in the food sector;
- learn how to identify, engage with, and grow your target audience;
- discover how to develop products and services that your customers will love — and how better understanding their needs can help you grow your business, innovate and make a difference;
- connect with and learn from some of Australia’s most passionate, innovative and inspiring “foodpreneurs”;
- learn a simple and transformative approach to testing and continually improving your big idea — that will save you an incredible amount of time, money and potential heartache, and
- grow your capability to innovate, collaborate, be strategic and make an impact.
Join us for the 2018 Local Food Launchpad and you will leave with:
- a completed Business Model Canvas and Value Proposition Canvas;
- a strategic Communications and Engagement Plan;
- a prototype of your local food venture that has been tested and refined;
- an engaging and informative Pitch Deck to present to prospective partners, funders, supporters and team members;
- a solid understanding of key principles and practices of Design Thinking, Lean Startup, social innovation and systems change, and
- a Launch Plan mapping out the steps you need to take to launch your big idea.
You will be provided with tools, templates and a range of resources to help you develop your local food venture, or any other project you may be working on now or in the future.
Most importantly, you will become part of a growing community of Launchpad mentors and ‘fellows’ that will share the journey with you and support you along your road to success.
About the 2018 Local Food Launchpad program
PROGRAM SCHEDULE
The Local Food Launchpad program is made up of over a dozen practical modules delivered over ten weeks. The program kicks off with a full weekend Bootcamp on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 April, followed by weekly sessions every Wednesday evening (6pm-9pm) from 11 April — 6 June, with a final full weekend Clinic on Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 June, ending with Pitch Night Sunday 27 June*.
This year the Local Food Launchpad program will also feature a full day immersive industry session (Thursday 10 May) as part of Melbourne Knowledge Week. Participants will get the chance to hear from some of Australia’s most passionate, innovative and inspiring “foodpreneurs”, and meet other Victorians working to improve our food system.
Local Food Launchpad Pitch Night, provides a unique opportunity for Local Food Launchpad participants to present their big ideas to potential funders, partners and team mates. It’s also a celebration of the great work participants have done throughout the program and is also open to family, friends and other supporters.
Details on Pitch Night will be available after the commencement of the Local Food Launchpad program.
AVAILABLE PLACES
We’ll be taking up to 12 teams (maximum of three people per team) in this year’s Local Food Launchpad. If you’re just getting started and you don’t have a partner or team yet, we still encourage you to apply, but past experience has shown us that it significantly helps to have someone else to work with you on your project, someone who will be learning what you are learning and who you will be able to share an understanding of the concepts, theory, tools and practices with. So if you can, recruit a team mate or buddy with whom you will be able to share the journey.
REGISTRATION FEE
Programs like the Local Food Launchpad, can cost $5,000 or more for participants. Thanks to City of Melbourne, Open Food Network, and the generosity of our mentors and volunteer team, we’re able to offer places in the 2018 Local Food Launchpad for considerably less.
The registration cost per team (of one to three people) is:
> One person: $595
> Two people: $795
> Three people: $945
Your registration fee covers participation in all 11 face-to-face Local Food Launchpad sessions, Food Day at Melbourne Knowledge Week and Pitch Night, as well as additional time with mentors, materials, access to online resources, and food and drinks at each of the sessions.
Successful applicants will need to pay their team’s registration fee in full upon acceptance of their place in the program, no later than Wednesday 11 April 2018.
LOCATION
Local Food Launchpad sessions will be held at Ross House on Flinders Lane in Melbourne’s CBD — a short walk from Flinders St Station.
> If you’d like to be notified when the full program has been released, when the venue has been confirmed, or of other Local Food Launchpad news, please subscribe for email updates here.
Interested in applying for the 2018 Local Food Launchpad?
Make sure you get your application in by midnight (12:00am)
on Sunday 25 March 2018.
Application Criteria
Do you have an idea for a product, service, enterprise, campaign or community project that you believe will contribute to:
- increasing food production in Melbourne*, and/or
- increasing opportunities for Melburnians and visitors to Melbourne to purchase locally and regionally-grown food.
Are you dedicated to improving Melbourne’s food system and making it healthier, sustainable, resilient and socially inclusive?
Can you, or a team member, commit to attending at least 10 out of the 11 Local Food Launchpad sessions?
Do you have at least five hours per week, in addition to Local Food Launchpad sessions, to work on your project and complete the required program activities?
If you can answer yes to all of these questions, then we invite you to apply for the 2018 Local Food Launchpad.
*Please note that this year the boundaries for the program have been extended beyond City of Melbourne local council area to the Greater Melbourne Metropolitan Area.
Important Dates
Wed 14 March — Local Food Launchpad Concept Development Workshop
Sun 25 March — LFLP 2018 Applications Close, 12:00am (midnight)
Thu 29 March — Successful applicants notified via phone
LOCAL FOOD LAUNCHPAD PROGRAM SESSIONS*
Sat 14 April — LFLP Session 1, 9:00am-4:30pm
Sun 15 April — LFLP Session 2, 9:00am-4:30pm
Wed 18 April — LFLP Session 3, 6:00pm-9:00pm
Wed 25 April (ANZAC Day) — LFLP Session 4, 6:00pm-9:00pm
Wed 2 May — LFLP Session 5, 6:00pm-9:00pm
Thu 9 May — Melbourne Knowledge Week Day Session & Dinner, 10:00am-9:00pm
Wed 16 May — LFLP Session 6, 6:00pm-9:00pm
Wed 23 May — LFLP Session 7, 6:00pm-9:00pm
Wed 30 May — LFLP Session 8, 6:00pm-9:00pm
Wed 6 June — LFLP Session 9, 6:00pm-9:00pm
Sat 16 June — LFLP Session 10, 9:00am-4:30pm
Sun 17 June — LFLP Session 11, 9:00am-4:30pm
Wed 27 June — PITCH NIGHT — 6:00pm-9:00pm
*Session dates and times subject to change.
How to Apply
Submitting your Local Food Launchpad Application is simple. All you need to do is fill out an online application with just a few paragraphs about you and your project — less than 600 words in total — the equivalent to about one page of text. No references, business plans or pitch decks needed.
Start working on your application now
We suggest you start working on your application now. Start by drafting responses to the application questions which you’ll find here. Make sure you give yourself plenty of time — applications close Sunday 25 March at 12:00am (midnight).
To give yourself the best chance of submitting a successful application, we highly recommend joining us for the Local Food Concept Development Workshop on Wednesday 14 March (details below). More than two-thirds of the total number of successful applicants for the 2016 Local Food Launchpad, participated in the 2016 Concept Development Workshop.
Once you’ve completed your draft application, and are ready to submit your application, head straight to the online Application Form. You can review and edit your submission right up until when applications close on Sunday 25 March.
Improve your application: join us for the Local Food Concept Development Workshop Wednesday 14 March.
If you’re interested in applying for the 2018 Local Food Launchpad, or just want to learn more about the program, we highly recommend that you join us for the Local Food Launchpad Concept Development Workshop on Wednesday 14 March, 6pm-8:30pm at Artplay at Birrarung Marr (on the Yarra River near Federation Square).
At the Concept Development Workshop you will:
- learn more about the issues with our current food system, and the benefits for all Melburnians in a healthy, sustainable, secure and socially inclusive food system
- get an insight into emerging opportunities for local food products, services and other ventures
- find out about the Local Food Launchpad program and experience in more detail – from us and from Local Food Launchpad 2016 participants
- be taken through a design-led process to draw out and develop key aspects of your big idea for a local food initiative to improve your Local Food Launchpad application.
Learn more about the 2018 Concept Development Workshop and register here.
Remember, applications for the 2018 Local Food Launchpad close at midnight on Sunday 25 March 2018. Successful applicants will be informed by phone on Thursday 29 March.
If you have any questions about submitting your application, please get in touch with David Hood via email at david[at]doingsomethinggood.com.au
> If you’d like to keep up with Local Food Launchpad announcements and other Good Food Project news, you can do so by signing up for updates here. You can also join the conversation online by following @GoodFoodProj on Twitter, liking Doing Something Good on Facebook, and following Doing Something Good on Instagram, and by using hashtag #LFLP18.
What past Local Food Launchpad participants have said about the program
“Just having the space to play with ideas in a setting where everyone was in the same frame of mind was really incredible. It was a great think tank, and its been amazing to see how everyone else’s projects have developed and collaborate with other LFLP people in the last few months.”
“…each session I was able to go away and progress the project based on what was discussed. In addition, the contacts were great to discuss the project with and also find out what else was happening in this field.”
“The LFLP drew together a fascinating group of people with inspiring ideas of how to change our food system. Working together to develop these ideas into projects, under the guidance of the Doing Something Good team, was a really valuable experience.”
“Collection of a range of tools to help me think about business development in a structured manner.”
“Meeting other food networkers from vegan to food waste minimisation projects. One thing bound us together which was to change the status quo around food.”
“Personal connections with amazing people in the sustainable food space…. met some great people who I have stayed in contact with.”
Local Food Launchpad 2018 Partners
The Local Food Launchpad is brought to you by Doing Something Good in partnership with City of Melbourne and Open Food Network. If you’re interested in supporting the Local Food Launchpad as a volunteer or Launchpad partner, please contact David Hood via email at david[at]doingsomethinggood.com.au
