UPALMERE! asked Stijn Sprenkels of Wonderbit to tell something about participating in The Business Innovation Program Food. With the project Social Farmer, which is now a new startup, it participates in this program to improve local food chains.
Nowadays, many people are concerned about the way our food system is organised. The fact that vegetables grown in Flevoland are exported abroad, while we import vegetables from abroad, bothers many people. Stijn Sprenkels of software company WonderBit spoke to Jan-Albert Blaauw and Astrid Furlan, board members of Coöperatie Stadslandbouw Oosterwold, about their ideal short food chain. Their goal was to create a diverse range of locally grown vegetables and supply these products to local catering and retail outlets through an online platform. The expertises of Astrid, Jan-Albert and Stijn soon turned out to match so well that they decided to get serious about it. This led to the creation of the startup called "Social Farmer".
However, it was not easy to link all aspects of this short food chain and develop a profitable business model. Fortunately, a call came at the right time from UPALMERE! on LinkedIn to participate in the Business Innovation Program Food (BIPF). After a pre-selection, Social Farmer was selected to participate in this 10-week workshop program, where ideas are subjected to critical questions from various food industry experts. Within 10 modules, the project team will get answers to key questions that will form the basis for a sound business case.
BIPF helps Social Farmer make choices and focus on the steps needed to realise their dream: making an impactful contribution to the food transition.
In a future newsletter, we will keep you updated on further development around the startup Social Farmer and the Business Innovation Program Food. If you are curious about the people behind Social Farmer, feel free to contact Stijn Sprenkels at stijn@socialfarmer.nl.
Have you been inspired, and might you want to join a startup program yourself? Then keep an eye on the programmes!
