Food & drink firms hungry for success sought by ONE

● Opportunity North East rolls out third programme ● Firms nurtured to help accelerate growth ambitions

A public-private initiative aims to scale up ambitious food and drink businesses based in the North-east of Scotland and take them into potentially lucrative export markets.

Led and delivered by private sector economic development body Opportunity North East (ONE) and supported by Aberdeenshire Council and Aberdeen City Council, the business growth programme promises to equip new and early-stage firms with the skills and knowledge to “realise their growth potential”.

There are 12 places available on the programme for owners and managers of small food and drink producers as well as future leaders from larger, family-owned businesses. Up to two delegates per company can attend.

Starting at the end of next month, the “intensive” modular programme includes group workshops, peer-topeer learning, one-to-one coaching sessions and a best practicevisitoverfivemonths.

Delegates will be given the opportunity to make valuable connections within industry and gain a better understanding of the local and national business support network, ONE said.

Now in its third year, the business growth programme will see a greater focus on early identification of customer needs, analysing and validating demand for products, “challenging existing propositions” and tailoring products to provide “strong foundations for growth”.

Patrick Machray, chairman of ONE’S food, drink and agriculture board, said: “For two years, the Business Growth Programme has been an important part of ONE food, drink and agriculture’s strategy to accelerate the growth, profitability and employment in North-east food and drink businesses while enhancing the skills, knowledge and confidence of business owners and managers.

“The result is a group of ambitious businesses pursuing growth plans, which will contribute towards the wider regional and national Scotland Food & Drink Ambition 2030 target to double turnover to £30 billion by 2030.

“Businesses that have completed the programme reflect our region’s strengths across primary production, processing and manufacturing and have gone on to relocate into commercial premises, secure customer growth and national distribution and refine their value proposition leading to the development of new products.”

Peter Argyle, chairman of Aberdeenshire Council’s infrastructure services committee, said: “We recognise as a council just how important the food and drink industry is to the Aberdeenshire economy, as a sector with so much potential on an international scale. We are pleased to partner with ONE in the third year of this innovative programme.”