A program designed to help food and beverage producers in Charlottesville and the Shenandoah Valley grow and scale existing operations is set to launch next month.
The Virginia Small Business Development Center and Cureate Courses invite companies in the Charlottesville and Shenandoah Valley regions to apply for the inaugural cohort of the Food and Beverage Accelerator.
“This is an exciting opportunity for food and beverage businesses in the Charlottesville and Shenandoah Valley region to acquire the information and skills needed to take their company to the next level. Participation in this program will provide valuable tools for successful and sustainable growth,” said Chris Van Orden, the manager of the Craft Beverage Assistance Program at the Virginia Small Business Development Center.
Each week, participants will attend an interactive hour-long webinar where they’ll learn strategies to pivot toward new revenue streams, expand their production, enter new territories, and successfully scale.
Subject areas include:
- Establishing Your Unique Value Proposition
- Developing and Positioning Your Brand
- Identifying Sales and Growth Opportunities
In advance of each session, participants will individually work through in-depth e-modules taught by industry experts and complete assignments that impart useful skills and strategies.
At the culmination of the program, each founder will present a pitch for his/her company’s growth plan and receive actionable feedback from a select group of mentors.
Participants are expected to devote six to eight hours each week to the course, of which five to seven hours will take the form of self-directed work.
Kim Bryden, founder and CEO of Cureate, looks forward to seeing how selected business owners use the knowledge they acquire.
“I’m really excited to see what this cohort accomplishes through the training and mentorship provided,” Bryden said. “With Cureate Courses, we’ve put together a well-rounded program to help participants think through business development challenges as they scale. This opportunity can truly serve as a launch pad for ongoing success.”
In order to be eligible for the program, companies must be:
- Located in the Charlottesville or Shenandoah Valley region
- Planning for specific growth (e.g. territory, product lines, production scale)
- Producers of food and beverage products in the consumer-packaged goods category
The application period opened Monday and closes on Monday, March 8 at 5 p.m.
Selected companies will be notified by Friday, March 12, and the program begins the week of March 29.
Interested companies can apply here: forms.gle/ouzb4uu3uKSGoQgz6.
Questions can be directed to [email protected].
The program is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration.
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