A three-day boot camp under the innovation challenge ‘Food Frontiers 2.0’ with the participation of young entrepreneurs concluded in the capital on Saturday.
A total of 23 participants from the top 15 startups took part in the boot camp held at a hotel in the capital.
The boot camp was arranged to impart training to the participants about new innovative model and technological solution for the supply of safe and nutritious foods for lower income people and the intake of those foods alongside making the whole campaign easier, said a press release.
Food Frontiers is an innovative challenge. The challenge’s aim is to identify new and innovative ways to reach lower-income consumers with nutritious food products; build the capacity of young entrepreneurs on a sustainable food systems approach and business skills for managing social enterprise.
The objective was to support innovative business models and technology-based solutions that could be implemented to increase access to nutritious foods, said the release.
Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Business Network, which is co-convened by the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), a Switzerland-based international organization, and World Food Programme (WFP) jointly organized the contest.
For details, you can log on the following link-- https://foodfrontiers.live/
The institutions which took part in the boot camp are Labana, MushHoom, Sufola, Farmzilla Foods limited, Noodles, Agriventure. Asia, adorsho praniSheba Limited, Amal Foundation, Leafy Farms, Novel Food Creation Ltd, Krishi Swapno, Cookants Ttd, KleanAgro, Konna wellbeing Ltd.
During the boot camp, business related development model, market research, making infrastructure for development of business and brand and consumer services came up for discussion. The discussants also talked about the strategy of collecting fund for business, structure of partnership and institutional agreement, monetary management, accounting and proper evaluation.
The event was told that as part of the contest investors’ nights with the participation of renowned investors and businessmen will be held on February 23, while the contest will come to an end through a grand ceremony on Feb 27 when the 12 selected entrepreneurs will present their startup and concept before the judges.
Campaign for the contest started from December 2 last year. As part of the initiative, online campaign, and road shows were held at six universities of the country.
There were three categories in the contest. Number one category is Inclusive Business Models for Reaching Lower Income Consumers; number two thematic area is Disruptive Technological Innovation; number three thematic area is Innovative Marketing Campaigns.
Six winners (two each from three categories) and one reserved prize for the International Nutrition Olympiad (INO) will get cash and pre-seed funding worth 35,500 US Dollars for implementing business plan, expansion of the business, and infrastructure development.
National Association of Small and Cottage Industries of Bangladesh and Bangladesh Agricultural University were the strategic partners of this event.