For anyone who’s ever dreamt of launching their own marketing and comms agency for the plant-based movement, an association for plant-based chefs, an accelerator for vegan influencers, or any other not-for-profit initiative aimed at removing animals from the global food system, this will come as exciting news.
Kickstarting for Good is ProVeg International’s new program to help launch and grow new nonprofits, impact initiatives and social startups working on food system transformation.
It will be run by the ProVeg Incubator, which already runs a twice-yearly accelerator program for commercial food-tech startups working on plant-based, fermentation and cultivated food products, platforms and technologies.
Kickstarting for Good is the world’s first incubator and accelerator program aimed specifically at nonprofit organizations, impact initiatives, and social startups working on transforming the food system.
“ProVeg has a long track record of kickstarting new initiatives and organizations in the food and animal advocacy sector, including the vegan lifestyle trade fair Veggie World, 50by40 – a global coalition of organizations dedicated to cutting the global production and consumption of animal products by 50% by 2040 – and the Animal & Vegan Advocacy (AVA) Summit,” said Sebastian Joy, Founding President at ProVeg International. “Having established a one-of-its kind food tech startup program, the ProVeg Incubator, we are now launching a parallel program tailored to the needs of founders of not-for-profit and impact organisations.”
Who is it for?
ProVeg is looking to hear from candidates who either already have a high-potential idea for a new initiative or organization, or who have the drive and desire to take forward one of the organisation’s pre-identified ideas.
“We’re looking for the best founders to execute the ideas that will have the biggest positive impact on the world’s food ecosystem,” said Albrecht Wolfmeyer, Director of the ProVeg Incubator. “We’ve identified a whole series of high-impact ideas, so we invite people to apply whether they have an existing idea or not. We’ll train you and introduce you to the right people to make this big idea come to life.”
Why take part?
Those selected will get to participate in an 8-week program with a tailor-made curriculum, expert mentoring and exclusive networking opportunities, culminating in a funding-focused Demo Day. Founders will get to team up with like-minded co-founders, spend two intensive weeks in Berlin, and receive a grant of up to 5,000 euros to cover travel and accommodation costs.
About the program
Kickstarting for Good is the world’s first program focusing on high-impact nonprofits, impact initiatives and social startups in the food and animal advocacy sector.
- Focus on impact: Kickstarting for Good’s program is tailored to meet the objectives and needs of impact-focused social entrepreneurs in the alternative-protein and animal-advocacy space.
- Integrated approach: The program will feature an integrated, hands-on approach that combines incubation and acceleration together with learning and networking.
- Network: The program comes from an international food awareness organization with a proven track record of spin-off interventions and organizations, along with a global network.
- Ecosystem: The program is part of ProVeg’s first-of-its-kind startup incubator with a unique position and ecosystem of founders, mentors, and industry professionals.
The two-month program offers an intensive curriculum with exclusive networking opportunities. The program includes two intensive periods in Berlin in October and December; it culminates in a funding-focused Demo Day. Selected participants each receive a grant of up to 5,000 euros to cover travel costs and the time needed for the program.
The program delivery team of founders, funders, mentors, and researchers will help participants to identify the best approaches and right co-founders, validate their idea, set budgets, dive into cost-effectiveness, develop a theory of change, and learn the fundraising ropes.
Participants will be matched with experienced mentors and advisors from ProVeg’s international team and network, who are experts in non-profit management.
What sort of initiatives does it include?
The team is open to applications from people with a range of not-for-profit ideas for transforming the food system and reducing the global consumption of animals.
It also has a series of ready-made ideas for applicants to take on. These include:
- World Society for Plant-Based Chefs: a professional association of plant-based chefs
- Nutritionists Fellowship: a fellowship program to identify, support, and promote promising plant-based nutrition influencers
- Accelerator for social media influencers: an organization or program that supports vegan and plant-based influencers to increase their reach.
- Marketing and comms agency for the plant-based movement: a global community of animal advocates providing marketing, communications, and design expertise to accelerate plant-based initiatives.
- Meta-fundraising organization: a new organization focused on raising money for vegan advocacy organizations, initiatives, and projects
- Vegan Thesis: a global platform to identify impactful thesis topics for the plant-based and farmed animal movements
- Vegan ‘Checkoff’ Program: a program or organization to encourage plant-based businesses to contribute a percent of sales to marketing and public relations for plant-based eating.
- Early Action Network: A reboot of the existing Early Action Network that connects and supports organizations, groups or individuals working on veg-friendly eating and food awareness education in schools.
How to apply
The team are seeking applications now for their first cohort which will start in October 2023. The closing date for applications is 22 August. Applicants looking to work on their own idea should apply as soon as possible. Interviews will be held from the second week of September.
Find out more about Kickstarting for Good at provegincubator.com/kickstartingforgood
Find out more about the ProVeg Incubator at provegincubator.com
ENDS
To stay up to date with all the latest news about the ProVeg Incubator, go to our website or follow us @provegincubator on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.
Contact:
Vicki Sagar
Senior Marketing & Communications Manager
ProVeg Incubator
