NEWBIE - New Entrant netWork: New Entrant Business Award
Awards
The Award includes €500 towards training or an international visit, as well as funding to cover the costs associated with making a farm video, a plaque for displays on farm and the opportunity to attend a Newbie conference with other national winners from across Europe. The conferences include the opportunities for training, learning and new business approaches and networking with other new entrants and their supporters. Award winners will be showcased on the Newbie website and in the national farming press. Information about the 2019 award winner can be found here.
Process
The Newbie UK team based at the James Hutton Institute (put link to web page here?) would like to learn more about you and your journey as new entrant. You could have come from any background to set up your business we would just like to know what made you start a farming business, what it covers and what you have achieved?
Just send us a short video (taken on your phone is ideal) 1 – 2 minutes maximum in length, telling us about you and your business. You can be as innovative as you like with the video! Please upload your video clip to us at newbieaward@hutton.ac.uk via www.wetransfer.com and in the message box mention this is an application for the 2020 Newbie Award. The UK Newbie Steering Group will select a shortlist of entries to go forwards to a second stage and those selected will be asked to an online video meeting to talk in more detail about your business. From there a winner will be selected.
Award applicants will have the opportunity to participate in a video production of their business approach. Supporting information about the Newbie project can be found on the following page. Any questions about the application or award process can be delivered to us.
Timeline
Applications will be accepted 19 November - 8 March. The final award will be announced Spring 2020
Evaluation of Applications
Eligibility
- Open to individuals or groups who have been operating an agricultural holding for 10 years or less.
- The business model must have been in place for two years or more (i.e. there must be evidence of the ‘success’ of the business model).
- Any age farmer is eligible.
- The applicant must make use of agricultural resources (e.g. care farming, farm diversification actions are included); the business should primarily be located on a farm.
- The applicant ban use whole farm approach, or new business activity within an existing farm operation (as long as this activity is owned by the new entrant).
- Applications will be evaluated by the Newbie National Steering Group. Eligible applications will be evaluated from the entirety of the application materials including a potential interview or farm visit. The National Steering Group will shortlist applications based on four evaluation criteria. When filling out applications, applicants should demonstrate how they meet these criteria. A Newbie winner may demonstrate how they meet each criteria evenly or how they especially excel in one or more areas.
- Please forward any questions to Adam Calo
(1) Novelty/Originality of product, market and or/service offered
A focus of the NEWBIE project is sharing innovative farm business models. We are looking to highlight new entrant farm operations that demonstrate originality (indicative of independent or creative thinking) or novelty (indicative of new products, markets or services) in their farm operation.
(2) Profitability and/or other societal impact
A focus of the NEWBIE project is identifying famr business pathways that offer economic resiliency and quality livelihoods. A Newbie prize winner will demonstrate evidence of financial stability, strong plans for financial viability, creative methods for financial success, and/or distribution of benefits to a wider community.
(3) Demonstrates a model for addressing key new entrant barriers (e.g. access to land, labour, markets, profitability)
In NEWBIE, we seek to share stories about new entrant farmers that have overcome the well known barriers to entry in order to inspire others. For example, if the new entrant is a successor, how are they managing the challenges of taking over a long running business with large expenses? If the applicant is new to farming, how have they overcome high costs of land? The Newbie winner should demonstrate resilience and creativity in solving theses challenges that all new entratns face.
(4) Replicability for other new entrants
In NEWBIE, we are describing models of exciting and promising new entrants that can be taken up by others who want to get into farming or resolve challenges asosciated with becoming a farmer. The final selection should demonstrate that their situation can apply to other new entrants.
A Focus on Resilience
In dynamic times, the 2019 Newbie Award winner will highlight a new entrant business model that demonstrates "resilience" across all of the evaluation criteria.This could be presented as economic resilience through sound financial planning, demonstrable ability to respond after a significant challenge or set back, and/or a business model that takes into account future challenges like climate change or Brexit.
