Membership

The Academy

Training programmes to help your business thrive

Welcome to The Academy

Please note -  Applications for upcoming programmes with The Academy are currently closed. If you have any questions, please contact the-academy@foodanddrink.scot

Over the past few years Scottish businesses in the food and drink sector have faced continuous challenges. With an everchanging market, it can be difficult to make the right decisions that provide short term stability and long-term growth. The Academy can help with this.

Big business or small, The Academy is here to help make sure you have the knowledge to compete in tough and changing markets and the expertise to make well informed decisions to aid in business growth in the UK grocery retail and foodservice markets.

This unique series of structured training programmes is designed by industry experts to enable real and sustainable business growth. Underpinned by tailored one-to-one mentoring, each programme matches the needs of your business with appropriate specialists. This approach also allows you to spend time on your personal development, enhancing your individual leadership skills.

The Academy delivers programmes in a way which minimises disruption and time away from your business and focuses you on practical solutions to help you achieve your goals.

Discover the programmes

The Academy offers a range of programmes designed to support both you and your businesses at every stage of your growth journey. To find out more and apply to The Academy, click on the course that is right for you.

Seeding Growth

Seeding Growth is aimed at newly established businesses or those at the start of their growth journey, or those starting out in the food & drink industry.

Find out more

Accelerating Growth

Accelerating Growth is for producers who are already trading with a multiple account and seeking to take their business to the next level.

Find out more

Commercial Excellence

Commercial Excellence is for well established, highly ambitious producers looking for significant growth in national UK markets.

Find out more

Is The Academy right for you and your business?

Our goal is to provide you and your business with a platform to upskill, innovate, knowledge-share and succeed. Through workshops and one-to-one mentoring, we’ll help you build your brand, better position your products, better understand your market and improve your decision-making to achieve stability to allow you to defend and grow your market share.

No matter whether you’re a two-person start-up or a renowned, established brand we can offer you the expertise you need to give your business the competitive advantage.

Our in-depth training programmes will:

  • Assign you a mentor dedicated to seeing you succeed
  • Provide you with expert support to make strategic decisions
  • Show you how to unearth relevant insights in market, customer and category data
  • Teach you how best to position and strengthen your brand
  • Demonstrate how to build crucial trading relationships and negotiation skills with buyers
  • Improve your long-term business plan and help you prioritise next steps
“I feel I have grown in confidence and business acumen from attending the course and feel better equipped to plan the next stage of our growth.” – Kim Cameron, Gin Bothy Ltd. (Seeding Growth Graduate)

 

“Will’s support with interpreting complex market data has been really helpful, without which I would not have been able to extract as much from the insights as I have done, this learning will also allow me to interpret future data, charts and insights.” – Karen Knowles, Bon Accord (Accelerating Growth Graduate)

Not sure what programme is right for you? Use our programme selector tool to help you decide.

Use our programme selector

For any questions about how The Academy can strengthen your skills and help you grow, read our FAQs or contact us on the-academy@foodanddrink.scot

The Academy is applicable to food and drink producers or manufacturers based in Scotland, who have a trade ready product. No third-party consultants, sales representatives, agencies or supply chain operators (including logistics, wholesalers, foodservice and retailers). Full Terms & Conditions can be read here.

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