Might your local food project qualify for the ‘A Team Challenge’?
By rob hopkins 8th November 2013
Every now and then a funding opportunity comes along which looks ideal to Transition groups, or at least to one aspect of their work. We were excited to see the other day that the A Team Foundation, Funding Enlightened Agriculture (FEA) and Buzzbnk have come together to create a funding solution which will enable food and farming projects to get the funds and support they need to move forward.
If you feel that your project might qualify, and this looks like just the kind of enlightened funding you’ve been looking around for, find out more about it, and how to apply, on the Bzzbnk site page.
They are looking for projects in the following areas of agriculture:
- Horticulture, especially organic horticulture, and those variants that are classed as biodynamic, or are within the broad category of permaculture, and especially when practised within city boundaries or on the edge of cities, which is grown primarily for the benefit of local communities, to create employment for young people or to support jobs for vulnerable people.
- Organic, or biodynamic farming practice (this does not need to be certified, but applicants will need to demonstrate that they are practising organic or biodynamic principles).
- Small-scale mixed farming (again organic in principle though not needing to be certified as such, and geared to serving local communities) in which crops (both arable and horticultural) and livestock are integrated synergistically; for example in which animals feed primarily or exclusively on land or surpluses that would otherwise be wasted, and in turn help to cultivate the land and maintain its fertility.
- Enterprises involved in the marketing and distribution of food that provide an outlet for local food production including small-scale farmers and growers.
- Organisations should be UK based, although its impact could be geographically wider.
They aim to support small enterprises that are in line with the principle of Enlightened Agriculture which is that: “Farming, horticulture and food distribution be expressly designed to provide everyone everywhere with food of the highest quality, nutritionally and gastronomically, without wrecking the rest of the world”. The basic approach is that of “agro-ecology”.
If you feel that your project might qualify, and this looks like just the kind of enlightened funding you’ve been looking around for, find out more about it, and how to apply, on the Bzzbnk site page.
Established organisations as well as new enterprises and new entrants to the field will be considered. Do let us know how you get on.