Accelerate Growth | Food, Drink & Agriculture

Food and drink business leaders participate in the ONE Food, Drink & Agriculture Business Growth Programme. Its focus is to refine their business propositions, to test customer markets, provide insights to food and consumer trends, and consider routes to market entry. Programme content includes cost and pricing models, logistics, cash flow and financial management. Participants are then supported to develop and scale-up their businesses by mentors who are senior industry leaders with experience across manufacturing, retail, foodservice and food tourism through the ONE Food, Drink & Agriculture Mentoring Programme.

The North East Scotland Food & Drink Network, delivered in partnership by ONE and Aberdeenshire Council, provides a forum to focus on industry development issues and peer to peer learning.

Access to future skills and talent is a priority for north east Scotland's food, drink and agriculture industry to support its growth ambition. The sector needs clear vocational pathways and higher education skills provision to meet its demand for technical and business skills. The development of these training and learning opportunities forms part of a broader drive to attract new talent and new entrants at all career stages into the sector.

In 2018, in collaboration with Scotland's Rural College (SRUC) and RingLink Scotland, ONE co-funded and launched the first Shared Modern Apprenticeship in Agriculture that provides students with hands-on experience over a year at host farms in Aberdeenshire.