FANMail October

This post is part of our monthly FANMail newsletter for everything Sunshine Coast Food & Agribusiness.

Join for free and stay up to date with the industry!

This month I had the opportunity to participate in a round table discussion on manufacturing opportunities for our region – where I was pleased to see that the local food industry was well represented. During this session, it was announced that the next round of the Manufacturing Modernisation Fund will open soon. We encourage interested members to be ‘grant ready’ for this significant opportunity.

We had another fantastic turn-out for our October member event, at H eads of Noosa. Thank you to Craig and the team for hosting us – for another great evening of conversations and connections.

We also greatly appreciate the positive feedback on these newsletters – much time and effort go into curating relevant information and resources for our members, so your input and feedback is appreciated and helps shapes how we can best provide value to our community.

Yours in collaboration,
Emma Greenhatch

FAN News & Updates

Important AGM Information

Official notification of FAN’s 2020 AGM will be sent on Tuesday 3rd November. Please keep an eye out for details in your inbox and via our socials.

Manufacturing Modernisation

The next round of the Manufacturing Modernisation Fund is due to open soon. This fund allows for co-funding grants of between $50,000 and $1 million and is open to SMEs with up to 199 employees. This round is expected to be highly competitive and we strongly encourage interested business to be grant-ready. Three FAN members were successful in the last round, securing significant funds to further their business growth. Contact FAN’s grant writing partner Jen Lawson Succesful Grants for more details.

Knowledge at your fingertips

Jump over to FAN Connect to check out the latest resource on optimising the visibility of your website – kindly supplied by FAN Partner Sparx Digital. The team have provided some great simple tips on integrating your socials and improving your site’s search-ability.

National Manufacturing Strategy

The Federal Government is seeking input on its $1.5 billion Modern Manufacturing Strategy, of which food and beverage is identified as one of six priority areas. To implement the strategy, road maps will be developed to set the direction for each priority area over the next 10 years. Consultation is being sought to identify the strengths and opportunities for scaling manufacturing in Australia. Your feedback will help to develop these road maps for each priority area, setting the strategic direction over the next ten years. Have your say HERE.

Christmas Gift Guide

Got a product or service that would make a great Christmas gift? Please send details and pic to the team, who are compiling this year’s FANtastic Christmas Gift Guide – which we will share across all our socials from mid November.

Welcome to our new members

This month we welcome Tipple & Tamper and 20 20 Distiller y to our FAN community.

Feedback, input and tips welcome!

Got suggestions, input, tips on what you’d like in FANMail – email us.

Member Resources

FAN Member News

New vEEF product lines

FENN Foods launched three new retail lines this month including the world’s first carbon-neutral plant-based mince. The company’s retail brand vEEF now offers consumers a choice of vEEF Classic Burger Patties, Chicken Style Burger Patties, vEEF Classic “Meatballs” and vEEF Mince. Fenn Foods will continue its focus on innovation, sustainability and deliciousness as it continues to grow in the plant-based meat space.

NightQuater Officially Opening

NightQuarter is finally set to rise… and they are celebrating their new Sunny Coast home with a huge opening weekend 6-8 November! Award-winning street food, night market and entertainment destination, NightQuarter, is coming to the Sunshine Coast. NightQuarter is a unique blend of street food, community and culture. It’s an ever-evolving festival with a kaleidoscope of different experiences, flavours and sounds every weekend. With an ethos of shared eating, shared experience and shared conversation, the shipping container urban playground will become a place for the local community to congregate. Find out more here.

Mary Valley Food Trail & Rail Event

This food and drink discovery tour from Creative Tours and Events – as part of Noosa Eat & Drink summer celebration has it all. Join the group and wind your way through the beautiful Noosa Hinterland stopping off for a coffee roastery tour and tasting than it’s off to Kandanga Farm Store for a tour and light refreshments before heading off to the charming village of Amamoor. Here you will join the classic Mary Valley Rattler and ride the historic rails through to Gympie Station. Onboard you will be treated to a tasting plate full of local produce, a cool beverage and be regaled with the history of the Mary Valley Rattler. INCLUDES: Return transfers from Noosa, Mary Valley Rattler rail experience with Tasting Plate and beverage of choice, coffee and roastery tour, farm tour with refreshments. Book here.

Sunshine Butterflies Community Workshop

Sunshine Butterflies this month held their first-ever Community Workshop – ‘Introduction to Bees’ which was a huge sold-out success. Guests had a fun and educational morning at their beautiful 5-acre community facility learning all about the life of Bees. Registered local Beekeeper John Writer provided a wonderfully informative workshop to all visitors on the environmental importance of Bees, how to begin your beekeeping journey and the processes behind hives and honey extraction. Head over to their page for details on the next unique workshop and info on the invaluable service they provide to our local community.

Better Business Tips with Bentleys

Planning for Business Recovery

If you’re one of the many businesses recovering from the impacts of COVID-19, the Federal Budget unveiled key opportunities that can be pivotal in helping you on your road ahead. With clarity on the support measures introduced, we discuss how you can approach planning for business recovery, and ensure you access your entitled benefits along the way. Read more about the opportunities here.

Part of carving out your road ahead also includes looking at where you are now – reassessing your business plan and undertaking a business health check. Our team of essential advisors can help you minimise risks and identify all of the opportunities for your business to maximise returns.

Need help? We offer FAN members a FREE no-obligation 30-minute meeting to discuss your business. Contact us today if you’d like to book an appointment.

Sponsor Spotlight

Sparx Digital

Does your online marketing inspire consumers to pay attention and take action? When you partner with the right digital marketing agency, you create a more powerful brand identity and achieve greater visibility online.

At Sparx Digital, you have a dynamic, transformative agency partner that has the creative spark and commitment to get you seen online. We help create lasting connections between people, products, and companies with a clever combination of storytelling, insight, and technology. Real results are achievable in terms of increased phones calls, website visits, and foot traffic to your business.

Our Sponsors

Special thanks to FAN’s Major Sponsors and Partners that provide significant resources towards the ongoing sustainability of FAN and the growth of our regions’ food and agribusiness industry.

Keep Up To Date

There’s plenty of ways to keep up-to-date with what’s happening at FAN. Follow us at the links below, or share this copy of FANMail with others.

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What are these? These are private groups only for active FAN members, to help connect with other members. If you're an active FAN member, head above links and request to join.

FANMail October

FANMail October

This post is part of our monthly FANMail newsletter for everything Sunshine Coast Food & Agribusiness.

Join for free and stay up to date with the industry!

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