Wholesale Readiness Program
Program Overview
Eligibility & Cost
What You Will Learn
Program Details
Are you an early-stage, but established food entrepreneur selling a consumer packaged good (CPG)? Are you primarily selling direct to consumer (D2C) and ready to begin selling to stores in your region? Join the Franklin County Community Development Corporation (FCCDC) and the Sustainable Business Network of Massachusetts (SBN) from January to May 2025 to learn from industry experts and entrepreneurs like yourself who have grown their CPG brands in the Northeast.
This program is open to established food CPG businesses who:
Utilize at least one locally grown ingredient in their products
Have at least one year of direct to consumer (D2C) sales
Have a baseline understanding of their production and operational costs
Can commit to at least eight program sessions
Are located in the Northeast (New England & New York)
This is a hands-on program that requires a commitment to be successful. You are a perfect candidate to join our program if you are willing to put in the work to scale your business.
Funding is provided by the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Local Food Promotion Program; there will be no cost to participants.
This program will cover:
Cost analysis, pricing, and profit margins
Market analysis, marketing, and branding
Sales strategy and developing relationships with store buyers
Working with food distributors
Production planning and scale up, including working with co-packers
This program will be hosted primarily online via live sessions on Zoom between January and May of 2023 with an optional (in-person) final event:
Ten 1.5 hour virtual workshop sessions (required)
Eight 1 hour virtual office hour sessions (suggested)
One in-person gathering/wrap up session (optional)
Virtual Speed Trading Matchmaking Event (optional)
In-person SBN Local Food Trade Show (optional)
Sessions include a mix of:
Presentations by industry experts
Panel discussions with industry experts and buyers
Group discussion
Prework assessments and suggested homework
Participants who attend all sessions will qualify for:
Specialized marketing & waived fees at the Local Food Trade Show (March) hosted by the Sustainable Business Network of Massachusetts (SBN)
Free counseling sessions throughout program with program facilitators
Free technical assistance hours (up to three) from a menu of industry professionals including experts in branding, marketing, sales, fundraising, product development, food safety, & more
Subsidized prototype trial at the Western Massachusetts Food Processing Center
