Small-business accelerator Seedlab Australia is set to receive a further $7 million in funding from Woolworths over the next three years to help more small businesses grow their brands on supermarket shelves across Australia and New Zealand.
It comes as Seedlab commences the latest round of its free small business accelerator program with over 50 small ANZ businesses, and opens its door for applications for the next round.
Fully funded by Woolworths, Seedlab Australia will help producers of food, beverage, home and personal care products start, scale and grow through training and support from industry experts spanning business strategy, production, range, distribution and branding.
The program helps identify businesses with the potential to scale in high growth categories such as artisan foods, health and wellness, and more sustainable products. Those ready for retail distribution will have the opportunity to pitch directly to the Woolworths buying team.
Woolworths has supported Seedlab since 2021, providing $6 million previously to support 400 small businesses to participate in Seedlab’s programs for free. Out of the almost 400 businesses who have gone through the Seedlab small business accelerator programs, an increasing number are now ranged in national supermarkets across the country.
Seedlab Australia CEO and co-founder Dr Hazel MacTavish-West says: “This three-year commitment from Woolworths will be a game-changer for over 500 small business founders in Australia and New Zealand who will benefit from extra support to take their business to the next level.
“Together we have deconstructed the processes for pitching to, supplying into and working with national supermarkets and specialty retailers for our participants. We have already seen over 100 small suppliers cumulatively invest $26 million into their businesses, expand their production by over 210 per cent, and create 140 new jobs.”
Ms MacTavish-West leads a team of six business experts, who collectively have more than 185 years of commercial experience in food science, technology, retail, marketing, human resources and communications.
As part of the expanding partnership with Seedlab, Woolworths has announced that Seedlab’s Business Support Programs will now also be open to small businesses already supplying Woolworths Supermarkets for the first time. The intention is to help brands sustainably navigate the tricky growth phase involved in expanding their distribution.
Two of Seedlab’s earliest participants, Ambika Malvia and Vikram Kotibhaskar who founded Indian meal kit business Spicecraft, have gone on to increase their production tenfold. Spicecraft has created cooking kits to make traditional Indian foods, giving everyday cooks who love Indian food the ability to create delicious authentic meals in their own kitchen from scratch.
Ms Malvia says: “Before going through the Seedlab program, we weren’t sure if our product was retail ready or if it ever would be.
“Never in my wildest dreams did we think we’d be able to see our Indian Spice Kits at 400 Woolworths stores across the country. Seedlab gave us the confidence, skills, and relationships to take that next step.
“Going through the Seedlab programs has been an invaluable experience, not only for the knowledge that we gained, but also for the peers and mentors we met along the way.
“Being a small business owner can be very lonely at times, so it has been great to meet and connect with other small business owners, who have been able to help us workshop problems or brainstorm ideas for our business.”
Woolworths Chief Commercial Officer Paul Harker says: “Partnering with Seedlab, we’re able to help give small businesses a crash course in supermarket retail and invest to help them grow.
“So far, we’ve seen 400 businesses go through the Seedlab Accelerator Program, helping them become retail ready, with some now stocked on our shelves and available to our customers to enjoy.
“Investing in small businesses is crucial to a flourishing local food and manufacturing industry, and we’re excited to continue to work with small businesses like Spicecraft, and to see them thrive in our stores.”
Seedlab Australia delivers its unique and proven program online, via live meetings and on-demand video content, in addition to one-on-one tailored advice to participants, masterclasses and workshops, with unique pitch opportunities to Woolworths via its twice-yearly Expo events.
Small producers and manufacturers who are interested in participating in the Seedlab program can visit seedlabaustralia.com.au for more information and take their first step to starting their Seedlab journey.