Pitch:
Propagate

⅓ of food in Australia and the world is wasted, contributing to just under 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions. To help address the issue of food waste, we need to work with new talent and support innovative ideas. We want to support, mentor and fund innovative food waste avoidance projects from students at the University of Newcastle.

Projects must:

• Focus on food waste avoidance 
• Have potential for financial sustainability
• Be able to be piloted within a 2-month period
• Specifically target 18-34yr olds
• Include at least one current UoN student
• Include team members aged between 18-34 years old.

Feedback Organic will host a pitching event on 7 April and will select two projects to support. The two projects will receive two months mentorship from Feedback Organic (or other suitable mentors) and $3,000 in project funding to develop and deliver their innovative food waste avoidance project targeting 18-34 year olds.

Teams can comprise of either individuals or groups of up to five people. At least one member of each team must be a current University of Newcastle (UoN) student. All team members must be aged between 18-34 years old.

Over a 2 month period between April to June 2022, a mentor will work with you to:

• Assess your idea
• Assist you to develop a detailed project outline and budget
• Support you to deliver your project

Assessment criteria

All entries will be assessed by a panel (with assessors from Feedback Organic, OzHarvest, Newcastle University, and the NSW EPA) based on the following criteria:

• Clarity of Problem: Ability to clearly describe the part of the food waste problem the team is looking to address
• Clearly articulate and demonstrate how your food waste avoidance project will encourage positive behaviour change
• Scale of potential impact on food waste avoidance
• Action plan: Clearly articulate next steps and how the funding will be used
• Deliverability of pilot within a 3-month time frame
• Potential for ongoing financial viability of your idea

Successful applicants will receive up to 18 hours of one-to-one support from their mentor. The program will involve facilitated sessions with your mentor and self-directed tasks. Suitable scheduling will be negotiated between you and the mentor.

Mentoring organisation

Feedback Organic is Growing Food’s Future by converting food waste into food for communities across the Hunter region. It establishes urban agricultural projects that create community-based solutions to the social issues of food waste and unsustainable food production.

Its aim has become increasingly focused on replicating this framework due to growing interest in the need to encourage behaviour change on local levels through accessible community education programs. Linking creative approaches to grow awareness around food production and food waste while yielding financially and environmentally viable returns, these community based approaches scale, expedite and create an ever evolving platform for the change we need.

Who can participate?

• All applicants must be between 18-34 years old.
• Applying as an individual: applicant must be a current UoN student.
• Applying as a team (up to 5 people): one applicant must be a current UoN student.

How does it work?

• Register and submit your 1-3 min video pitch by midnight on Friday 25 March 2022 via the Feedback Organic website’s Pitch:Propagate Register page (https://feedbackorganic.com.au/pitchpropagate/register).
  
• Shortlisted candidates will be invited to participate in a live in person pitching event on 7 April 2022 (10min pitch plus 10 mins of questions from panellists).
  
• Two projects will be selected by the panel of industry experts to develop and deliver a food waste avoidance project from April – June 2022.

Successful applicants will be required to sign an agreement which will contain additional terms and conditions in accordance with existing policies of Feedback Organic.

Successful applicants must provide Feedback Organic permission to promote and/or share the outcomes of their project. For the purposes of promoting Pitch:Propagate, the successful applicants must also agree to make themselves available for interviews, filming and other social media opportunities.

Registration

Accessibility

Applicants will need to provide information on their access requirements via the registration form.

The Pitch:Propagate mentorship guidelines and registration form are available in accessible formats upon request. Formats include word documents, audio files, and large print.

Rules and Guidelines

Read the Rules and Guidelines for more information.

Enquiries

Please contact David Sivyer, Director, Feedback Organic

Email: info@feedbackorganic.com.au or call 0407 219 305

With thanks to the NSW Environmental Protection Authority

This project is a NSW Environment Protection Authority Waste Less Recycle More initiative funded from the waste levy.