Foodstuffs Emerge 2024

The search for New Zealand’s newest innovative product is over!

The 2024 Foodstuffs Emerging Supplier competition, Foodstuffs Emerge, has come to its thrilling conclusion, with two New Zealand FMCG businesses crowned as winners – Fuller Faster Oats in the start-up category, and The Lucky Taco in the small supplier category.

Start-up Category Winner FULLER - Faster Oats	Small Supplier Category Winner The Lucky Taco

  

Fuller Faster Oats (which create quick and easy overnight oats) and The Lucky Taco (which makes a range of authentic Mexican salsas and marinades) emerged victorious after a close final at Foodstuffs North Island’s Support Centre in Māngere on Friday 30 August, where ten finalists pitched their innovative products before a judging panel of industry leaders.

A range of exceptional entrants saw surprise awards issued on the day with judges presenting two ad hoc “highly commended” awards to Wonderland Chocolate in the small supplier category and to Firebird Protein Coffee in the start-up category.

The two winners have a busy road ahead, as they begin to scale up their operations and product for launch onto supermarket shelves. They will soon be meeting with Foodstuffs category managers to begin sharpening up their strategies to launch their products on New World shelves.

Congratulations to our 10 finalists in the Foodstuffs Emerge Supplier Competition!

The grand finale takes place on August 30th giving our finalists just a few more weeks to wait to see if they’ve qualified for a life changing prize and journey that will take them from small beginnings to being ranged in every New World store across Aotearoa!

Foodstuffs is once again on a mission to help bring emerging suppliers into the forefront through Foodstuffs Emerge, a national competition that will see the category winners get priceless support from Industry leaders and Foodstuffs mentors; plus, a fast-tracked journey for their product onto supermarket shelves in New World stores across the motu.

Supported by a plethora of industry partners with high credentials including, Precision Media, the Food Innovation Network, FMCG business mentoring experts, Rise Growth Lab and merchandising experts Hoop; the nationwide search has started with the aim of recognising, supporting and encouraging innovation within the grocery sector.

Last year’s competition saw Adam McConnochie from Solid, who took out the start up category and now just six months later has just introduced their innovative plastic free toothpaste to New World supermarkets across the country.  Herbivore the now four-year-old company bagged the small supplier category in the competition which allowed them to scale up quickly and fast-tracked ranging into New World stores nationwide.

Foodstuffs Emerge is a fantastic opportunity for grocery entrepreneurs to gain access to industry leaders and Foodstuffs mentors to take their new products on a fast-tracked journey from small beginnings to New World shelves across Aotearoa.

The successor to the brilliant FoodStarter competition, Foodstuffs Emerge, has evolved to encompass all FMCG creators - not just food and beverage innovators. If you can buy it in a supermarket, you can enter in Foodstuffs Emerge.

Foodstuffs Emerge is led by Foodstuffs and supported by New World. This unique nationwide platform plays a key role in both co-operatives commitment to be Here for NZ through support for their supplier communities and in turn, helping local communities to thrive.

 

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Entry Criteria

We are looking for:

• Sustainable aspects to your product/business
• Potential to disrupt within their category
• It can be any grocery category (excl alcohol, cigarettes & vaping products)
• New Zealand made & based
• Either not selling to any supermarkets or you might be registered vendor for either North or South Island
• Early stages of trading or already selling to a limited number of stores within a couple of regional areas
• Capacity and resource to scale up to get into New World Stores or to be able to expand on the current number of New World stores

Make sure to check out the template for the entry form here

What’s the prize?

• Foodstuffs to partner with winners to develop a strategy based on capacity/scalability & ability to supply to New World Stores
• Foodstuffs PR Time & Resource and paid media support
• Precision Media campaign package covering POS and e-comm up to the value of $30,000
• New Zealand Food Innovation Network Scale up support*
• Rise Growth Lab to provide a 6-month, monthly momentum package to both winners
• DDB 2hr strategy workshop and mini starter toolkit (based on design exploration)
• dunnhumby Emerging Supplier Snapshot
• Foodstuffs to provide a bespoke consultation on sustainable packaging with our Sustainable Packaging Manager

In addition the winner of the start up category will also receive:

• HOOP Brand Activation to provide a launch Merchandising package

* The prize is in-kind support from either FoodBowl in Auckland or FoodSouth in Christchurch (part of New Zealand Food Innovation Network). The services we can offer include advice, recipe development and prototyping at our food safe pilot plant. We may also be able to do small scale production (depends on the product)

 

Key Dates

• 8th May 2024: Entries open.
• 16th June 2024: Entries close.
• Late June 2024: Semi-finalists to be announced. All semi-finalists to prepare a longer application.
• July 2024: Long applications close.
• Late July 2024: Finalists announced.
• Final Event 30th August 2024: pitch night and winners announced
• Following the event: Winners start working with Foodstuffs and partners.