Everything starts with an idea, the rest is where we come in.

Catalyst is NZFIN’s flexible, one-on-one coaching service that helps food & beverage innovators evaluate, validate, and turn ideas into commercially viable F&B businesses. Working alongside you, this bespoke offering builds your innovation capability and connects you to the right partners to prepare and guide you through every stage of the pathway. Founders begin with a 90-minute Innovation Baseline Assessment to benchmark their current capabilities and identify key areas for support over 5 modules.

Topics Include:

• • Value proposition and market validation,
  • Strategy and business model/innovation design,
  • Innovation road-mapping and IP considerations
  • Pitch preparation, and early-stage fund raising considerations

Catalyst is for you if you want to:

• • Benchmark and build your innovation capability with best-practice tools and frameworks
  • Develop and test your Strategy to gain clarity on scaling a food & beverage to build your innovation roadmap to commercial success
  • Prepare thoroughly to engage with key stakeholders (e.g., funders, investors, and contract manufacturers)

Feeling stuck on what will take your brand to the next level? This 12-week programme, is for busy founders who want to grow profitably and feel in control of what comes next. You’ll create a 12-month growth plan, backed by expert coaching, a proven framework, and a community that gets it.

Topics Include:

• Defining Success – clarify where you’re heading
• Market & Business Analysis – uncover critical insights
• Growth Roadmap – focus your time, budget, and marketing 
• Execution with Impact – turn your plan into action 

Rise Growth Lab is for you if you:

• Are in market and at a crossroads for your next steps
• Want to refine your FMCG strategy, messaging, and activation
• Want a growth roadmap for near- and long-term resource allocation
• Want connections to industry experts and like-minded founders

Jumpstart is a self-directed online training course, delivered in partnership with BFGs. It gives you the core knowledge to navigate food and beverage product development in New Zealand and bring products to market. Designed for those without a technical background, it uses a food technology lens to quickly build foundational F&B industry knowledge.

Topics include:

• Product development and concept validation
• Packaging, food safety, shelf life, sensory, labelling and compliance
• Scale up, commercialisation, sales, and distribution considerations
• Costing and margins (including costing and margin templates)

Jumpstart is for you if you:

• Are a startup preparing to launch your first F&B product
• Want practical guidance on development and commercialisation
• Want the foundations to make informed decisions and work effectively with your team, industry partners, manufacturers, and customers