Registrations now open for the Local Business Incubator 2022

It’s time for the third iteration of The Spinneys Local Business Incubator, which was launched in 2020 to help identify and support entrepreneurial ambitions and develop businesses within the FMCG sector in the UAE. Since then, the programme has been through two successful cohorts – offering entrepreneurs a quick route to market with several benefits.

The programme is a way to fast-track supermarket listings for innovative businesses in a bid to support local food production and stimulate economic growth in the sector.

In its first year, the Local Business Incubator launched 14 new brands with a further six in development phase. In 2021, five among more than 125 candidates emerged as the cream of the crop.

Some of the previous finalists who have shot to success include the likes of The Botanist, Kimri, BRW Society, Namastea, Zahra’s Kitchen, Hawa Water, among others.

Since its launch, the initiative has been praised by the UAE government’s Food and Water Security office for its contribution to The National Food Security Strategy.

The 2022 Local Business Incubator will continue to reward local food producers and manufacturers in the UAE for their innovation. This year’s programme will run with a shorter exclusivity period of six months instead of 12, allowing businesses to grow faster and expand further with other retailers.

Registrations open on Friday, 1 July and will close on Wednesday, 31 August. Those selected for the next stage will be contacted by Spinneys with further information.

REGISTER HERE

The Selection Process

1. All prospective suppliers must submit a presentation in a digital format. This could be a PowerPoint presentation, video, etc.
2. The presentation needs to detail the customer need, the product or concept, the business plan and the person behind the business.
3. The panel will review and shortlist potential businesses.
4. Shortlisted businesses will be invited for a face-to-face session to present their concept and answer questions posed by panel members.
5. The panel will then select businesses to list into Spinneys stores.
6. There is no fixed number of businesses that will be shortlisted or listed. This will be at the discretion of the panel and based on the merit of each individual idea.

Eligibility Criteria

1. The company must be registered in the UAE.
2. The owner(s) of the company must be a UAE resident or citizen.
3. The product needs to be manufactured or produced in the UAE.
4. The company should not already be trading with a supermarket group within the UAE. Companies can already be trading in pure online, market stall or independent retailers.
5. The product concept need not already be in production.
6. The product needs to be suitable for supermarket retail and aligned with Spinneys’ brand guidelines and values.

Spinneys Commitments

1. Spinneys will list the products in suitable stores for 12 months. There is no minimum number of stores and the distribution is subject to change during the 12-month period.
2. Spinneys will not charge any account opening fees, product listing fees or other up-front fees that can be considered a barrier to entry.
3. Payment terms will be 7 days from receipt of invoice.
4. Spinneys will not charge for a feature in any online/social media marketing content.
5. Suppliers will be entitled to a minimum of one gondola feature every 3 months without charge. Further secondary sittings can be agreed upon at the discretion of the commercial team.
6. Spinneys will provide content for the selected companies on the spinneys.com groceries website.
7. Spinneys will provide and cover all costs for one weekend of in-store sampling.
8. Spinneys will provide regular coaching sessions with senior commercial and marketing management during the 12-month period if requested.

Supplier Commitments

1. The shortlisted suppliers agree to sell exclusively to Spinneys for a period of 6 months. On expiry of the term, the suppliers will be free to list with other retailers. Suppliers can continue any existing trade channels that were in operation prior to the commencement of supply to Spinneys.
2. The supplier commits to offer all future innovation to Spinneys on a first refusal basis for a period of 3 years from the commencement of supply.
3. The supplier commits to producing private label variants of any products manufactured by them if requested by Spinneys.
4. The supplier agrees to participate in all marketing and social media content deemed necessary by Spinneys.
5. The supplier commits to all other standard trade terms set out in CTA to remain compliant with all legal obligations.

Termination of Contract

1. Either party can terminate the agreement during the term with 12 weeks-notice in writing.

Renewal of Contract

1. On completion of 12 months of supply, the contract will automatically be terminated.
2. Spinneys commercial team will decide if they wish to continue to retail the products.
3. In the event of continuation, the supplier will migrate to standard business terms which will extend payment terms and introduce listing fees and other charges.