Philanthropic start-up accelerator, The Seed Fund opened for entry on Friday 1 February, offering 12 places on its summer Academy run in partnership with Great Taste, the world’s most coveted food awards. With a packed schedule covering branding, funding, finance, PR, social media and more, this year’s Academy will also feature a brand new investment Pitch Day held at Piper Private Equity in Notting Hill.

In a marketplace where 90% of food and drink start-ups currently fail, The Seed Fund sets out to provide the knowledge, mentoring and opportunities to ensure that these fledgling businesses are able to survive and thrive during their early years. Supported by handpicked industry experts including Renée Elliott, founder of Planet Organic, the Guild of Fine Food’s John Farrand and Camilla Barnard from Rude Health, the Academy delivers a game-changing series of workshops, presentations and one-on-one sessions, run between May and September.