Project scope
Categories
Market research Competitive analysis Customer segmentation Community engagement Marketing strategySkills
competitive analysis target audience marketingStrengthening the Agri-Food Online Community
For over 20 years, Bioenterprise Canada has been accelerating agri-food businesses and building a strong network of partners, including accelerators, industry groups, academic institutions, investors, and, most importantly, entrepreneurs.
One of the most frequent challenges our entrepreneurs face is:
How can I connect with peers, engage with investors, and build meaningful partnerships in the agri-food sector?
We believe the solution lies in a thriving online community tailored to the agri-food ecosystem.
The Engine: Our Online Community
We have taken the first step by launching The Engine—our digital community—on the DISCO platform. (Preview it here: The Engine).
The Engine is more than just a networking community—it also serves as a centralized platform for the Bioenterprise team to efficiently manage memberships, process payments, and seamlessly integrate with our CRM for streamlined data tracking.
We now want to refine and expand The Engine by learning from other successful online communities.
Project Goals
This project will focus on two key areas:
1️⃣ Community Research
We want to explore existing online communities designed for entrepreneurs and the agri-food sector. This includes platforms like YODL, CAAIN, and others. We’ll analyze:
- Their purpose, audience, and engagement strategies
- How they facilitate networking, deal flow, and collaboration
- What makes them successful and where there are gaps
2️⃣ Technology & Platform Analysis
Beyond the communities themselves, we also want to assess the software platforms they run on. While The Engine is built on DISCO, we want to compare it to other tools to ensure we are using the best solution. This analysis will cover:
- Features like CRM, integrations, and user experience
- Costs and accessibility
- Strengths and weaknesses compared to other platforms
Deliverables
The final output will be a report or presentation that includes:
- A comparison of leading entrepreneur communities
- An evaluation of the technology platforms they use
- Key takeaways on what’s working and how we can improve The Engine
- Identification of gaps in the ecosystem and recommendations on whether Bioenterprise should address them
By gaining these insights, we aim to build a stronger, more valuable community for agri-food entrepreneurs—one that truly supports their growth and success.
Providing specialized, in-depth knowledge and general industry insights for a comprehensive understanding.
Sharing knowledge in specific technical skills, techniques, methodologies required for the project.
Direct involvement in project tasks, offering guidance, and demonstrating techniques.
Providing access to necessary tools, software, and resources required for project completion.
Scheduled check-ins to discuss progress, address challenges, and provide feedback.
Supported causes
The global challenges this project addresses, aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Learn more about all 17 SDGs here.
About the company
Bioenterprise Canada’s Food & Agri-Tech Engine is founded on advancing collaboration and cooperation across the agriculture industry in Canada. We’ve organized a team of industry experts and innovation advisors that bring extensive knowledge of agriculture from across the nation. By fostering that same collaboration in our own workplace, we’re confident that we can come up with solutions and strategies to help transform your business and scale up across Canada and beyond.