Circular Partnerships

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  Jack Clegg

  Founder & CEO, Platter
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  Jack Clegg

The challenge

Platter knew that its technology platform not only had the potential to create cost and time savings for buyers and sellers in the food wholesale sector, but also to reduce food waste while helping vulnerable communities.

The challenge was positioning its novel solution in the market to ensure maximum uptake among food wholesalers and manufacturers and finding the right partners to deliver these benefits at scale.

Platter identified local councils and public sector organisations as the partners best placed to both buy into the social aspect of its solution and to expand its reach through their networks.

How the Circular Partnerships programme helped

In early 2024, Platter joined ReLondon’s Circular Partnerships programme, which includes dedicated training, support and networking opportunities that connects companies with organisations working to create a greener and more circular city.

After an initial interactive training session, which helped Platter understand the motivations and decision-making processes of public sector organisations, the business worked with a professional copywriter to refine its proposition to align with the priorities of the councils and organisations it wanted to work with.

Platter was then able to pitch its proposal to London boroughs in a closed session as part of the One World Living London Councils programme, and to gain exposure to more than 100 public sector organisations and investors by creating a dedicated profile on ReLondon’s Circular Economy Matchmaker.

Our impact

By participating in the programme, Platter and its charity partner were able to submit a proposal to Hackney Council. This not only granted access to the local community, but also to other London boroughs, providing further opportunities to expand its customer base and drive growth.

On top of that, Platter has been able to:

• Strengthen its relationship with an existing buyer.
• Hire a new full-time founder’s associate.
• Take on part-time sales staff to boost business development opportunities.

Growing Communities

Growing Communities is an organic fresh fruit and vegetable wholesaler. As a not-for-profit business, it focuses on sustainability and fairness by paying farmers fairly and preventing farm-level food waste through its managed order system. It is also a Real Living Wage employer.

Every week, Growing Communities distributes more than 20 tonnes of fresh organic produce, sourced directly from 23 small and medium organic UK farms, feeding more than 4,000 households and 600 schoolchildren in London.

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  Zosia Walczak

  Deputy Director, Routes to Market, Growing Communities
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  Zosia Walczak

The challenge

When Growing Communities started ReLondon's Circular Partnerships programme, it was in the research and planning stage of supplying the public sector with fresh and sustainable produce. They aimed to understand:

• The needs and challenges of public sector procurement.
• How decisions are made.
• How they could adapt to supply them in the future.

At that time, Growing Communities had already achieved public sector traction, supplying two Hackney primary schools and Barking and Dagenham’s Holiday Activities and Food programme. With the capacity to supply more, the team sought guidance on enhancing this service and expanding to more schools, care homes and caterers.

How Circular Partnerships helped

During the programme, the team attended training designed for small businesses that help public sector organisations operate more effectively.

“The support has helped Growing Communities to improve its understanding of different public sector food supply routes and how and why public sector buyers make decisions,” said Deputy Director Zosia Walczak.

ReLondon also invited them to a closed session with eight public sector contacts to explore how small businesses can better work with organisations. Additionally, they benefited from ReLondon’s other programmes by:

• Accessing one-to-one support from a professional copywriter to improve brand positioning.
• Securing nearly £10,000 in grant funding.
• Showcasing the business to more than 100 investors and public sector users.
• Receiving monthly updates on funding and networking opportunities.

Our impact

The assistance from the Circular Partnerships programme has been invaluable. It helped the team understand public sector food supply routes and the reasons behind public buyers' choices.

By the end of the programme, the team:

• Developed a B2B and procurement business plan.
• Improved their marketing and sales approach.
• Enhanced service offerings.
• Built new partnerships.

Since then, Growing Communities has become a research partner in a four-year UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) programme called Procurement For Good, which examines how to improve opportunities for food buyers in schools, hospitals and other public sector organisations to include sustainable, locally sourced food in their menus.