DairyBISS (Dairy Business Information Service & Support)
Business Plan Competition Guideline

1. DairyBISS background

Wageningen University Livestock Research as part of BENEFIT(Bilateral Ethiopia Netherlands Effort for Food, Income and Trade) promoted a project called Dairy Business Information service and support (DairyBISS)to stimulate private dairy sector development in Ethiopia with a financial support by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

The project is designed in consideration of the following key issues:

• The specialized medium and large scale dairy farms could be catalysts in local dairy development and could facilitate the further commercialization of smallholder dairy farming, as well as input & service delivery in their vicinity, once the farms can serve as example.
• Most dairy development initiatives, including the government extension system, provide limited support on knowledge and innovations that are suitable to medium and large scale specialized dairy farms.
• The private dairy sector (commercial medium and large scale dairy farmers, milk processors, input suppliers) lacks up-to-date knowledge and advice, skilled staff, exposure to new innovations, and international linkages.
• Introduction of new innovations and improvement of management at farms and companies is still very dependent on foreign expertise. A broader base of expertise and qualified staff is needed for the sector.
• The opportunity for private advice to medium/large scale commercial farms is growing. However, the capacity and knowledge level (technical, business development) of Ethiopian private advisors is still limited.

Therefore, by setting up a dairy business platform for networking, business development support, and capacity and knowledge base development, DairyBISS is aiming to increase the number of profitable farms and firms in the Ethiopian dairy sector through realizing the following three strategic objectives:

1. Develop and support a dairy business platform that becomes an effective private sector network for business development, B2B relations, business information, and learning;
2. Develop quality business information and examples of successful business cases to support business development;
3. Develop a pool of quality private business consultants/advisors for specialized commercial dairy farms and dairy related firms, as well as training modules for dairy business consultants/ advisors, farm managers, staff of milk collection centers, etc.

2. The ultimate for business plan competition

The productivity level of the commercial medium and large-scale dairy farms in Ethiopia is low among others due to poor management practices as result of lack of knowledge, application of outdated technologies and lack of proper management tools. The government extension service for dairy sector development mainly focuses to the needs of smallholder dairy farms and not on the right setup to serve technical advice to medium- and large-scale commercial dairy farms. The commercial dairy firms like dairy processing and feed processing industries, input and services providers and alike are also operating under their capacity due to absence of innovation, proper management etc.,. Access to sound business development and management advisory services also exist in low level that makes business to operate at low level of technical efficiency across most aspects of the business issues.

With this in mind, DairyBISS has conducted dairy advisors training and coaching program on dairy production, dairy business development and dairy processing streams. The training has been designed and implemented in a way to create vibrant dairy advisors pool in Ethiopia that could support private commercial dairy sector in ranges of technical and business development issues.As a follow up activity of the training and coaching, dairy business plan competition is organized by the project to create an opportunity for trained and freelance advisors to bring innovative dairy business cases/models as a result of training, exposure visits, and experience working as an advisor in the commercial dairy sector. The business plan completion is prepared with the following

• Encourage advisors to innovate business cases that could address systemic challenges of the commercial dairy sector that able the commercial dairy farms and firms to achieve high and consistent performance in their business
• Create linkage between dairy advisors and potential dairy business and market for long-term business as advisor and service recipients.

3. Networking

Following the selection process which stated under # 7,the networking event will be organized to create linkage between dairy advisers and the potential private commercial business. This networking event allows, each ten finalists will present his/her posters to the audience. Q&A session will follow by judge committee on each posters.

The poster presentation aims to create an opportunity to both business owners and finalists to reach in agreement for further implementation and test of business idea with the arrangements made between them (advisor and business entity).
To this effect, DairyBISS trained dairy advisors and other dairy sector freelance consultants encourages to participate on the call and come up with innovative business models through combining the learning from dairy advisor training and coaching program as well as the experience have got in process of advising commercial dairy business.

4. Eligibility Criteria

• The applicant must be a graduate of one of the dairy advisors training and coaching program or working
• Freelance consultant working in the dairy sector is also eligible if and only if he/she should justify as he/she works as dairy freelance consultant.
• The project to be promoted by the applicant should be dairy oriented

5. General Rules

• Business plans may be submitted by individuals or by teams, but the prize amount is the same for both types of applicants.
• There is no limit on the number of people on a team
• Any area of dairy related business undertaking is valid
• The proposed innovation business model is prepared based on cases of dairy business entity which the advisor/s has/have been given an advisory service
• Applications should be sent to DairyBISS online with concept note. Partially completed applications will not be accepted.
• The concept notes and written business plans should be sent to DairyBISS before their respective deadlines
• All ten finalists will receive certificate of diploma and winning prize money as stated below in bullet
• The winner prize is as follows
  1st ETB 100,000
  2nd ETB 80,000
  3rd ETB 70,000
  4th ETB 60,000
  5th ETB 50,000
  6th – 10th ETB 5, 000/each 
• The prize money shall be paid to the recipients according to the terms and conditions indicated in Annex III.
• DairyBISS has right to cancel the competition fully or partially, or it can limit the number of winners if the quality of innovation business cases are confirmed do not as expected  standard

7. The Selection Process and Criteria
Three stages screening and selection of the recipients will be conducted

The first screening step is checking the fulfillment of the eligibility criteria and the submission and preparation of the concept note by the applicant according to Annex I.Following the selection of concept note, qualified applicants are required to submit their full/complete business plan.

Second stage screening/evaluation of business plan that to be done by an independent jury of five judges to be constituted from experienced dairy business and dairy professionals.

The Third stage screening will be carried out by the same jury by evaluating the oral presentation of the applicants who have submitted written business plans and poster.

• Written business plan carries 60% while and poster and poster presentation constitutes 40%.
• The decisions of the judges are final, including interpretation of the rules
• All finalists (applicants who have submitted complete business plan and appeared for poster presentation) will be awarded certificate of participation.

8. The Concept Note

The concept note is prepared to inform the preparation of project that is designed and implemented to test the technical and commercial viability of an innovation. It shall focus on new products or in technologies and business/service models that increase efficiency and quality of current operations, preferably addressing systemic issues in the commercial dairy sector. Some of the systemic issues identified in DairyBISS are: Access to quality feed and fodder all over the year, feed preservation, feed rationing for production specific production target, improved private AI-service delivery, heifer supply, cow-productivity and milk quality, product diversification and safety in dairy processing, improved dairy processing industry technical and operational efficiency, improved access and affordability of dairy products by low-income groups to safe and nutritious dairy products and alike. The concept note should be prepared not more than 4 pages and cover the points indicated in Annex I.

9. Full Business Plan

The business plan shall clearly describe the innovative nature of the proposed activities and how this will address the identified systemic issues effectively and efficiently. It shall indicate an innovative activity or set of activities that form(s) a commercially viable business case, or is a clearly defined and essential (and innovative) part of a business case or business proposition.The business plan is prepared according to a format displayed in Annex II and not more than 16 pages excluding cover page, content page and appendices. Relevant appendices that are required to clarify or substantiate the business plan can be attached to the report.

10. Poster Presentation

The duration of the presentations will be 10 minutes with an additional 10 minutes allocated for questions from the judges. The presentation and Q & A time can be changed by the jury. The presenter has to deliver the presentation in a logical, persuasive manner, and answer questions well. The presentation may address the following issues:

• Situational analysis:briefly explain systemic constraints that could limit the performance of the private commercial dairy sector. Briefly explain the proposed innovation business model wants to promote (new product, new technology, system,)
• Assess the availability of inputs and means of production: raw material, land, labor, skilled manpower and how to acquire them to implement the innovation business model
• Describe the distinctive Competence: Distinctive benefits the innovation business model to the business owner, customers/consumers and competitive advantage of the product in the market.
• Market Prospective: Market potential, distribution channels and market strategy
• Management Capability: The required management team composition and capability
• Financial Feasibility : the financial requirements of the innovation business model and expected return from the business

11. Schedules

Deadline for submission of application with concept note: September 15, 2018

• Announcement of the accepted applicants for the next stage of competition:
  September 17, 2018
• Deadline for submission of complete business plan: September 27, 2018
• Announcement of 10 finalist of business plan completion for the next poster presentation, October 1, 2018
• Poster presentation and final Award ceremony: October 5, 2018.

12. How to apply

Eligible applicants should mail application with the concept note Click Here to dairybiss@gmail.com on or before the closing date of application acceptance.

For more Information Please contact the coordinator:
Tel: 011 911694257,
Email: dairybiss@gmail.com

On July 13,2018 DairyBISS successfully completed its 6 module training by certifying its attendees. It was conducted by Mr Abebe Tesema ,Tinsae Birhanu who have been putting much of the necessary efforts in bringing progress to the training. This particular  module had ten participants all of which were private farms owners .On the graduation program each member shared their opinions on what they had gained from the program.They also discussed the future of such  training and suggested their ideas on what could be included for the next module. Finally the program ended with each member taking certificates,thus completing the module.