Business Networks
Regional Food Academy
Harper Adams University is the home of the Regional Food Academy, which opened in October 2009. It serves the food industry in the West Midlands by providing training and staff development as well as technical services. It is also a resource for schools and provides the opportunity for pupils to connect with the food supply chain and the work of the food industry. Importantly, it provides a resource for the specialist food courses offered by Harper Adams.
Website: www.regionalfoodacademy.org
Harper Adams Energy
Better for the planet, better for your pocket... Anaerobic digestion at Harper Adams Energy is the solution to your food waste issues. Harper Adams Energy is responsible for running the anaerobic digestion plant at Harper Adams University.
Website: www.haenergy.co.uk
REEDNet
Rural Employer Engagement Development Network
REEDNet is a new and innovative joint venture, a collaborative partnership led by Harper Adams University and the Royal Agricultural College. Our mission is the transformation of rural education by the creation of strategic alliances with the entire network of land-based colleges in England, and with the country's leading providers of staff training and human resource development to the land-based sector.
We do this by working with our partners to develop a wide range of work-based and in-service programmes and modules. We will also work with firms and training providers to accredit existing programmes, adding a guarantee of quality through independent external recognition. This benefits employers because they can see the standards being achieved by their staff and their trainers, and it benefits staff because of clear investment in their skills with clear evidence of what has been achieved.
Website: www.reednet.org
WiRE - Women in Rural Enterprise
WiRE is the only national UK organisation to promote, support and develop rural businesswomen. Based at Harper Adams and started as a result of Harper research WiRE supports over 2000 rural businesses; recognising the barriers faced by rural businesswomen and providing a package of business services designed specifically to help rural business women. Support includes 60 business networks, marketing and PR, Start Up and Growth training and access to a wide range of rural business expertise. WiRE helps create and grow rural businesses, sustaining and regenerating rural economies and keeps rural businesswomen on the political and business agenda.
Website: www.wireuk.org
OpenFields
OpenFields is a searchable, free to access resource for practitioners, students, managers and other professionals.
The library comprises directly accessible text documents with the capacity to hold other resources such as video and audio clips and pc and web interactive tools.
The library will develop to encompass different types of acquisition including: Technical and Business Information Items; Research Papers; Learning Materials.
Website: www.openfields.org.uk
ruralconsultancy.com
ruralconsultancy.com provides rural enterprises with specialist business management and marketing consultancy services.
ruralconsultancy.com is a small dedicated team with nearly 20 years experience in marketing research, consultancy and business training. Over this time we have produced professional quantitative and qualitative research reports to meet the strategic marketing requirements of a wide range of clients.
We are based at Harper Adams University in Shropshire and act as the consultancy team and reach out arm for the Business, Management and Marketing Group.
Website: www.ruralconsultancy.com
CfRI - Centre for Rural Innovation
The Centre for Rural Innovation (CfRI) at Harper Adams University is designed to help you to interpret the wide range of research and commercial work undertaken at the Centre.
Website: www.cfri.co.uk
NRKE - National Rural Knowledge Exchange
NationalRural is a Knowledge Exchange - a service provided by universities and colleges for rural businesses and organisations. It is funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England, and is one of 22 Centres for Knowledge Exchange activity in the country.
Website: www.nationalrural.org
NCFI - National Care Farming Initiative
Care farming is still in its early stages of development in the UK, although numbers of farms are growing. Farmers that have been offering on-farm health, education and welfare services for people in need have often felt isolated in the absence of a national network.
The NCFI(UK) seeks to offer providers the benefits of collaborative action.
Website: www.ncfi.org.uk
