The project will initially aim to strengthen the stakeholders who manage the markets by creating a county network across local produce markets. This will include a workshop, advice and guidance contracted from market organisations such as the National Association of British Market Authorities (NABMA) – the Voice of Markets.

The project will then take part in a programme of promotion and recruitment to include the local producers’ market who wish to explore an additional route into the market.

In addition, through the promotion of a pilot across both counties, the new entrants and the markets included in the pilot will receive additional focus promotion.

• Offer market trading experience
• Contacts in the sector
• Mentoring
• Opportunity to test products for development

The project will –

• Bring together market leaders in the form of a workshop and receive support and advice through the National Association of British Market Authorities which provides training opportunities for all involved in market management to professionalise the market industry.
• Open call to select 3 markets per county for the project to pilot the ‘Hot Stand’ concept, as in Cork. Each market with a suitably equipped ‘hot stall’ will allow a new producer or guest producer to test their products in the market place. The new producer / guests will be selected by market managers under criteria to be agreed during the above workshop.
• Facilitate a ‘market testing’ pilot based on the Cork ‘hot stall’ concept, namely that each market has a fully equipped stand to enable the new producer or guest producer to test the market for their product. The new / invited producer will be selected by market managers under criteria to be agreed during the above workshop.
• The stand would provide successful applicants with valuable trading and information experience, sharing valuable contacts, learning from other market holders, through the creation and development of a market network.
• Each market will be given an allowance to improve the visibility and marketing of their market offer across the two counties.