How Enterprise Europe Network supports sustainable farming in Greece

In 2018, a group of Greek farmers created Proud Farm Group of Farmers to promote sustainable sheep and goat farming with the help of new technologies. With support from business advisers at ANKO Western Macedonia – Organisation for Local Development, part of the Enterprise Europe Network, the company was able to turn its ambitious vision into reality.

Moving towards sustainability and social responsibility

Animal farming produces approximately 14.5 percent of human-induced greenhouse gas emissions, and the demand for livestock products is growing. To address this, Proud Farm is working on a farm management system that is both environmentally sustainable and focused on animal welfare, while also supporting farmers. Created by a small group of farmers, the organisation collects and distributes sheep and goat milk from local sources.

Proud Farm has big goals beyond just business. They've established the Mediterranean Agrofood Competence Center, the Internet of Food Alliance Innovation Cluster, and a non-profit energy community to encourage innovation and sustainable local growth in the agrofood sector. The company also started a dairy goat and sheep incubator to help young farmers get started, and joined forces with the City of Athens Solidarity Centre to launch “Proud Life”, a programme that helps people from homeless shelters find work.

Thanks to the support from ANKO, which is part of the Enterprise Europe Network in Greece, Proud Farm was able to achieve these goals. The Network’s advisers helped them secure funding, discover new opportunities, and build partnerships to grow.

The first steps together

In 2020, Nikos Koltsidas, the co-founder of Proud Farm, approached the Network advisers at ANKO in search of new sources of funding. He was interested in the SME Instrument (now the EIC Accelerator), an EU programme that provides comprehensive business innovation support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and start-ups.

"The company had extensive expertise in the sector, and was also familiar with the technologies used", explained Liana Papaterpou, Coordinator of the Enterprise Europe Network at ANKO. Even so, obtaining European funding was not simple. "The European Union provides considerable support, but resources are not streamlined into an easy-to-use framework for farmers", Koltsidas commented. To help the company overcome these obstacles, the Network offered assistance with creating new infrastructure, setting up farmer incubators, product standardisation and marketing, conducting pilot projects for research, and networking.

"From the beginning, Proud Farm’s founders built transparent processes, clear roles, and common goals", said Papaterpou. "Information was shared openly between the Network and the company, ensuring smooth collaboration. Most crucially, mutual trust helped teams work together seamlessly", she added.

A reliable business partner

During their collaboration, the Network provided Proud Farm with updates on events, funding opportunities, and potential partnerships. For example, ANKO invited the company to join the 2020 Futures Literacy Lab on "The City of Kozani in 2040" as part of a project funded by EIT Climate-KIC. This opportunity allowed Proud Farm to share its ideas on smart farming that help mitigate climate change.

"Western Macedonia has been at the heart of the Greek energy sector. However, following the government’s decision to close most lignite-powered plants in 2019, the region faced challenges in preventing social and economic decline while attracting investment in renewable energy", mentioned Papaterpou. "Proud Farm is ready to take action and secure new sources of financing to support this transition".

With The Network’s help, Proud Farm obtained a European Certificate of Registration through the Ideas Powered for business SME Fund, which provides European SMEs with legal protection for intellectual property rights. Koltsidas shared: "The European registration of a trademark gives business professionals the confidence to build a strong brand". Proud Farm also became the first company in Western Macedonia to be listed on Elevate Greece, a digital platform launched by the Greek government to support emerging startups.

Fast forward to July 2021, Proud Farmers sought ANKO's help to find business partners to create new products and expand their market. Through the Network, they partnered with DTS Group – Kastoria, the largest ecological dying plant in the region. Together, they’re working on a medical sheepskin pelt designed to improve the quality of life for bedridden or recovering patients.

Proud Farm also launched the world’s first “Breeders’ Incubator”, a programme designed to eliminate funding barriers for young entrepreneurs in the agricultural sector. The incubator provides aspiring farmers with resources and support over a three-year period. Plus, the company partnered with the University of Western Macedonia to develop a smart, full-food production unit, and with Aristotle University of Thessaloniki to create a system for early diagnosis of sheep and goat diseases.

Looking ahead, Proud Farm plans to expand into the production and distribution of sheep and goat milk and establish a veterinary network for dairy farmers in Greece. They also completed the registration of a trademark for a bio-fertilizer made from sheep wool, intended for use in floriculture, horticulture, and tree crops. The company is currently building a specialised production facility in Kozani, with an expected investment of €500,000, and is set to complete the project by late 2023.

“The Network is an invaluable resource for SMEs navigating EU policies,” said Papaterpou. “Not only does it provide a wealth of information, but it also helps start-ups turn their ideas into commercial successes. We understand each client’s needs and help entrepreneurs build synergies and develop new products.”