Frequently Asked Questions

South African agricultural processors and food manufacturing SMEs continue to operate within systemic constraints which prohibits growth and creates a growth stagnation cycle. The root of the issue, which is largely external and beyond the control of the SMEs, stems from an undifferentiated trap of being “too big to be small, and too small to be big”. 

Edge Growth is actively committed to promoting transformation of small to medium business development, which is why they have partnered with FNB to bring you an innovative programme that provides South African black owned Agro Processors the opportunity to scale-up and ignite strategic growth opportunities through key targeted support. 

The Agro Processor Scale-Up Programme in partnership with FNB is designed to support majority (>=51%) black-owned Agro Processing SMEs, with an annual revenue of R10million to R30 million, that are looking for strategic future growth support to unlock founder, management and operational capacity through AI integrations, activate strategic B2B growth opportunities and strengthen financial discipline to support sustainable growth. 

Potential programme participants are required to be processing or manufacturing goods withing the agricultural supply chain; for example, processed foods, dried food goods, food oils, fruit, vegetables, dairy, meat, poultry, spices, grains etc.

The Agro Processor Scale-Up Programme in partnership with FNB is designed to address these challenges directly and enable Agro Processors to strengthen their scale and growth strategies. Through targeted and practical interventions, the Agro Processor Scale-Up Programme supports participating SMEs to:

• Incorporate AI-augmented strategic execution excellence in order to unlock founder, management and operational capacity through AI and smart systems integrations;
• Restore growth momentum to strategically refocus B2B and B2B2B growth opportunities and drive sustainable scale; and
• Strengthen financial discipline within Agro Processing SMEs to alleviate growth constraints through working capital shortages. 

This programme provides a tailored approach for Agro Processors to restore growth momentum, unlock strategic capacity and financially enable businesses to alleviate working capital constraints through the 5 key programme pillars. Key programme impact pillars are targeted to support majority black-owned Agro Processing medium size businesses activate future growth  opportunities by unlocking founder, management and operational capacity, activating strategic B2B and B2B2B growth opportunities and strengthen financial discipline by: 

1. working capital management,
2. AI acceleration layer,
3. scalable strategy & focus,
4. management operating system, and
5. AI-augmented systems implementation.

7 suitable businesses who have passed the selection processes.

This programme provides a structured platform for manufacturing SMEs to build resilience, improve operational performance, and position their businesses for sustainable growth both locally and globally.

Key programme impact pillars are targeted to support majority black-owned Agro Processing medium size businesses activate future growth  opportunities by unlocking founder, management and operational capacity, activating strategic B2B growth opportunities and strengthen financial discipline by;

1. Working Capital Management: Remove cash flow constraints to growth

• Invoice Discounting Facility: Partner with financiers to unlock cash from outstanding invoices
• Working Capital Modelling: CFO-level support for cash flow projections and liquidity management
• Blended Finance Access: Leveraging Vumela venture debt facility  

1. AI Acceleration Layer: Unlock management capacity to build scalable systems faster and with less effort 

• Use AI Execution Co-Pilot to translate strategy into OKRs, track progress and drive weekly focus
• Use Cash Flow Forecasting GPT to predict cash crunches and visualize working capital flows
• Leverage AI-Assisted Production Scheduling to automate batching and shift planning
• Capture and track leadership decisions using AI Meeting Summariser & Action Tracker
• Auto-generate proposals from past templates using AI Sales / Tender Assistant
• Convert best practices into reusable micro-content using Mini SOP & Training Video Creator 

1. Scalable Strategy and Focus: Bring clarity and focus to enable force-multiplying concentration of effort

• Conduct bespoke strategic planning process to clarify strategy and set strategic focus
• Translate into strategic goals
• Cascade to leaders
• Manage execution through the leadership operating system

1. Management Operating Systems: Reduce overwhelm, bring top team focus, clarity, effectiveness to achieve strategic priorities consistently 

• Run 3-month process to build leadership Operating System 1 habit at a time
  1. Quarterly OKR setting and Q-Rap
  2. Weekly RAP and Weekly Commitment Meeting
  3. Monthly management reviews
• Coach guided, utilizing online training material, and Goals & Rhythms gamification feature

1. AI-Augmented Systems Implementation: Give each SME a tailored, founder-led path to scalable growth, guided by an expert coach and powered by the Founders Workbench (AI augmentation system) 

• Customise Founders Workbench at 3 levels: by industry, by SME, and per leader
• Per firm and leader, diagnose constraints via Scale-Up X-Ray, prioritise constraints and initiatives
• Each leader tackles one strategic initiative per quarter (e.g., sales conversion, Implement CRM)
• Founders Workbench is a 24/7 AI Assistant that guides leaders to design and execute these initiatives
• Coach adds accountability and human soundboard and connection 
• Founders Workbench tracks leader’s progress and auto-summarises insights for coaches enabling focused sessions. 
• Establish core rhythms: quarterly goal-setting, weekly sprints, bi-weekly coaching and quarterly review & reset

The Agro Processor Scale-Up Programme in partnership with FNB is an 18-month intensive, tailored and well resourced programme. A maximum of 7 medium sized Agro Processors will be selected to be part of the programme, which commences on the 1st June 2026 and will run until November 2027.

Programme interventions are guided through your development Growth Plan, providing a tailored and bespoke model customized to each processor through a 5 phased approach for delivery. Throughout the 18 month programme, successful processors can expect: 

Phase 1: Base Line Diagnostic

• Baseline diagnostic that highlights starting point of business
• Includes monthly dynamic business improvement guidance to help focus activity on what matters
• Endline diagnostic that assesses shifts in business maturity over duration of programme 

Phase 2: Co-intelligent AI augmented Coaching 

• Each SME is matched with a seasoned operator as coach for the duration of programme
• Industry specialist coaches in agro processing included for industry-specific nuance
• Customised digital, AI augmented coach created for each SME and includes the Art of Scale IP, agro processing industry knowledge and nuance, SME specific context and SME leadership team context
• Coaching extends to leadership team (x3 leaders per SME)

Phase 3: Bootcamps and Cohort Focused Skills Development

• Context specific bootcamps will be run by scale-up expert
  • 2 day kick-off bootcamp to set the scene and onboard the SMEs to the scaling journey
  • 1 full day bootcamp 
  • 2x half day online bootcamps 
• Secondary objective is to build community amongst the participating SMEs

Phase 4: Specialist Project Interventions and Support 

• Specialist projects aligned to pillar 1 and pillar 5 of programme interventions
• Specialist projects will be executed per SME over 18 months (1 project per quarter per leader)
• Approach is a standard process to support bespoke business improvement projects, led by SME leaders
• Coaching support to define, execute and close  each project
• Specialists, beyond coach,  sourced where required  

Phase 5: Measurement, Evaluation & Reporting 

• Digital AI-augmented coach will provide ongoing data to, detect early warning signals, integrate disparate SME data, generate predictive insights and personalise support to each SME
• Monthly programme activity reporting 
• Quarterly Impact reporting on SME progress
• Mid –programme and end of programme monitoring and evaluation reports will be provided 

Programme interventions are developed to be bespoke, founder-led, AI-augmented and a coach-guided scaling journey anchored in quarterly growth cycles, data-enabled oversight and continuous systemization. 

All programme participants will be expected to dedicate approximately 15 to 20 hours per month. This time will be split between topical in-person bootcamps, on-line webinars, 1-on-1 mentorship, expert support, specialist projects identified and programme reporting.

The Agro Processor Scale-Up Programme in partnership with FNB is a hybrid programme which means there is a combination of both in-person bootcamps as well as on-line commitments such as mentorship and coaching.

The programme includes 3 in-person bootcamps and 2 online bootcamps for multiple company stakeholder engagement and inclusions. 

Invitations will be received via email for bootcamp. In-person bootcamps will be held at the Edge Growth offices in JHB and adhoc on-line sessions will be held on Teams. Mentorship and couching support, depending on the proximity of your allocated mentors, may be fully online in an agreed cadence with your mentor or a combination of in-person and online.

Regional travel, for the bootcamps, will be provided for the founders who do not reside in JHB. These arrangements will be done by Edge Growth for same day travel to attend all in-person bootcamps.

The Programme will commence in June 2026 and will close in November 2027. The full duration of the programme is 18 months.

Step 1 – Expression of interest (approx. 5 minutes)

Step 2 – Programme Application: We expect it will take you between 60 to 90 minutes to complete the Programme Application including the time needed to upload and/or email the necessary documentation. The time will depend on how much of your business’ information is easily accessible. 

Step 3 – Interview and Site Inspections: A site inspection and interview will be conducted with programme management and will take between 90-120 minutes of face to face time.

A business diagnostic will only be completed in month 1 of the programme and including in the overall programme commitment time.

We advise that you allow dedicated time to complete the application. 

Visit https://edgegrowth.com/fnb-agro-processor-scale-up-programme/

Applications open on the 8th April 2026 and will close on the 31 May 2026

Application Form available at Visit https://forms.office.com/r/yjGFJbxtXu

Programme applicants are to complete the Programme Assessment which assesses whether you meet the inclusion criteria and programme fit criteria.  This is an online form that will ask questions about your current business. Once you complete this stage, you will be requested to upload the following documents onto the application platform before commencing to your application. 

PROGRAMME APPLICATION

• CIPC registration documents  

• ID copies of all directors  

• Must be able provide 1 year management accounts or 12 months bank statements from a business bank account

• A valid BBBEE certificate (you can upload a valid sworn affidavit or a CIPC copy of your BBBEE certificate)  

• Latest Tax Clearance Certificate  
• Be able to provide valid documentation for necessary product and market related regulations and certifications

SITE VISIT 

All shortlisted SMEs will have either an in-person or on-line visit, depending on region. The site visit will be between 90 to 120 min and held between applying founders and necessary managers and a representative from Edge Growth and/or a product related Product Mentor. During the session the agenda will be further product, growth and financial assessment questions as well as documentation and business verification. 

INTERVIEW STAGE 

A final 15 minute interview will be held between online with programme management and the shortlisted SMEs that have all documentation verified through the site visits. The interview is the final engagement before selection is made and communicated. 

FINAL ANNOUNCEMENTS 

The final cohort announcement will be sent to those applicants via email to those who are successful. The announcement will be made on or before the 22nd May 2026 and will be informed via email. 

PROGRAMME ONBOARDING 

The Final selected 7 SMEs will be invited to attend the Programme Onboarding virtual session to discuss, with the Edge and FNB programme team, all programme dates, resources, reporting and contracting. All final SME’s selected will be required to complete a programme contract before the programme starts on in May 2026. 

INFORMATION SESSIONS 

All applicants are invited to attend an optional online information sessions where the Edge Growth and FNB teams will be sharing further information about the programme. Potential applicants who attend will receive an opportunity to ask questions in order to make an informed decision about continuing with the application journey (and possibly the programme journey) going forward. The session will be 90 minutes and will take place on Teams. Dates for these sessions will be communicated to active applications as well as on the programme channels. 

Follow this link: Visit https://forms.office.com/r/yjGFJbxtXu 

No, all submitted applications and diagnostics are considered final. For this reason, we encourage that you take your time to complete each section with high attention to detail.

Detailed reports on the diagnostic will be shared with all successful applicants upon the completion of the application process. For successful applicants, the completed diagnostic reports form the base line for your development Growth Plan upon which your allocated member will work with you to align interventions and support. Unsuccessful applicants will have the option to request a report of their diagnostic upon receiving an email confirming the status of their application.

Yes, all information and data shared on the platform / in the programme will remain confidential and secure (in access-controlled repositories) as detailed in the Agro Processor Scale-Up Programme Terms and Conditions and is only used for programme-related purposes. For example, reporting on business growth to FNB. Applicants and Participants may from time to time receive marketing information about programmes, reading material, articles or tools relevant to their business or industry.

Yes – however for optimal use of the platform, we recommend that all users access and navigate it via a personal computer.