Outline of Idea
FoodMatch is a food charity app designed and developed to connect food vendors to needy individuals. The idea is to create a mobile app to connect vendors to charities and community organizations, who will receive extra food that would otherwise become waste. Most food vendors find themselves with a surplus food supply that remains unsold at the end of the day (Riesenegger & Hübner, 2022). Food vendors will post updates on the available food items, while users will have an interface to book or place orders for food donations. The primary goal of this project is to reduce food wastage and improve social welfare in communities by providing free meals to those in need.
Market Analysis
The target market for FoodMatch will be local restaurants, grocery stores, and caterers whose excess food items often go to waste. Charity homes and organizations that provide free meals to needy individuals would benefit from the project. In particular, the app will allow them sustainable access to fresh and nutritious meals for their dependents. Most countries have private organizations dedicated to food donations, and the app would be revolutionary for their mission (Nicastro & Carillo, 2021). Additionally, the marketing team will call for support from governmental and non-governmental departments to ensure its success in improving the community.
Competitor Analysis
Based on a free-food approach, FoodMatch has few competitors in the market. However, several similar projects offer related services in the food industry. One of the primary competitors for the FoodMatch project is Food Donation Connection.
This American-based organization links food donors to agencies dedicated to hunger relief in the USA(Lohnes, 2020). It succeeds by creating an alternative to discarding surplus food in the USA. Another worthwhile competitor is Feeding America. This non-profit organization is also one of the largest charity groups striving to end food insecurity in America.
FoodMatch App’s Success
The FoodMatch app has a high probability of success due to the high demand for free food among citizens of different countries. The development team speculates positive responses from food vendors and charity groups when they finally launch the app (Amankwah‐Amoah et al., 2021). Helping the food vendors manage their waste food items in a less costly way would lure them into embracing the project to cut down their operational costs. Finally, the app will establish reliable partnerships with local community organizations and food vendors to ensure a steady supply of surplus food and a dedicated network of recipients.
Costs and Risks
The initial projected cost for launching the project is $100,000. This amount is expected to be sufficient for app development, marketing, and operational expenses. The app management team intends to raise the first revenue from a recurring annual subscription fee from the vendors and the food recipients, which will be charged through a tiered pricing system. On the other hand, the recipients will be required to pay a uniform monthly subscription fee that would also be determined by whether the recipient is an individual or a group. FoodMatch, the primary risk factor, is a lack of participation from the food vendors and community groups.
Project Management
The management team comprises experienced app developers, marketing experts, and food service professionals. They will work harmoniously to ensure the successful development of the FoodMatch app and its launch for public use. Marketing experts will ensure proper marketing strategies are used to create app awareness and increase visiting traffic.
Food service professionals will ensure that the donated food meets the proper standards for human consumption. They will also be accountable for monitoring packaging and conducting regular inspections of the food donated by the vendors to ensure quality. Stakeholder involvement in every step of the process will be ensured.
References
Amankwah‐Amoah, J., Khan, Z., Ifere, S. E., Nyuur, R. B., & Khan, H. (2021). Entrepreneurs’ learning from business failures: An emerging market perspective. British Journal of Management, 33(4), 1735–1756. Web.
Klimas, P., Czakon, W., Kraus, S., Kailer, N., & Maalaoui, A. (2020). Entrepreneurial failure: A synthesis and conceptual framework of its effects. European Management Review, 18(1), 167–182. Web.
Lohnes, J. D. (2020). Regulating surplus: Charity and the legal geographies of food waste enclosure. Agriculture and Human Values, 38(2), 351–363. Web.
Nicastro, R., & Carillo, P. (2021). Food loss and waste prevention strategies from farm to fork. Sustainability, 13(10), 5443. Web.
Riesenegger, L., & Hübner, A. (2022). Reducing food waste at retail stores—an explorative study. Sustainability, 14(5), 2494. Web.