As activity ramps up for Glee 2019, GIMA is encouraging new businesses and innovators to enter this year’s annual GIMA Innovators’ Seed Corn Fund (GISCF); a fund set up to encourage grass root business and product development.

Judged by a panel of industry experts, the GISCF helps to bring to market never before seen products and inventions and aids the winners with the opportunity to showcase their creation to leading manufacturers, retailers and distributors within the gardening industry. GIMA has said a successful entry to the GISCF can help take a product from concept to a commercially viable and successful product.

Winners of the GIMA Innovators’ Seed Corn Fund benefit from a prize package, which includes a £6,000 grant and help with development and marketing of the product to the UK garden retail sector. Included within this prize fund is a year’s full GIMA membership, plus a wide range of business support tools designed to help ease the journey into a new and unfamiliar market place, including access to a leading business consultancy, one-year ACID (Anti Copying In Design) membership, and a half page advert in the next GIMA Product Digest.

The leading trade exhibition (10 – 12 September, NEC Birmingham), Glee, where the winners of the fund are announced each year, also funds the winner with a stand package up to the value of 6sqm free of charge, either as space only or shell scheme at the next Glee taking place in the following calendar year. Any additional costs of attending the exhibition must be met by the winner, said GIMA.

Since its inauguration in 2014, five highly deserving winners have been crowned, all of which have gone on to witness significant core growth. Last year’s winners, Bloomin’ Amazing, has witnessed phenomenal success, often topping bestseller lists and outselling some of the big, high-profile branded lines, said the association.