The Launch Success Challenge is YPHA’s inaugural Accelerator Programme, designed to prioritise essential skills that our industry relies on but often neglects to nurture.

Each cohort of ten participants will be tasked with bringing a new product to market. Their responsibilities will include choosing a name, conducting market research, calculating commercial viability, capturing photography, building design briefs, communicating with the press, and pitching to buyers, all under the guidance of some of the most esteemed industry mentors.

The programme is fully funded thanks to the generous financial support from Westland, Beekenkamp, Poppelmann, Floramedia, the BPOA, BALI, and especially the headline sponsor, Bred by Peter Moore. The YPHA Committee greatly admires Peter Moore’s lifetime achievements and his commitment to reinvesting a significant portion of the royalties he raises each year into various charitable and not-for-profit causes, both horticultural and otherwise. The sponsorship network for this cohort is a cohesive and organic fit with the programme's nature—all participating businesses naturally contribute to the process of launching such a plant to market, and Peter Moore has spent his life breeding and launching new plant introductions.

The programme will be led by Natalie Boynton (née Porter), with one-on-one mentorship available from Liz Dowling throughout the programme. Additionally, team workshops will be conducted by industry experts including Boyd Douglas-Davies, Eve Kerrigan, Jennie Kwan, Jane Lawler, and more.

Beekenkamp Plants has pledged a new, unnamed Begonia elatior variety as the focus product for our 2024-2025 cohort, which will be launched at Gardeners’ World Live 2025 through partner retailer British Garden Centres. Floramedia will cover label costs and provide design and photography sessions, Poppelmann will sponsor plant pots and trays, Westland will cover substrates, and Happy Plants will grow the stock. Surplus funds raised will be reinvested into the YPHA, and future iterations of the Launch Success Programme will each focus on different new products for various market types.

The programme kicks off with behind-the-scenes tours of Floramedia and Beekenkamp in the Netherlands on the 2nd and 3rd of July. Delegates will undertake this trip as a group of ten before being split into two teams upon their return. Team allocations will be based on interactions during the trip and supported by the results of personality profiles generously provided by MorePeople Recruitment.

The Launch Success Challenge promises to equip participants with invaluable skills and experience, setting a new standard for professional development in our industry.

The ten successful applicants have been selected, and they will be announced over the coming days. Keep your eyes peeled for profile interviews of who will be taking part in the YPHA’s Launch Success Challenge.