ALBANY — The New York State Apple Marketing Order (AMO) Advisory Board is seeking proposals to enhance the competitive position of New York’s apple industry, identify new or emerging market opportunities, or develop innovative promotional initiatives to increase the sale and consumption of New York apples. Any proposal(s) selected through this request would be funded by the AMO, which collects funds annually from apple growers. Interested parties must submit a proposal to the AMO Advisory Board by April 11, 2022.
The Board is seeking interest from organizations capable of performing market research or those with experience implementing marketing strategies to increase produce sales. If interested in applying, an organization must submit a detailed proposal to the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, which administers the AMO. The full solicitation, including eligibility, submission instructions, and proposal requirements can be found at: http://www.nyscr.ny.gov/adsOpen.cfm?ID=E613213A-9D4A-4345-AB1C-5F33D5E6CBDF.
The Board is especially interested in projects aimed at:
- identifying and/or developing marketing opportunities for New York apples created by the growing craft beverage industry (e.g. – ciders, apple-based spirits, etc.);
- identifying methods for manufacturing cost-effective and/or sustainable retail packaging for New York apples that can be utilized with minimal restructuring or additional cost to the industry’s current manufacturing methods;
- identifying underserved export markets and evaluating the prospects for successfully positioning New York apples to meet these opportunities;
- projecting market performance of New York apples by variety over the next 10 years, based on current and anticipated sales trends;
- identifying and marketing of new or growing industry trends for the use of processed and fresh apples;
- exploring marketing opportunities for fresh or processed New York apples procured by schools and/or institutions; and
- developing novel approaches to increasing New York apple sales (i.e. – an approach to increasing sales not outlined by the previous priorities).
For more information on the proposal requirements, or to submit a proposal, email [email protected] or call (518) 485-7306. Applications must be submitted by April 11, 2022 to be considered for this funding.
Additionally, a webinar will be held Tuesday April 5, 2022 at 10:00 am, to address questions from organizations interested in submitting a proposal. Information for how to attend the webinar is posted at https://agriculture.ny.gov/farming/marketing-order-administration.
About the AMO Advisory Board
The AMO Advisory Board is a group appointed by the Commissioner of the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, representing New York’s apple industry statewide. Its purpose is to recommend annual priorities and funding levels to the Department for contracting. Annually, the New York State Apple Marketing Order program provides approximately $1.8 million in collected grower assessment funds for efforts to promote, advertise, and/or conduct market research on behalf of New York’s apple industry. For more information on the AMO, please visit https://agriculture.ny.gov/farming/marketing-order-administration.
–NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets
