FAQs
General
Our Mission
Cureate Connect fosters economic growth on a local level through regionalized food and beverage procurement.
Our Core Values
- To create curated connections between small business and big business
- To develop a transparent system for local and regional procurement opportunities
- To build a competitive marketplace for products produced on a local or regional level
- To provide affordable marketing and business development services for small business owners
- To foster community and collaboration around big and small business growth
Wait, what is Cureate Connect again?
Cureate Connect is a platform for large businesses, name brands, and institutions to connect with the small business economy through local food and drink procurement.
So, who is a Buyer?
A Buyer is an individual or an organization looking to begin a contract with a small to mid-size food and/or drink Vendor.
Our Buyers include, but are not limited to, the following areas of interest:
- Universities
- Hospitals
- Grocers
- Retailers / Real Estate Developers
- Specialty Stores
- Hotels / Convention Centers / Sports Arenas
- Wedding / Event Planners
- Caterers
- City Governments
- Investors
Who can sign-up as a Vendor?
A Vendor is any food and/or beverage entrepreneur looking to grow and scale their business.
How do you match Buyers and Vendors?
Our platform is designed around mutual goals. Both Buyers and Vendors choose their procurement goal(s) from the following list:
- Real Estate
- Retail
- Wholesale
- Events/Catering
Once a goal is selected, Vendors will begin receiving Requests for Proposals (RFPs) from Buyers with like-minded goals.
What is a Request for Proposal (RFP)?
A Request for Proposal is a solicitation by an agency or company interested in procurement of a commodity or service to potential Vendors to submit business proposals.
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Vendors
Vendor Responsibilities
Upon signing-up for the Cureate Connect platform, you will be guided through a profile creation process to answer key questions about your business and its growth. This is crucial in creating connections with potential Buyers. This information will not be shared with competitors, and it is for Buyers eyes only.
Your products section may include Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) items that you currently have or will have for a holiday season; a potential plan for a brick-and-mortar establishment; or even event/catering menus.
Based on how you would like to grow your business, choose the goal(s) that best suit your needs and create products that fit into those procurement goal categories.
What do I get as a Vendor by being a part of this platform?
- Targeted procurement opportunities that fit your product offering(s) and stage of growth
- Transparent system to access local and regional buyers Requests for Proposals (RFPs) —universities, hospitals, grocers, hotels, caterers, and more!
- Affordable marketing and business development services (e.g. product photography, holiday marketing planning, educational workshops)
- Ongoing technical assistance in order to meet procurement goal needs
- Community of like-minded producers
How much does it cost?
Cureate Connect platform is free for Vendors. Why? We believe there are already too many expenses a small business endures in order to scale.
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Buyers
Buyer Responsibilities
Upon signing-up for the Cureate Connect platform, you will choose the level in which you want to engage with the product. We have two tiers of membership: Connect and Connect Plus
Once you’ve decided upon your membership level, you will be guided through a profile creation process. You will fill out the profile as your company, but there is a section for you to tell your own story and experience. We believe in people creating relationships as people, so let your personality and experience shine through.
In the last section, upload your Requests for Proposals (RFPs) by attaching a PDF, adding a title and description, and due date. We will do the rest!
What do I get by being a part of this platform?
Connect level members receive:
- Access to a local and regional food and beverage small business database that includes the founder story, product details, and nitty-gritty business details including insurance requirements, production facilities, and current distribution.
- A central location to upload Requests for Proposals (RFPs) —including downloadable templates!— and the ability to receive proposals in response to your procurement needs.
- Transparent system to proactively search for local and regional vendors.
- Bi-annual data and trend reports about small businesses, locally and regionally.
Connect Plus level members receive:
- All of the abovementioned features of the Connect level.
- Quarterly check-ins with Cureate Connect team to discuss procurement goals.
- Proactive procurement: our team will proactively search for your needs.
- Assistance with preparation and management of your RFPs.
- Technical assistance: we will work with the small businesses from which you want to procure so that they meet all of your standards.
- Track success stories to share with your team and stakeholders
How much does it cost?
Find out about Cureate Connect's pricing by selecting your buyer type. Our subscription price is a mere fraction of what it would cost you to hire an additional business development, marketing, or operations professional to assist you with this work.
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