Today sees the launch of an exciting new education initiative in the agrifood industry – with a new brand and website grown by the fertile minds at IE.

Merging six universities and three partnerships into one

The AFTP – AgriFood Training Partnership – provides specialist training across the entire Agrifood supply chain. They bring together six core university partners to deliver post-graduate level training to participants from across the industry.

Funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), the partnership is set to become the go-to place for training and education in the agrifood industry. The AFTP approached IE to cultivate a new brand to unite three previous Advanced Training Partnerships (ATPs). They also required a digital presence to offer participants a consistent and seamless journey when searching and applying for courses – even though training delivery and accreditation is shared between multiple providers.

The new AFTP brand

The AFTP is the bridge between industry and academia. Their postgraduate-level courses translate cutting edge academic research into applied industry expertise, helping the industry’s best talent to deepen their knowledge, advance their skills, and progress their careers.

The new brand is defined by its close relationship to industry, so IE Brand created a new logo and visual identity that is firmly rooted in the world of agrifood, not the classroom, to celebrate the best the industry has to offer. 

Meanwhile, the six partner universities – Reading, Nottingham, Aberystwyth, Harper Adams, Cranfield and Bangor – bring the necessary stamp of academic quality.

The work won Silver in the 'Best Visual Identity from the Farming and Agriculture Sector' category at the Transform Awards Europe 2019. 

A joined-up online user experience

In its old incarnation of three separate ATPs, participants were often confused by various systems and comms involved in applying for and taking a course. Communications had visibly yo-yoed between the ATP and the university delivery partner, making for a disjointed user experience.

The challenge for IE Digital’s consultants was to bring consistency to the process, simplify administration and provide better control over participant data, yet still allow the flexibility to cope with differing circumstances across the various training delivery partners.

The final system brings together a new CRM database, online application form and automated email service, all centred around a new marketing website.

Click to check out the new website for the AFTP, which was awarded a silver W3 award for 'outstanding school or university website'. 

A hothouse for agrifood industry talent

Of course, this isn’t IE’s first venture into the agrifood world. We’ve been sowing seeds in the sector for a long time, with clients like Countryside Classroom, Grain Chain (National Association of British and Irish Millers) and Cranfield University. We’re now looking forward to watching the AFTP grow and thrive under its new brand.