From time to time, AgGateway members decide that bringing together a group of companies to work on a collaborative project will benefit their segment and the industry as a whole. AgGateway, through its dedicated staff, well defined project methodology and its antitrust policy, provides an ideal venue for members to pursue such projects. The following step-by-step approach has been developed to maintain a consistent orderly approach to initiating projects in accordance with AgGateway policies.

1. Ideas for collaborative industry projects may be developed in a variety of ways. Often the ideas start out as a conversation among one or two members that share a common need, or the idea may be the result of a planning process carried out by the Council. Regardless of the original source of the project idea, to become and AgGateway sponsored project, two or more members must develop a project charter that explains the project, its goals and objectives, cost and duration. The first step in that process is to contact the AgGateway (AGW) Projects Director (PD) to review this and the following steps and begin the process.
2. Project ideas need champions and advocates if they are going to get enough traction to move forward. The second step in the process is work through the AgGateway council structure to get support and rouse interest. The PD and/or project champion(s) will consult with appropriate Council/Committee leadership (as necessary) to inform and begin dissemination of the project idea.
3. The third step is to provide information and identify interested parties. The PD will schedule and host an informational meeting to provide a forum for discussion of the idea. The PD and project champion(s) will determine if a notification to the entire membership or only to one or two councils is more appropriate.
4. Step four is to recruit a working group from those who indicated interest to begin development of a charter.
5. Development of the charter and a value proposition (if appropriate) is step five. The working group will meet to review the project guiding principles, define the project in more detail, and then will develop the project charter and value proposition documents.
6. Step six. When the documents are complete and acceptable to the working group, the project champion will submit it to an AgGateway officer to compliance review by the AgGateway Management Team. One or more members of the Management Team will review the charter to ensure that the project complies with AgGateway policies and procedures, guidelines, and bylaws. The appropriate council/committee chair person will be advised when the review is completed and will schedule a council/committee meeting to consider council/committee approval..
7. Council/committee approval of the charter is step seven. The charter must be approved by a sponsoring council/committee to become an authorized AgGateway project. According to policy, approval cannot be unduly withheld. The sponsoring council is also responsible to appoint an interim governing body to oversee the project formation until such a time as the project participants select their own governing body from among the committed participants..
8. Step 8. The council or committee chair will notify the AgGateway Board of Directors and Management Team of the approved charter. The PD will notify the entire membership of approved charter.