Piloting the production of un-rooted cuttings of annual bedding plants The American applicant Ball Horticultural Company propagates annual bedding plants in Guatemala and Costa Rica for the Northern American professional grower market. The facility in Costa Rica is currently challenged by high quality and high production costs, meanwhile expansion in production capacity is required due to growth of the market. In search for a suitable alternative production location, Ball Horticultural Company got acquainted with, the local partner, Holanda Agroindustria SA in Nicaragua. Here the labour costs are lower and the climatologic conditions are more favourable. The partners want to set up a joint venture for the production of un-rooted cuttings of six plant varieties in 2 ha of greenhouse in Esteli. The greenhouse will be equipped with technologies as a recycling system of irrigation water and fertilisers and scoria as growing medium. During the pilot 28 million cuttings will be produced for the US market in a Free Trade Zone, generating 150 jobs of which 70% will be female.Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)An employee-driven sustainability plan will be established which responds to their social needs. The joint venture will also offer on-site medical support, educational programmes, including English classes, financial programmes to be able to safe and borrow money and workplace safety programmes. Furthermore, MPS-B certification will be obtained.Impact•	Employment and working conditionsAt the end of the project 150 staff members will be contracted of which four high-level, 12 medium- and 134 basic-level. At the end of the spin-off this will be increased to 6 high-level, 49 medium-level and 466 basic-level employees. The workers will at least earn 45% more than the legal minimum wage. Fringe benefits will include health insurance, 13th month salary, 10 paid holidays leave annually, unemployment reservation of one month salary per year, paid maternity leave, voluntary participation in a saving and credit fund, paid educational courses, regular medical consults and facilitation of transport.•	Innovation / Transfer of knowledgeKnowledge on vegetative propagation according to highest international standards will be new for Nicaragua. This includes methodologies, processes on cutting, post-harvesting, storage, packing and shipment. Quality management and assurance and phytosanitary principles will also be new for most staff members.•	Chain effectsSeveral local companies will supply the joint venture with agrochemicals, scoria, packaging material, transportation of staff and medical services.•	EnvironmentThe production facility will use efficient technologies to reduce waste and spillage. A controlled fertigation with drippers combined with a recycling system for water and leached nutrients will be used. The joint venture will avoid the use as chemical pesticides as much as possible and will work according the environmental MPS-B standards. Moreover, an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) will be included in the first Result.•	Position of women70% of the employees will be female (105 women), mainly covering basic skilled job positions. The company strives to employ more than 10 ladies at supervisor level. The establishment of an export-oriented production company for the vegetative propagation of six varieties of bedding plants totalling to annual production of 28 million un-rooted cuttings.