Press Release 04/03/2015

Local Enterprise Offices of Carlow and Kildare collaborate on Food Programme for developing food businesses

The Local Enterprise Offices (LEO) of Carlow and Kildare have announced the dates for the Food Academy Start Programme, the programme is aimed at supporting and nurturing start-up and developing food businesses. Board Bia, SuperValu and the LEOs of Carlow and Kildare have joined forces to provide a food marketing programme to new and early stage food business owners.

Kieran Comerford, head of the LEO Carlow said “this is a great opportunity for food producers of the Region to develop their businesses with a standardized programme of supports. This programme has been held in neighbouring counties with great success, all participants are given the opportunity to pitch their product to a panel of SuperValu representatives including the local SuperValu owner, and successful participants are given the opportunity to trial their product in local stores opening up large retail markets for producers and a chance of a listing with one of Irelands largest retailers”

The programme is a combination of three workshops and one to one mentoring, delivered by food marketing experts and is designed to guide companies from start-up to their first retail listing. The training workshops and mentoring, builds to producers being prepared for the opportunity to pitch to local SuperValu retail representative at the end of programme.

The intensive workshops which are run over a three month period starting at the end of March 2015 will provide companies with business support and knowledge including consumer insight, technical advice, resource planning, commercial advice and marketing development. The programme has a core commercial focus and all participants will have the opportunity to pitch their product or idea to a local SuperValu representative, with a view to securing an initial local listing.

To register for the programme or to hear more about it contact Kilian Duignan on 087/6950382 or kduignan@managementresource.ie

Details: Food Academy Programme 2015 Final .pdf (size 604.3 KB)

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For more information contact Kilian Duignan 087/6950382