There are many supports available to new and existing food producers including funding for eligible businesses, mentoring, networking, management development training and promotional opportunities. In addition, there are three programmes that are specifically designed to support businesses in the food sector, as set out below:

Digital School of Food

Digital School of Food is an e-learning hub that has been designed to support food producers in developing their food manufacturing businesses from start-up to the growth phase. It is designed to allow producers to upskill in their own time and, at a pace which suits them. To find out more and get started, head over to the Digital School of Food Website.

Food Starter

The Food Starter Programme is a two day programme designed to help those with a food idea, or those at a very early stage of starting up a food business. It will cover everything from an overview of the Irish food sector to the specifics of starting a food production business. To find out more, contact your local enterprise office for details of the next programme. A brochure on the programme is available HERE. 

 Food Academy

The Food Academy Start Programme is designed for people who are looking to develop and grow small-scale food and drink manufacturing businesses. The programme is supported by Bord Bia and Supervalu and involves a live product trial on shelves in Supervalu stores. It is aimed at those in the early stages of development and it is delivered through a mix of workshops and one-to-one mentoring. To find out more, please contact us on 071 9650420 for details of the next programme.