Programme Aim

To provide participants with the tools required to start up successful food businesses working to a standardised format as established by Bord Bia, LEOs and Musgrave Retail while at the same time benefiting from two of the most experienced food company professionals in Ireland who together have 25 years’ experience working in the food and retail sectors.

Programme Objectives:               

• To give participants and in-depth knowledge of the tools with which they can analyse and take into account the importance of researching the Market Background and Understanding the Consumer, trade customers and routes to market and how to segment the market for their products
• To train participants on Core Technical Issues including raising and managing funds for business, how to price food products while taking into account the costs of routes to market e.g. distributors and retailers margins, NPD and food safety and food labelling following the most recent EFSA and FSAI guidelines, packaging options and formats and managing staff and HR law.
• To work with participants on growing sales for their product range through branding and pack design and identifying the routes to market suitable for their product range e.g. markets, the retail sector, the foodservice sector, direct sales (including online) and the export market. This will include preparing for and conducting buyers and distributors meetings, working on marketing plans, raising brand awareness through PR, the internet and social media
• By the end of the programme the participants will have all of the tools and knowledge necessary to launch and build a successful food business in Ireland and start looking at the export market.

Module One 1*1 hour mentoring session per participant

Market Background and Understanding the Consumer

• Understanding Consumers
• Market Background
• Research and Data
• Marketing Strategy & Segmentation

Module 2 – Technical Issues workshop plus 1*1 hour mentoring session per participant

• Introduction to Finance
• Pricing
• Managing Human Resources
• New Product Development
• Food Safety and Food Labelling
• Packaging

Modules 3 and 4 – Growing Sales two full days plus 1*1 hour mentoring session per participant and including SuperValu presentations (this may be during Workshop 3 or 4 or both, TBD with SuperValu)

• Routes to Market
• Buyer Meetings
• Promoting with Confidence
• Marketing Plans
• Branding and Pack Design
• Public Relations

Contact Geraldine Beirne on 057 9357480 or via email geraldine.beirne@leo.offalycoco.ie to discuss whether you are eligible for this programme.