Food Academy Start Programme

Expressions of Interest are sought for The Food Academy Programme

Expressions of interest are sought from interested parties. Please contact Local Enterprise Office Roscommon at localenterprise@roscommoncoco.ie or on 09066 26263 by Friday 6th September.

Food Academy is a training programme aimed at supporting and nurturing early stage food businesses. Local Enterprise Offices have joined forces with Bord Bía and SuperValu on this initiative to provide a consistent level of food marketing knowledge to early-stage food business owners.  The programme will take place on a regional basis and will run subject to demand.

At the final workshop, participants will get the opportunity to present their product to a panel from SuperValu and if successful, can participate in a trial based in local shops, which in the right circumstances, could progress over time to a national listing with SuperValu. There is no guarantee of your product being listed as part of the programme. However, the majority of products do proceed to trial with Supervalu.

Programme Objectives

  • Develop an in-depth knowledge of the tools which can be used to assess market gaps for your product
  • Understand core technical issues facing your food or drink business
  • Learn how to grow sales for your product range through better branding and packaging design
  • Gain all of the tools and knowledge necessary to launch and build a successful food business in Ireland

Who can participate?

The Food Academy is aimed at those in the early to mid-stages of developing a food or drink business. Selection criteria will apply. 

How much does it cost?

The Academy costs €100 and is inclusive of all course materials, training and mentoring. If you are pre-approved you will receive a link to make your payment online.