Yvonne Scully & Associates Food/ Drink Get Exporting Programme

Date: TBA

Cost: TBC

Location: TBA

***Please note this is for businesses located within the DUBLIN AREA ONLY**

1. Participant companies should be trading for more than 2 years and have a minimum turnover of €100,000.
2. The programme is open to all LEO Food and Drink clients meeting the above requirement

Programme Objectives

• Assess export readiness, market potential, and capability gaps using structured diagnostics.
• Teach effective market research techniques, including competitor mapping, pricing, distribution, and compliance.
• Develop tailored Export Development Plans with route-to-market strategy, sales, marketing, and projections.
• Provide guidance on funding options and state supports.
• Strengthen sales, digital marketing, and lead generation skills.
• Deliver 10–15 qualified leads per participant during one-to-one mentoring.
• Position participants for sustained export growth and future EI/Bord Bia supports.

Programme Format

• 3 interactive half-day workshops covering export readiness, market research & strategy, sales development, funding, and lead generation best practices.
• 3 individual mentoring sessions (3 hours each), tailored to company sector and target markets. Includes personalised lead delivery and finalisation of the Export Development Plan.
• Practical resources after each workshop: readiness checklists, market research guides, templates, and funding reference materials.
• Follow-up touchpoint 2–3 weeks post-programme to review progress and agree next steps

Workshop  – Business & Initial Market Mapping

Purpose:

To provide participants with a clear assessment of their internal capacity to export and to guide them in identifying the key information needed to understand their international market environment. This stage focuses on mapping competitors, distribution channels, and other relevant market players, as well as the characteristics and requirements of the market, without yet moving into in-depth strategic analysis.

Content:

• Internal company diagnostic across six core business pillars: Business Strategy, People & Management, Sales & Marketing, Operations, Innovation, and Finance.
• Identification of potential markets and review of any previous export activity.
• Initial evaluation of product suitability for export (quality, compliance, value proposition).
• Competitor and distribution mapping, pricing, market size estimates, regulations and certifications Interactive Elements:
• Guided self-assessment checklist for evaluating internal export readiness.
• Practical exercise: identifying three key competitors and collecting basic data (price, range, location).
• Group discussion of findings and initial challenges.

Deliverables after Workshop 1: Export Readiness Checklist and Market Data Templates

Workshop  – Resource Planning, Business Development, Funding Options & Market Contact Strategy

Purpose:

To prepare companies for the execution phase of their export plan with resource planning, funding, and sales capability.

Content:

• Resource planning: staffing, capacity, logistics, compliance.
• Financial planning: budgeting, forecasting, risk management.
• Overview of export grants, loans, supports with eligibility/timing.
• Sales skills: digital marketing, content, e-commerce, value propositions, B2B/B2C approaches.
• Structuring Export Development Plans and first contact strategies.
• Role-play for sales pitches and buyer meetings. Interactive Elements:
• Role-play exercises to practice sales presentations and buyer meetings.
• Group exercise to define key messages and priority communication channels.

Deliverables after Workshop 3: Export Development Plan template, Budget & Resource Plan, Sales Action Guide, Funding Summary.

At the information seminar, the Yvonne Scully & Associates team will tell you more about how the Programme works and answer any questions that you may have.

You can then make an informed decision about whether the Programme is right for you.

***Please note this is for businesses located within the DUBLIN AREA ONLY**

Presenters

Yvonne Scully

Yvonne Scully is an experienced Business Consultant and Food Entrepreneur based in Dún Laoghaire, County Dublin. With a background in Finance and Investment Banking, she specialises in supporting high-potential food and drink start-ups and SMEs with a focus on export development and internationalisation.

Yvonne has delivered Export Development Plans, international strategies, and trade missions across Ireland and Northern Ireland, connecting producers with global retail and foodservice buyers. A member of Enterprise Ireland’s Strategic Consultancy and Mentoring Panels, she has supported over 40 companies in scaling, securing funding, and entering new markets.

She works closely with InterTradeIreland and Local Enterprise Offices, and regularly delivers cross-border export programmes and workshops. As founder of Bia Kid Ltd—an Enterprise Ireland HPSU—Yvonne brings first-hand entrepreneurial experience to her advisory work.

Her expertise spans export strategy, sales and marketing, investor readiness, and financial forecasting. Passionate about driving international growth, Yvonne helps food businesses scale with confidence and impact.

Alison Cummins 

Alison Cummins is a Business Consultant, Food Entrepreneur, and Process Engineer with deep expertise in food innovation, export growth, and strategic business development. She holds a B.Eng. (Hons) in Process Engineering, a BSc (Hons) in Food Science and Technology, and an MSc (Hons) in Food Business and Technology.

Alison built and scaled her own globally exporting food business as a High Potential Start-Up (HPSU) client of Enterprise Ireland and Bord Bia. She now supports companies across the food and manufacturing sectors to improve performance, implement systems, achieve regulatory compliance, and access new markets.

With a client base ranging from local SMEs to multinational foodservice companies, Alison has equipped factories to world-class standards and helped numerous businesses scale, export, and innovate. She is a trusted advisor to Enterprise Ireland, InterTradeIreland, and Local Enterprise Offices nationwide.

Alison also lectures on TU Dublin’s Food Business MSc (Level 9) and delivers advanced training with the Advanced Manufacturing Training Centre of Excellence (AMTCE). Passionate about innovation-led growth, she brings a strong results focus and proven commercial insight to every client engagement.