Longford entrepreneurs and start-ups encouraged to apply for Food works programme

Bord Bia, Enterprise Ireland and Teagasc, have issued encouragement to food and drink entrepreneurs from Longford to apply for it’s 2020  Food Works programme as the deadline for applications approaches. 

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The supports offered by the Food Works programme are valued at over €50,000 and include in-depth consultancy and advice from the three agencies, access to consumer and market research, feasibility funding and bespoke mentoring with industry experts.

Luxury Biscuit company, Lismore Foods; Wicklow Wolf, craft beer company; Fiid, producers of convenient nutritious meals;  Bean and Goose, Chocolatiers from Wexford and Waterford based, Black Twist, producers of a single origin coffee and whiskey drink have all successfully participated in the Food Works programme and benefited from the  wealth of mentoring advice and industry expertise that’s available.

As part of the programme, participants benefit from one-to-one mentoring with Ireland’s best food and drink business minds including John Stapleton, co-founder of the New Covent Garden Soup Company and Little Dish, Joanna Walker, food retail expert and former buyer with Sainsbury’s and M&S, Eamonn Rice, business consultant and former Kerry Group Director, Matt Bentley, Marketing consultant, Gavin Sherry, manufacturing specialist, Moira Creedon, food business financial planning expert.

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Speaking about the 2020 recruitment campaign for Food Works, Nicola Nic Pháidín, Manager of Food High Potential Start Ups, Enterprise Ireland said, “Food Works is the only programme of its kind in Ireland, where three government agencies have come together to help develop innovative food and drink start-ups into commercially viable businesses with export potential. 

“This year we are looking for scalable and export driven Irish food products that satisfy a genuine market need. As the diversity of participants for the 2019 programme suggest, this is a programme that is open to many and varied start-ups, so we encourage food entrepreneurs at all levels to apply”.

Food Works are recruiting individuals and companies at the early stage of their development, who believe they have a cutting edge product which addresses a gap in the market. Food Works will be hosting a final Introductory Event on Tuesday, November 26, in Bord Bia. 

Register to attend this event here. The application closing date for Food Works 2020 is December 10.