Food and drink producers from across Galway are invited to join the Food Academy programme to help grow their businesses.
Now in its ninth year, it is a unique food development programme between the 31 Local Enterprise Offices, including Local Enterprise Office Galway, SuperValu and Bord Bia.
Participants in Food Academy receive training in food safety, market research and branding, marketing, finance, sustainability and business development.
Some local companies which have taken part in the past include Gran Gran’s Foods, Solaris Botanicals Tea, Colleran’s Butchers, Kylemore Farmhouse Cheese and Aran Islands Goats Cheese.
The Food Academy programme currently supports 290 Irish food and drink producers generating €200m in sales.
In 2020, there was a 6% growth in Food Academy product purchases at SuperValu stores with participants delivering €30m in sales.
“Since it was started up nine years ago by the Local Enterprise Offices, SuperValu and Bord Bia, the Food Academy programme has been hugely successful, going from strength to strength,” said Breda Fox, Head of Enterprise with Local Enterprise Office Galway.
She added that the Food Academy is part of a suite of Local Enterprise Office supports designed for food and drink entrepreneurs in Ireland, such as the Digital School of Food and Food Starter programmes, both aimed at getting those with food ideas off the ground.
“As local food and drink producers grow their sales through these programmes, Local Enterprise Office Galway is on hand to support their expansion plans through further training, mentoring and financial assistance.”
The Food Academy Programme is now open for applications until Friday 8 April.
To apply, interested food and drink producers from Galway city and county are encouraged to visit the Local Enterprise Office Galway website and social media channels.
