Kildare food and drink entrepreneurs urged to enter scheme to win grants

Food and drink entrepreneurs from Kildare have been urged by Bord Bia, Enterprise Ireland and Teagasc to apply for its 2020 Food Works programme as the final deadline for applications approaches.
Prospective companies are invited to apply via www.foodworksireland.ie.
The supports offered by the 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.
Successful food company Hog House participated in the Food Works programme in 2017. The company produce delicious pork based pinchos and are now selling in the UK, Spain and Germany as well as in Ireland.
“Foodworks was a game changer for us. It helped us clarify and prove our concept and the huge opportunities available to us,” said Alison Cummins, Founder of Hog House. “Because of Food Works we opened our own production plant in Cavan and now employ staff there to produce our pork Pinchos. Global ambition is the theme of Foodworks and it has clearly delivered for us. We would urge any food companies with global ambition and a great product to join the Foodworks programme to take your idea to the next level.“
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 and Moira Creedon, food business financial planning expert.
Speaking about the 2020 recruitment campaign for Food Works, Nicola Nic Pháidín, Manager of Food High Potential Start Ups, Enterprise Ireland said: "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”.
The Food Works journey begins with an introductory meeting with Bord Bia, Enterprise Ireland and Teagasc followed by a formal application. Applicants are then selected for the programme based on defined criteria including innovation, market insight, ability to scale and export, commercial potential and strength of team. The cost for entry to the programme is €3,000 however the market value of the programme has been estimated at over €50,000.
For further information on Food Works visit www.foodworksireland.ie