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McConalogue announces €1.4m in Grants supporting €4.9m investment in eight seafood processing companies

The Minister for Agriculture Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue T.D., today announced €4.8 million in new investment by eight seafood processing companies, with his Department’s European Maritime and Fisheries Fund Programme providing grants of €1,408,949. The grants are co-funded 50% by the Government of Ireland and 50% the European Union and are subject to terms and conditions.

Announcing the grants Minister McConalogue said, “2020 has been a difficult year for our seafood sector, as it has for our economy as a whole.  So, it is heartening to see many of our leading seafood processors continue to invest to further grow their businesses.  I am delighted to support these eight seafood processors in building for the future. Although the processing sector continues to face challenges, with the Pandemic continuing to impact on world markets and uncertainties and risks around the ongoing trade negotiations with the UK, there are also many opportunities to continue to develop and prosper, as companies adapt and innovate to unlock the market opportunities that are available for quality Irish seafood products.”

Minister McConalogue added, “My Department’s European Maritime and Fisheries Fund Programme is still open for business and continues to provide grants for a wide range of investments in our seafood sector, including capital investment, innovation, business planning and marketing.”

Note for Editors:

Ireland’s EMFF Operational Programme 2014-2020 is providing €240 million in funding to the seafood sector (fisheries, aquaculture and seafood processing) over the period 2014 to 2020. The Programme is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union.

Three support schemes are available to the seafood processing sector to foster and support innovation, value-adding, new market development and investment in new equipment and premises. The Seafood Processing Capital Investment Scheme provides up to 30% aid to seafood processing premises to encourage capital investment in value-adding production capacity.  The Seafood Scaling & New Market Development Scheme provides up to 50% aid to groups of seafood processing enterprises who work together to develop new export exports.  The Seafood Innovation & Business Planning Scheme provides aid of up to 50% to seafood processing enterprises to foster innovation in new product development. 

Grant approvals - Seafood Processing Capital Investment Scheme 2020

Grant approvals – Seafood Innovation and Business Planning Scheme