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Addressing participants who are commencing the Food Works Programme at the Guinness Enterprise Centre, Shane McEntee T.D. Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine said that “the Food Harvest 2020 report highlighted food as an area of great opportunity for Ireland. However, it can be a complex and expensive business to get involved in. A huge amount of logistical know-how is required. The learning curve is practically vertical. Quite simply, everything has to be right first time and all of the time”.

Minister McEntee said that “Ireland has great food strengths and food companies but in recent years too few of our high potential start-ups have been found in the food sector. Food Works aimed to change this. The Programme had been developed by three agencies – Bord Bia, Enterprise Ireland and Teagasc - to support the generation of scalable export-driven food companies and was providing food entrepreneurs with intensive, targeted support”.

He concluded by congratulating the 29 participants for reaching Stage 4, in which they will carry out a robust feasibility analysis of their projects from a consumer, technical and commercial viability perspective. Minister McEntee thanked the agencies for their solid commitment and determination to give of their best in imagining a new concept and approach. Leaders of a number of food companies had also been generous with their time and support and he thanked them also.

Note for editors

Food Works was launched by Bord Bia, Enterprise Ireland and Teagasc in March 2012. The programme aims to generate more high potential scalable food businesses through process of targeted support from the three agencies through 5 Stages. The participants have completed three Stages and are now heading into Stage 4 ‘TAKE YOUR FIRST STEPS’ which will include eight weeks of intensive testing of their ideas and business plan, a visit to London to understand the opportunities in that market for new food products and business networking opportunities. Enterprise Ireland has also made available a sum of €5,000 to each company to assist with the work.