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Welcome to the Digital School of Food

This learning hub has been designed to support you in developing your food manufacturing businesses from start-up to the growth phase. To get started with the Digital School of Food, watch the video below.

COVID-19 Notice

The Digital School of Food site was created pre the COVID-19 pandemic. While all of the information is still relevant, you may have to take a slightly different approach to both the research phase and your product launch plan.

Covid 19 Food Business Supports

Additional supports have been put in place to aid food and other businesses. While many of these are for existing businesses, you may be eligible for some like the free Bord Bia webinars

Course Breakdown

The Digital School of Food material is broken into 6 themes, each containing 2 to 3 courses.

Theme 1: Plan Your Journey *

1.1 Do your research *

1.2 Create your business model *

1.3 Create your brand *

1.4 Mentor tips on doing your research and creating a brand *

Theme 2: Route To Market *

2.1 Identify your sales channel *

2.2 Distribute your product *

2.3 Explore direct selling *

2.4 Mentor tips on where to sell your product *

Theme 3: Think About Finance *

3.1 Get your costing right *

3.2 Have enough funds *

3.3 Think about central billing *

3.4 Mentor tips on product costings and funding *

Theme 4: Grow Your Sales

4.1 Selling to store owners and chefs

4.2 Understand key account management

4.3 Perfect your negotiation skills

4.4 Mentor tips on meeting store owners, chefs and buyers

Theme 5: Expand Your Business

5.1 Managing product development

5.2 Scaling your business

5.3 Mentor tips on product development and scaling up your business

Theme 6: Support From Experts

6.1 Hear from Local Enterprise Office, Bord Bia, The Food Safety Authority and Enterprise Ireland

* denotes mandatory themes and courses which you must have fully completed before progressing to subsequent Food Starter workshops

Begin the Course

If you have watched the video above, you should now be ready to begin the course.

Launch the Digital School of Food

Further Learning

Once you have completed your learnings here in the Digital School of Food, your Local Enterprise Office has a suite of further supports for food businesses, including Food Starter Workshops and the Food Academy Programme. Contact your Local Enterprise Office directly for dates of next programmes.