£300,000 made available to showcase NI’s food and drinks sector
Funding to showcase Northern Ireland’s food and drink sector has been announced by Agri-food Minister Edwin Poots.
This year £300,000 is available from the Northern Ireland Regional Food Programme (NIRFP) for the promotion of our local food and drink products at regional fairs and exhibitions, seminars/workshops and information programmes.
The Minister said: “This is an important funding programme for our food and drink sector as it continues on the path to recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. The programme encourages collaboration between all sectors and representative bodies within the local food industry through financial support to help showcase quality regional food.
“I am delighted that this year we are again able to offer funding for activities that would support a generic agri-food promotion campaign, building on the successes achieved in 2021. Promotional activities will cover all sectors of the NI food industry highlighting the quality, sustainability and reputation of the food that is produced on local farms.”
The programme opens on 1 February 2022 and closes at noon on 22 February. Applications are invited from not-for-profit groups and regional development agencies as well as registered charities.
The aim of the scheme is to raise the profile of quality regional food and increase its consumption within Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland and Great Britain.
The funding is for projects taking place from 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023. Awards will be subject to budget availability.
Successful applications to the Programme can obtain up to 40% financial contributions on eligible project expenditure for regional fairs/exhibitions, seminars/workshops, information programmes; and 80% for the generic agri-food sector promotional campaign.
Scheme rules mean that only not-for-profit groups with a Northern Ireland membership, registered charities or not-for-profit regional development agencies that plan to deliver projects that raise the profile of NI regional food can apply. Applications for collaborative ventures involving two or more eligible organisations working together to deliver the objectives of the Programme are encouraged.
The application form can be downloaded from: https://www.daera-ni.
Caption: DAERA Minister Edwin Poots is pictured with Eileen Hall, Cavanagh Free Range Eggs (left) and Jackie Tumelty, Castlescreen Farm as he announces that the £300k Northern Ireland Regional Food Programme is open from 1 February 2022.
