About Us

Find Out How We Can Help!

Bord Bia offers a comprehensive range of services to the small business community from information to business development. The information below is designed to help you navigate our services. If you need further information on any of the below, please send an email to vantage@bordbia.ie.

Information
- Bord Bia Market Information Department: Bord Bia maintains a library of research and leading-edge marketing literature which is available to all food businesses. The library team are on hand to provide assistance wherever possible, however big or small the query. Access to the library is free of charge and clients are guaranteed a speedy response. Thousands of enquiries are handled each year by the Bord Bia Enquiry Team and requests typically include:
  - Market/country profiles
  - Category/sector specific information
  - Retailer profiles
  - New product development and new product launches
  - Trends
  - Sourcing ingredients
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- Weekly Food Alert: Each week we produce a food alert which features a broad range of articles from markets information, to product innovation, to retail and foodservice developments. You will find the Bord Bia food alert on www.bordbia.ie/foodalert each Friday. Note that you can also subscribe to this - go to the food alert page for further information.
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- Newsletters: In addition to the research and market information above, Bord Bia also produces newsletters by sector and market. Subscription is through your Sector Manager with publications including the UK retail and foodservice newsletters (monthly), Ireland market retail and foodservice newsletters (monthly - also on the Bord Bia website).
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- Consumer Lifestyle Trends Programme: This programme is a foundation of knowledge that allows the Irish Food and Drinks Industry to better predict and prepare for consumers’ future needs and wants. Trends help companies be more outward-looking, future-focused and consumer driven. Using Trends helps companies to anticipate change in consumers’ lives and not just be responsive. Trends help organisations make sense of, and plan for, change and also act as a catalyst for new thoughts and ideas. Find out more about our Consumer Lifestyle Trends on the Bord Bia website.
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- Category Research: The Small Business Team has built a bank of category specific research examining consumer behaviours and attitudes to various food categories. Some of the categories we've worked on are listed below. Should you wish to get a copy of any of the reports, please email your Sector Manager or vantage@bordbia.ie.
  - Farmhouse Cheese
  - Preserves
  - Ready Meals
  - Gluten Free
  - Premium Chocolate
Workshops & Training
- The 2012 workshop schedule will be available shortly. In 2011 we focused on:
  - Distribution
    - The distribution programme is primarily built around providing information to industry. Firstly, we have designed an online distributor database which can be accessed through the Vantage website. You can customise your search by selecting the sector, service offered, product type and geographic coverage. The result is a comprehensive listing of suitable distributors complete with a short profile.
    - In addition to the distributor search facility, we have also pioneered Cluster Distribution Groups. This began in 2009 and in 2011 we will continue to work to pool resources and share information in partnership with Leader companies who will continue to operate on local level. Bord Bia will maintain an advisory role in the evolution of these groups who are cross selling and achieving collaborative new levels of sales locally.
    - Read more on distribution.
  - Innovation
    - Innovation Programme: The next innovation workshop will be held on Wednesday 18th January - read more.
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    - Foresight4Food Small Business Programme: Building on the Innovation theme, small food companies can also access the Foresight4Food Small Business Programme. This is a new programme which provides companies with the opportunity to complete professionally managed research amongst their target consumers via a syndicated series of focus group discussions. We recognise that small businesses have limited budgets and that the innovation and new product development process is fraught with risk. Lower investment in marketing and marketing support makes it harder for small businesses to succeed. The aim for this programme is to put consumers at the heart of small business innovation. In this programme we will assist companies with the research question, design the process, complete the fieldwork, and present the results. Clear recommendations will be provided and a report that details the business issue, key information, consumer insights, implications, and recommendations for implementation.
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  - Finance Mentoring
    - Good control of finance should always be a key element of your overall business management and in these particularly difficult times it is more important than ever. Through mentoring, we can help you understand cash management, pricing, and control systems. Find out how you can avail of this mentoring by contacting your Sector Manager.
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MAP - Marketing Finance Programme: this programme is designed to provide direct assistance for marketing initiatives to small business companies. The programme funds up to 60% of marketing activities for example trade fair attendance, market research, design and origination. The programme is open for applications from Jan 1st to Feb 28th. Read more about the MAP.

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Ireland Market Retail & Foodservice Programmes: the Bord Bia Ireland Market department has developed a tiered approach to working with companies who are looking to grow sales on the Irish retail and foodservice markets. The entry point to the programmes is the ‘intelligence’ level where information is provided on market size and main players, trends, conference reports, etc. Following on from the Intelligence level, there are both ‘entry programmes’ and ‘development programmes’. While the intelligence level is free of charge, ‘entry’ and ‘development’ are delivered through workshops and mentoring and require a fee. Read more on the Ireland market programmes.
Branding & The Brand Forum: Bord Bia's Brand Forum recognises that Irish companies of all sizes have a great deal to gain by coming together, pooling their individual expertise and sharing their common concerns. The kernel of Bord Bia's Brand Forum is to connect like-minded professionals, to share their experiences and to identify the pathways to future success. The Forum meets on a quarterly basis in Dublin with the Regional Brand Forum held once a year.
- In addition to the quarterly Fora, members of the Brand Forum can also access workshops and mentoring. Workshop topics are centred on Branding and include Social Media, Selling your Brand Online, Promoting your Brand on a Shoestring, and Food Styling and Photography. In terms of the mentoring, clients can avail of 16 hours of brand mentoring and areas of expertise include brand strategy, export branding, account management and marketing communications. Brand Forum membership is at a reduced rate of €250 + VAT for small food companies. www.bordbia.ie/brandforum
Export:
- Marketing Fellowship - growing the industry’s global footprint. In 2011, Small Business client companies benefitted from access to “Fellows” to develop their export opportunities along with access to the new Food Industry Strategic Growth Programme (FISGP). The next intake of applications and fellows will commence in March 2012. Read more on the Marketing Fellowship.
- Bord Bia Overseas Offices:
  - Bord Bia has its headquarters in Dublin and has a presence in 9 other markets. Our network of offices provides valuable on the ground supports for Irish companies. They can provide companies with an overview of that market and can assist with market research and entry by providing local market information.
    - UK Market: The UK is generally the first port of call for small food businesses. Bord Bia’s London office has a range of programmes open to all small food companies and are structured in the same way as the Irish market programmes in that they have a tiered approach i.e. intelligence, entry, and development. Programmes are delivered through mentoring and workshops over a 12 month basis. Additional services include an invaluable distributor search and PR programme.
    - Supports from Bord Bia’s other Overseas Offices include:
      
      i. Information & eAlerts
      ii. Market Overviews
      iii. Retailer Audits
      iv. Trade Contacts
      
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- Trade Fairs:
  - Bord Bia participates at a number of overseas trade fairs under the 'Ireland the Food Island' umbrella. You will find a full events listing on this site.
    
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- Read more on exporting.
  
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Direct to Consumer Sales
- Farmers' Markets
  - Recognising the importance of Farmers’ Markets as a route to market for small food and drink producers, Bord Bia commissioned research into Farmers’ Markets in Ireland in late 2010. The research included in-depth interviews with market organisers and stall-holders from markets all over Ireland whilst focus groups were also held with consumers to get their views on shopping at markets. View the research online.
- Bloom
  - Each year, the Artisan Food Market at Bloom gets bigger and bigger. In 2011, 49 food companies participated in the food market. As usual, the market provides a wide arrange of the finest Irish artisan produce from baked goods and confectionery to meats, fish, juices, condiments, curries and spices. The recruitment for the 2012 event will take place in March/April 2012. To find out more about Bloom, visit www.bloominthepark.com