TU Dublin Welcomes Food Academy Producers for Certificate in Food Entrepreneurship Induction
The School of Culinary Arts and Food Technology has welcomed a new cohort of food and drink producers from the SuperValu Food Academy to Technological University Dublin for induction onto the Certificate in Food Entrepreneurship programme. This year's induction took place in the Musgrave MarketPlace Training Restaurant in TU Dublin, where 30 emerging food entrepreneurs began their journey to develop innovative, market-ready, sustainable food and drink businesses.
Developed in conjunction with Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs), the Food Academy programme supports food entrepreneurs and early-stage companies in reaching the standards required to have their products stocked in major national retailers like SuperValu. Successfully running for 12 years until 2024, the Food Academy products have exceeded €260 million in retail sales, with a projected €30 million in sales for 2025 alone.
In a collaboration led by the TU Dublin Enterprise Academy, TU Dublin joined forces with SuperValu and the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) to bring the already successful Food Academy programme to a new level. The TU Dublin Certificate in Food Entrepreneurship has added new food safety management elements to the Food Academy programme while the university reviewed and assessed its existing components to ensure they meet the standards required for academic accreditation.
The programme, the only accredited producer development programme in Ireland, helps producers develop skills in key areas including branding, marketing, finance, and food quality and safety with training sessions delivered in parallel in different regional locations to meet the needs of the individual entrepreneurs.
This partnership an exemplar of how industry and education can collaborate to nurture and develop Ireland’s next generation of food and drink leaders and transform Ireland’s food innovation landscape.
We look forward to supporting these talented producers as they take the next step on their entrepreneurial journey.