New Grant Opportunities Relevant to Organic Businesses

Organic businesses may be interested in two grant aid schemes operated by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, to support investments in organic processing and agri-food tourism more broadly.

Organic Processing Investment Grant Scheme: Increased from 40% to 60% for applications made from 1st January 2024. The Scheme provides financial assistance for projects investing in the processing of primary organic products, including the development of existing facilities, from preparation and grading to packing, storage and distribution. The Scheme is expected to open on a rolling basis throughout 2024 with applications processed under a series of tranches.

Agri-Tourism Measures 2024: Funding for agri-food tourism projects including rural food markets is currently available under the Rural Innovation Development Fund (RIDF). Farmers and businesses can submit applications until the deadline of 12 noon 23rd February 2024. The fund covers current expenditure (not capital costs) with financial contributions supported up to 70% of the total eligible costs. Further details on applying for funding are available here.