The Food Academy Programme 2025/2026
This Portal is now open (March 2025) for applications to the 2025/26 Programme.
If you are interested in this programme for 2025, please ensure that you contact your LEO for advice, complete a Food Starter Programme and / or apply for Mentoring with a Food Mentor to get you ready to be able to apply for Food Academy 2025/2026.
Key Dates:
- Applications Portal is open NOW
- The deadline for 2025/2026 FA applications – Midnight April 4th 2025
- Interviews for places will take place start of June 2025
- LEO Finance Webinar – June 24th 2025
- Workshops 1 – 5:- Sept 2025 to Feb 2026
- Trial Period with SuperValu Stores: TBC 2026
Eligibility
The Food Academy is aimed at those in the early to mid-stages of developing a food or drink business who have already developed a product, trialled it in the marketplace & are looking to scale up and grow their business.
The programme is open to all micro-enterprises with up to ten employees except those involved in activities that the Local Enterprise Offices consider as ineligible (primary agricultural, fishery or aquaculture, coal and steel sectors) and those involving an unacceptable reputational risk including gambling, ‘gaming’ (as defined in the Gaming and Lotteries Act 1956), adult entertainment, tobacco products and cannabis-based products which are not authorised as medicines).