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GMIT has developed this free, 18 week part-time course to enable ambitious students to transform their ideas into new businesses.

This is not a traditional classroom taught course. Students will interact with a broad range of project hosts, practitioners, industry leaders and entrepreneurs including well known entrepreneurs such as:

• Brendan Allen (Castlemine Farms)
• Ronan Byrne (Friendly Farmer)
• Declan Droney (Kinvara Smoked Salmon)
• Pat McDonagh (Supermacs)
• Maurice Knightly (formerly O’Briens Sandwich Bar)
• John Daley (John Daley Foods)

There will be two days of lectures per week - one day online, and one day in the classroom.

The practical application of learning is embedded in the course through regular real-life project challenges and the incorporation of industry and practitioner guest speakers and contributors into the course.

Participation in multi-disciplinary teams ensures students are exposed to alternative knowledge, skills sets and perspectives. This broadens participants' horizons and stimulates the cross-fertilisation of ideas and capabilities.

Delivery of the course will be led by the Innovation Hubs at GMIT which have enabled dozens of potential entrepreneurs to take their ideas from concept to full commercialisation.

*** Download the Food Innovation and Entrepreneurship brochure here ***

What our graduates say:

“The course really helped me develop my business idea and business plan.  More importantly, it helped me with the transition from homemaker to entrepreneur”.  Hilda Patton

“The course is full of inspiration with totally up-to-date information delivered by a professional team”. Deirdre Bennett

NOTE: This course is now closed for applications.

If approved under Springboard+ 2021, it will open for applications on www.springboardcourses.ie in May/ June 2021.

The next start date (if approved) would be February 2022.

Please monitor the www.hea.ie website for updates as to which courses are funded under Springboard+2021 and when applications will open on www.springboardcourses.ie

Eligibility criteria for Springboard courses can be viewed here (PDF)

Students will undertake three modules as part of this course, each worth 10 credits.

The three modules are:

• Creative Thinking and Opportunity Recognition  - download module details here (PDF)
• Food Sector Entrepreneurship - download module details here (PDF)
• Food Sector Specific Skills - download module details here (PDF)

Learning Outcomes On completion of this programme the learner will/should be able to:

1. A critical awareness of the creative thinking process and the ability to demonstrate a range of tools and techniques used to stimulate creative thinking 2. The ability to Critically analyse and understand the Irish and international food systems 3. Evaluate their own place within team work environment and recognize the optimal team dynamics required for venture creation 4. Identify relevant problems in relation to venture creation through and compare and contrast solutions created in a team context 5. Develop an awareness of optimal presentation skills in the context of developing a business.

6. Design and implement Lean start up principles and evaluate in the context of a food venture start-up 7. Obtain an understanding of customer development for food businesses and be able to develop insights into the customer development process 8. Have awareness of food business creation dynamics and the have the ability to generate Food Business models and critically analyses business model strengths and weaknesses 9. Have an awareness and insights of personal, interpersonal and professional entrepreneurial traits 10. Differentiate between venture creation and business management 11. Construct venture creation strategies 12. Have a working understanding of the various business model and lean start up tools and through their use have the ability to create insights and interpretations for a venture creation process 13. Develop insights into brand awareness and have the ability to Formulate Brand strategies and prepare plans for brand development 14. Effectively communicate a food business concept verbally and visually

15. Construct food hygiene plans and understand relevant food laws 6. Demonstrate an understanding of food pricing and financial planning 17. Have a critical understanding of business planning and business plan and to develop insights into their application and development 18. Recognize resources required for venture creation 19. Formulate venture creation strategies 20. Communicate business concepts in various formats

This course is focused on forming and supporting job creators. Throughout the course, participants are encouraged to seriously consider food entrepreneurship as a viable alternative to employment. There is a strong emphasis on the development of implementable and sustainable economic and social entrepreneurship ventures and projects.

In addition to the development of technical and transferable skills required for entrepreneurial activity, we also offer individual practical supports to participants who have identified business ideas, which they wish to pursue further. In such cases we act as a start-up platform introducing participants to experts and mentors as well as potential sources of funding.

For those seeking employment, rather than hoping to create employment, the course provides participants with sought-after skills in the areas of creative thinking, innovation, opportunity recognition, networking and team building, entrepreneurial thinking and action. Confidence building and ability to act autonomously, as well as peer-to-peer network development will be a strong features of our course. Standard CV and interview preparation are offered to all participants but due to the nature of the course are not always required.

Start Date

February 2022 if approved for Springboard2010* funding

Duration:

18 weeks

Entry Requirements

Honours Degree (Level 8) in any discipline, or an Ordinary Degree (Level 7) in any discipline plus two years of relevant experience working/ self employed in the area of food entrepreneurship/ innovation, or five years working/self employed of relevant experience in the area of food entrepreneurship/innovation.

Application Process

You must apply for this course through www.springboardcourses.ie, where you will need to first register. You cannot apply directly to GMIT.

Fees

The fee is 300 Euros if employed.  There is no charge for this course for qualifying candidates.

To check if you are eligible for no fees, go to http://www.springboardcourses.ie/eligibility

Springboard+ is funded by the Department of Education and Skills and the European Social Fund as part of the ESF programme for Employability, Inclusion and Learning 2021-2027.