A new initiative to support medium-sized food and drink companies with mentoring and guidance has been launched by Bord Bia and PwC.

The ‘Ascent’ programme is aimed at companies with an annual turnover of over €1m and less than €10m. They will be charged a €500 participation fee, although Bord Bia maintained that the mentoring and diagnostic supports they receive thereafter will be worth a minimum of €10,000. The deadline for applications is August 21 2015.

“Ascent is a new, bespoke service designed to provide targeted, personalised support to a small number of Irish food and drink companies looking to identify and overcome obstacles to growth,” Olivia Slevin, manager, Bord Bia, explained.

“From our experience, companies often have the capacity and drive to scale up, however they may be faced with a challenge such as production, export market analysis, team structures, brand positioning, financial planning or category management.

“We believe external support and advice will help address and overcome these stumbling blocks, and as result, companies will be better positioned to expand into sustainable and profitable growth.”

In Association with

PwC will help Bord Bia with the initial diagnostic, problem-solving sessions and the mentoring where appropriate.

According to PwC director Colm O’Callaghan, continuous support is important for companies.

“Many companies plateau after the first growth phase and can find it difficult to break out of that position for a considerable period. For companies with an ambition to succeed in the second phase of growth, a specific set of resources is required to support their development.

“Ascent which will help deliver a comprehensive suite of services across a combination of key areas, including strategic review, consumer orientation, branding, product quality, and peer and expert advice to companies with the potential to significantly grow their business.”

Bord Bia manager Olivia Slevin and PWC director Colm O'Callaghan