GMIT offers free course in Food Innovation and Entrepreneurship

GMIT is delighted to offer a brand new and free Certificate in Food Innovation and Entrepreneurship course under the Government-funded Higher Education Springboard initiative.  This part-time course will be delivered by high-profile entrepreneurs including but not limited to Brendan Allen of Castlemine Farms, JP McMahon a Galway Restaurateur, Ronan Byrne aka The Friendly Farmer, and Declan Droney of Kinvara Smoked Salmon.

This part-time Certificate (Level 9 - 30 credits) will be delivered over two days per week for nineteen weeks at the Galway campus commencing Tuesday, 19 January 2016 and commencing at the Mayo campus in March 2016. The course is fully funded by the Springboard Higher Education programme. With only sixty places on offer applicants are encouraged to apply early to avoid disappointment.

Dr Lisa Ryan, Head of Dept of Natural Sciences, GMIT explains: “This course is certain to cause great excitement within the food and agri communities. It is designed to encourage ambitious participants to foster and develop their food and product development ideas into businesses.”

“The course will consist of three modules which will cover a variety of topics from idea generation to business model development, incorporating a (food) sector specific theme. Each module will have significant input from external sources to give a real sense of engagement and authenticity.”

“Working in collaboration, the GMIT School of Science and Computing and the GMIT Innovation Hubs (at both Galway and Mayo campuses) will lead the delivery of this course. We are essentially trying to forge future job creators,” adds Dr Ryan.

Successful applicants will have access to high level support and mentoring throughout the course, together with the opportunity of gaining practical support for business start-ups that will emerge from the programme. Moving away from the traditional style of teaching, this course will take a practice-based, real-world, collaborative approach in its delivery methods.

Graduates of this programme will acquire the skillsets to develop and execute on a business concept. They will have a unique awareness of the business creation dynamics and also the personal traits required to establish a business in the food or any other sector.

Applicants must apply for this course through www.springboardcourses.ie  The closing date is 15 January 2016.  For further details on this course in GMIT, please email Maria McDonagh or telephone 091-742510.

For further information on other culinary programmes in GMIT, please visit:

Certificate in Food Innovation and Entrepreneurship