Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon has issued a call for proposals for agri-food tourism initiatives under the 2025 Rural Innovation and Development Fund (RIDF).
Total funding of almost €300,000 is available for projects supporting agri-food tourism initiatives ,which may also include rural food markets.
The maximum amount payable to any project is €25,000.
Applications for the funding should be made via the call for proposals application form, which is available on the website of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
The closing date for applications is 12:00p.m (noon) on Monday, February 24.
Agri-food tourism is broadly defined as the practice of offering an activity or activities as part of a visit to areas of well-known agricultural produce and to sample and taste the local or regional cuisine or specialties.
Agri-food tourism includes a wide variety of activities that involve the links between agriculture and food produced at the local or regional level, the department said.
It may also involve staying or touring food trails and events; participation in agricultural endeavours; or buying produce direct from a farm or market.
Agri-food tourism also encompasses local food, farmer and artisan market schemes that support and are paired with local and seasonal food producers and artisan crafts.
Minister Heydon said: “Tourism and the agri-food sector share close ties and complement each other well.
“This funding provides support towards the development of agri-food tourism initiatives to help rural businesses develop their products and services, connect with the community and visitors and improve the rural experience,” the minister said.
He added: “2024 saw some great projects developed under this scheme. I am sure 2025 will build on [this] with opportunities to progress projects further and create new experiences.”
The department said that the agri-food sector is one of the main drivers of Ireland’s economy, especially in rural and coastal areas.
The department said it aims to develop links between local food and tourism offerings. This includes backing for business development and marketing initiatives to support and promote food and drink visitor attractions.