Farmers interested in diversifying their enterprises have been encouraged to apply to AgriNext's newly launched Business Incubator on Farm Diversification, which will begin in July 2025.

The initiative will be launched throughout the EU, and has a total projected budget of €2,553,260. It aims to empower farmers, agribusinesses, and entrepreneurs looking to invest in farm-related innovations, by unlocking new opportunities for revenue generation and sustainable rural development.

AgriNext is an Erasmus+ project, operating across a number of EU member states, which provides a cross-cultural learning environment and education platform that responds to the skills demand of the job market, in the field of multifunctional agriculture.

Multifunctional agriculture involves the integrated provision of conventional agricultural activities, alongside non-agricultural activities such as agritourism, social/care farming, farm shops, farm education, nature, and landscape management, to achieve greater rural prosperity.

The Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) has partnered with AgriNext, with a budget of €421,778 granted to undertake the project's initiatives in Ireland.

The international network of partners engaged in the project will facilitate an exchange of good practices at the international level, allowing participants to benefit from the sharing of innovative ideas for personal and professional development.

In addition to the business incubator, the project aims to develop further training opportunities under the vocational education and training sector, within the European qualification framework levels 3-6, and the national framework qualification levels 4-7.

According to TUS, the incubator will help participants:

Explore new income streams to add value to farming enterprises;
Access expert guidance and collaborate with industry experts and mentors who will help with the design of diversification plans;
Provide practical support with planning permissions, funding applications, business strategies, and technical know-how;
Network with like-minded farmers to share ideas.

Anyone interested in participating in AgriNext's 'Business Incubator on Farm Diversification' project, is advised to contact AgriNext's Irish partner, TUS, to register interest.