A call has been issued for proposals for food waste reduction initiatives under the Rural Innovation and Development Fund (RIDF) today (Wednesday, January 31).

Proposals must relate to the promotion and/or development of projects to reduce food waste generated by primary producers and food businesses in rural areas.

The maximum amount of funding available is €165,000. The minimum level of funding for any project is €55,000. The closing date for applications is midday on Friday, March 22, 2024.

Issuing the call, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue said that Ireland generates over one million tonnes of food waste each year.

The minister said it is more important than ever to support and promote initiatives that tackle food waste, as they can contribute to achieving climate targets.

In order to quality for funding, businesses must:

Be situated in rural areas outside the administrative boundaries of Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford;
Be up and running and currently operating or have taken steps to be operational in 2024 in rural communities;
Demonstrate the proposal is sufficiently advanced to allow final payment by the end of 2024 at the latest;
Demonstrate the funding is for current expenditure and not for capital expenditure;
Be financially sound;
Show technical and professional ability to deliver the proposed initiative.

Organisations must also be tax compliant and comply with all the conditions of the scheme. Applications are considered on a competitive basis.

More information and the application form is available on the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine's (DAFM) website under "Food Waste Reduction Scheme".

"This call for proposals helps to address the overall RIDF objective to energise the rural economy by encouraging innovative job creation and sustainable enterprise development.

"The funding provided under this programme aligns with many of the goals in my department’s ambitious strategy for the agri-food sector Food Vision 2030," Minister McConalogue said.