Publication
Shared Island Bioeconomy Demonstration Initiative
From Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Published on
Last updated on
The Shared Island Bioeconomy Demonstration Initiative aims to support bioeconomy piloting and demonstration actions across Ireland and Northern Ireland. Support for piloting and demonstration activities is a key objective of the Bioeconomy Action Plan 2023-2025 .
This initiative recognises that both jurisdictions on the Island are facing similar climate and sustainability challenges, have similar agriculture, land use and marine activities and have significant potential to unlock opportunities within the bioeconomy.
This funding mechanism is of relevance to stakeholders along the entire bio-based value chain, including SMEs, research performing organisations, local authorities, primary producers, and others. It will facilitate these stakeholders to build on existing, or establish new, cross-border collaborations, and develop proposals for piloting and demonstrating agriculture or marine based bioeconomy activities on an all-Island basis.
The Shared Island Bioeconomy Demonstration Initiative 2024 Call opened for submissions on 05 March 2024 and closed on 07 June 2024.
Applications under this Call are currently being evaluated by DAFM and DAERA, with an announcement of successful proposals expected in 2025.
This funding Call had a total budget of €9 million. This was enabled by an allocation of €7 million from the Government’s Shared Island Initiative , plus additional co-funding of €1.5 million from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and €0.5 million from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland.
The Call aims to support innovation for the Agri-Bioeconomy in Northern Ireland and for the Blue Bioeconomy in Ireland. A North/South collaborative approach was essential in all applications.
Applicants were encouraged to read the Call Specification and Guidelines for Applicants documents prior to making an application. A ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ document was also prepared. These Call 2024 documents can be found hereunder.
Frequently asked Questions - Shared Island Bioeconomy Demonstration Initiative
Two information events were organised for prospective applicants to the 2024 Call. These events included presentations by experts from DAFM and DAERA, as well as an opportunity for attendees to ask questions to an expert panel or via one-to-one clinics.
Event 1 took place in Dundalk Institute of Technology on Friday 22 March 2024, 9.30am to 2pm.
Event 2 took place in AFBI Hillsborough on Friday 19 April 2024, 9.30am to 2pm.
The Irish government’s Shared Island initiative aims to harness the full potential of the Good Friday Agreement to enhance cooperation, connection and mutual understanding on the Island of Ireland and to engage with all communities and traditions to build consensus around a shared future. The Shared Island Fund was announced in Budget 2021, with €500m in capital funding available between 2021-2025, ring-fenced for investment in collaborative North-South projects.
As part of the Shared Island Fund, the Government awarded €7 million for a Bioeconomy Demonstration Initiative Scheme to invest in sustainable, innovative, and circular bioeconomy development on a shared Island basis, with the aim of transforming the agri-food sector and creating jobs in the rural and coastal economy and sustaining rural and coastal communities. Overall, such an initiative will offer the potential to move towards a low-carbon and circular economy.
The Department for Agriculture, Food and Marine (DAFM) was tasked with bringing together the overall funding package, to be progressed through a competitive funding Call. The Department worked in consultation with the Northern Ireland Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) to develop the opportunity on and all-Island basis, with an objective to encourage the development of sustainable and circular projects for the agri-bioeconomy and blue bioeconomy across the Island of Ireland.
On Thursday 14 September 2023, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine held an online information session on the Shared Island Bioeconomy Demonstration Initiative. A recording of the session can be viewed below.
The information session was moderated by InterTrade Ireland, the cross-border, trade and business development body. Officials from the Department of the Taoiseach provided an overview of the Government’s Shared Island Initiative. DAFM and DAERA officials gave a brief overview on the background and policy setting of the bioeconomy on the Island, before offering a first look at the Shared Island Bioeconomy Demonstration Initiative and some outline details for prospective applicants. Presentation slides from the information session can be viewed below.
DTaoiseach Slides_SIF Bioeconomy Demonstration Initiative
A Shared Island Bioeconomy Demonstration Initiative Scheme stakeholders survey was conducted during the development of the call. The purpose of this survey was to help both DAFM and DAERA understand the background of potential applicants, their ideas, and their areas of interest.
Cross border collaboration was a requisite for applying for this funding opportunity. As a result, a partnering platform was set up to help prospective applicants to find a partner in the opposite jurisdiction (Ireland or Northern Ireland).
If you would like to contact a local expert in DAFM or DAERA for more information about this funding opportunity, please contact:
Please click here to return to the Bioeconomy Funding & Finance options page.