Budget 2026: Bord Bia funding increases to over €60m
Bord Bia will once again see an increase in its State funding following the announcement of Budget 2026 yesterday (Tuesday, October 7).
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) allocation for 2026 includes €60.28 million being earmarked for Bord Bia.
This represents an increase from the allocation of €59.5 million in last year's budget.
Budget 2026
Minister of State with responsibility for food promotion and new markets Noel Grealish said that "this funding will support the promotional work carried out by Bord Bia in continuing to further develop existing and new market opportunities at home and abroad".
"While the global trading environment remains unpredictable, the funding provided in Budget 2026 will also support further market diversification, trade promotion and actions to ensure Ireland’s food sector remains competitive globally," he added.
Minister Grealish's responsibility in the department also covers research and development.
"This funding is about future-proofing agri-food as our largest indigenous sector, and one which is of vital importance to our rural economies and communities.
"It will also contribute to helping us achieve a wide range of policy and legislative goals, especially in the area of sustainability," he said.
Research
The minister highlighted department-funded research on feed additives to reduce methane emissions and for algal based bio-stimulants to reduce the amount of chemical fertiliser in grass swards.
These projects were showcased at the Agriculture and Climate Change: Science into Action conference in Dublin Castle earlier this year.
“These are examples of important research this department has funded. Budget 2026 will allow us to build on these types of findings and further improve the sustainability of Irish agriculture and food production," he said.
Minister Grealish said he is "proud to be in a position to continue this investment in research through Budget 2026".
"The resources allocated will allow my department to fund a range of new projects from our 2025 national thematic research call, participate in a range of European co-funded research initiatives in areas such as agro-ecology, animal health and welfare and sustainable food systems, and support a range of other initiatives, such as the VistaMilk Research Centre.
“Budget 2026 will also include funding for the two Shared Island bioeconomy demonstration projects that government announced recently.
"The €9 million committed to these projects from the Shared Island initiative, my own department and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Northern Ireland (DAERA) will support work in the areas of recycling phosphates and nitrogen from agricultural residues and developing marine-based biorefineries for the circular blue bioeconomy," he added.
Food Drink Ireland
Elsewhere, Food Drink Ireland (FDI), the Ibec group representing the food and drink sector, has welcomed improvements to the research and development tax credit system in the budget.
Paul Kelly, FDI director, said that the measure continues to be an important tool for incentivising food and drink businesses to engage in research and development.
“We welcome the expansion of the Research and Development (R&D) tax credit to 35%, up from 30%, and the widening of the scope of qualifying research.
"We need to significantly increase innovation in the sector through enhanced funding, incentives and innovation services to place the sector at the cutting edge of food excellence.
"It is also important that the forthcoming R&D Compass addresses the incremental nature of innovation in the food sector and recognises process improvements and intellectual property that is generated from these activities," he said.
