The government has announced €10 million in funding for new projects as part of the Bioeconomy Demonstration Initiative.

The funding will support the development of two bioeconomy pilot and demonstration projects in the 'designated territories' of the midlands.

This includes the counties of Laois, Longford, Offaly, Westmeath, Roscommon, along with the municipal districts of Ballinasloe (Co. Galway), Athy and Clane-Maynooth (Co. Kildare), and Carrick-on-Suir and Thurles (Co. Tipperary).

The bioeconomy involves the use of renewable and sustainable biomass from agriculture and forestry to produce alternative products reducing the reliance on fossil fuels and enhancing resource efficiency.

The ‘Bioeconomy Demonstration Initiative’ is designed to pilot and demonstrate the "bioeconomy in action" within the designated territories.

The scheme is co-funded by the Irish government and the European Union through the EU Just Transition Fund.

The fund aims to support communities most negatively affected by the move away from fossil fuels and the cessation of commercial peat extraction.

An initial call for proposals took place in 2023 with two projects securing funding.

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon, Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment, Darragh O’Brien, and Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Noel Grealish have today announced the opening of a second call for project proposals.

Minister Heydon said that "the focus of this initiative is to accelerate the commercialisation of bio-based innovation and solutions".

He said these solutions may include developing biochar products to promote its use in agriculture and industry.

"The fund seeks to scale up breakthrough demonstration activities, that will be particularly beneficial for the farming community and for agri-food industries by enabling diversification of value streams, adding value to farm residues, strengthening the role of primary producers in the value chain, and generating new jobs in rural areas," he said.

Minister Darragh O’Brien added that “investment in the bioeconomy offers a valuable opportunity for Ireland to leverage its natural resources to provide a just transition to a carbon-neutral economy".

"This initiative aims to empower the Midlands to become a leader in the development of Ireland’s bioeconomy, simultaneously promoting economic growth while reducing carbon emissions and biodiversity loss," he said.

Minister of State with special responsibility for research and development, Noel Grealish said that this funding builds on previously funded research and innovation of more than €40 million in the bioeconomy.

"With these building blocks now in place, it is critical that we move those bioeconomy innovations from the research lab to scaled up demonstration level. This will help the agri-food system to become more circular, sustainable, and resilient," he said.

Project proposals must be submitted through the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine's (DAFM's) online portal, with a closing date of 12:00p.m on August 8, 2025.

An information session will also be run by the department at 10:00a.m on June 24.