Grow internationally | Business Support | Enterprise Ireland

Irish agritech companies have proven their technology works—precision livestock monitoring, pasture management systems, farm automation, climate-smart solutions. They’ve validated product-market fit in Ireland and maybe a few European markets. But scaling globally is hard. North American and Asia-Pacific markets have different climates, regulations, farmer practices, and buyer expectations. Adapting products costs money. Building local partnerships takes time. And farmers in new markets are skeptical of foreign technology they’ve never heard of.

The result? Irish agritech companies with world-class technology struggle to break into the massive North American and Asia-Pacific markets. They lack capital for localization, market development, and customer success programs. They don’t have local presence or partnerships. And they can’t afford the trade missions, regulatory approvals, and demonstration farms needed to build trust with farmers.

Enterprise Ireland is offering €1.2 million per company to help Irish agritech scale into North American and Asia-Pacific markets. This program funds market entry, customer success, product localization, and sustainability verification. The goal is accelerating Irish agritech export growth while helping global farmers produce more with fewer emissions.

For Irish-registered agritech SMEs with validated product-market fit, this program provides matching grants for market development and localization. You’re not just getting funding—you’re accessing market intelligence, regulatory advisory, distributor matchmaking, and sustainability certification support that de-risk international expansion.

What makes this program distinctive is its focus on climate-smart agriculture and farmer training. You’re not just selling technology—you’re helping farmers adopt sustainable practices, demonstrating measurable climate impact, and building long-term customer relationships through training and support.

At a Glance

What This Funding Covers

The €1.2 million supports comprehensive export development:

Market Entry (€420,000): Breaking into new markets requires local presence and regulatory compliance. This component funds trade missions to target markets, localization (language, units, cultural adaptation), regulatory approvals (certifications, testing, compliance), and market intelligence on competitors, pricing, and buyer preferences. Accelerated market penetration in North America and Asia-Pacific opens massive revenue opportunities.

Customer Success (€300,000): Farmers won’t adopt technology that doesn’t work or that they don’t understand. This funding supports demonstration farms showcasing technology in local conditions, farmer training programs teaching effective use, technical support staff providing ongoing assistance, and customer success systems ensuring high adoption and retention. High adoption and retention across new markets build reputation and referrals.

Product Localization (€240,000): Technology designed for Irish conditions may not work elsewhere. This component funds hardware adaptations for different climates and farm systems, language localization for software and documentation, data compliance meeting local privacy and security regulations, and testing in target market conditions. Regulatory compliance and product fit across diverse climates prevent failures and returns.

Sustainability Verification (€180,000): Buyers increasingly demand verified climate impact. This funding supports lifecycle assessments quantifying environmental benefits, climate impact reporting showing emissions or water reductions, sustainability certifications (carbon neutral, water efficient, etc.), and ESG data supporting procurement decisions. Credible ESG data opens doors with sustainability-focused buyers and enables premium pricing.

Beyond the direct funding, selected companies get market intelligence and regulatory advisory in target countries, carbon footprint analysis and sustainability certification support, in-market sales representation and distributor matchmaking, and farmer adoption training programs and demonstration farm partnerships.

Who Should Apply

This program is for Irish agritech companies ready to scale globally. You’re a good fit if:

You’re an Irish-Registered Agritech SME: You must be registered in Ireland and focused on agricultural technology—precision livestock, sensors, farm management software, automation, climate resilience, etc. Minimum €3 million annual revenue demonstrates you’re beyond early stage.

You Have Validated Product-Market Fit: You need evidence your technology works—customer testimonials, case studies, revenue from existing markets, and data showing farmer outcomes. If you’re still testing your product, you’re not ready for international expansion.

You’re Targeting North America or Asia-Pacific: The program focuses on these high-growth markets—Canada, USA, New Zealand, Australia, Southeast Asia, etc. If you’re only expanding within Europe, this program isn’t the right fit.

You Can Demonstrate Climate Impact: You need evidence your technology helps farmers reduce emissions, use water more efficiently, improve soil health, or achieve other climate benefits. Quantified impact data (e.g., “reduces methane emissions by 15%”) is stronger than vague sustainability claims.

You’re Committed to Farmer Training: Technology adoption requires training. You need plans for farmer training programs, demonstration farms or pilot sites, technical support systems, and customer success processes. Companies that sell technology and disappear won’t succeed.

You Have Growth Momentum: You need at least 30% revenue growth year-on-year or clear pipeline forecasts, diversity and inclusion policies within leadership and workforce, and plans for establishing local partnerships in each target market. The program supports scaling companies, not struggling ones.

Insider Tips for a Winning Application

Quantify Climate Impact Per Customer or Hectare: Don’t just say “reduces emissions.” Show specific, quantified impact—“Reduces methane emissions by 12% per cow,” “Cuts water use by 25% per hectare,” “Improves soil carbon by 0.5 tons per hectare annually.” Specific numbers are more credible and compelling.

Demonstrate After-Sales Service Models Adapted to Local Contexts: Farmers need ongoing support. Show how you’ll provide it in new markets—local technical support staff, partnerships with local agronomists or extension services, remote monitoring and troubleshooting, and farmer peer networks. Service models adapted to local contexts (e.g., working with cooperatives in New Zealand, extension services in Canada) work better than one-size-fits-all approaches.

Highlight Partnerships with Co-ops and Extension Services: Farmers trust local institutions. Show partnerships with farmer cooperatives, agricultural extension services, industry associations, and demonstration farm networks. Partnerships accelerate adoption and build credibility.

Provide Evidence of Robust Cybersecurity and Data Privacy: Farm data is sensitive. Show your cybersecurity measures, data privacy policies compliant with local regulations (GDPR, CCPA, etc.), data ownership clarity (farmers own their data), and security certifications. Data breaches or privacy violations destroy trust.

Map Financing Strategies for Farmers: Farmers may not have capital to buy your technology outright. Show financing options—leasing programs, pay-per-use models, financing partnerships with agricultural lenders, and ROI analysis showing payback periods. Making technology affordable accelerates adoption.

Align with National Agritech Strategies: Ireland has an agritech strategy, and target markets have agricultural policies. Show how your expansion aligns—contribution to Ireland’s agritech export goals, support for target market agricultural priorities (e.g., Canada’s climate-smart agriculture, New Zealand’s dairy sustainability), and job creation in Ireland and target markets.

Application Timeline

Grants align with agritech trade missions to Canada, New Zealand, and Southeast Asia scheduled for late 2025. Here’s a realistic timeline:

January 2025: Attend export readiness workshop. Enterprise Ireland hosts workshops explaining the program, assessing readiness, and helping companies confirm target markets.

February-March 2025: Develop grant application including market entry strategy, customer success plans, localization requirements, and sustainability verification approach.

March 2025: Submit grant application by deadline.

April-June 2025: If approved, finalize milestones and grant agreement with Enterprise Ireland.

July-September 2025: Begin market entry activities—regulatory approvals, localization, partnership development, and demonstration farm setup.

September 2025: Participate in trade missions to target markets. Meet potential customers, distributors, and partners.

October 2025-ongoing: Launch pilot deployments with early customers, gather feedback, refine approach, and scale.

December 2025: Report progress and refine expansion roadmap based on learnings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can non-Irish companies apply? No, you must be Irish-registered. However, Irish companies can have international partners or subsidiaries.

What if we’re targeting markets outside North America and Asia-Pacific? This program focuses on these regions. If you’re expanding elsewhere, other Enterprise Ireland programs may be more appropriate.

How is the €3M revenue threshold verified? Through financial statements. You’ll need to provide audited or management accounts showing revenue.

Can we use funding for salaries? Yes, for staff working specifically on export development—market entry, customer success, technical support, etc. General overhead isn’t covered.

What if our technology doesn’t show climate benefits? This program prioritizes climate-smart agriculture. If your technology doesn’t have climate benefits, you may not be competitive. Consider other programs.

Can we apply for multiple markets? Yes, but be realistic about your capacity. It’s better to succeed in one or two markets than to spread too thin across many.

What happens if market entry doesn’t succeed? The program expects some risk. Honest reporting of challenges and adaptive management are valued. If one market doesn’t work, you can pivot to another.

How to Apply

Ready to scale your agritech globally? Here’s what to do:

Step 1: Attend export readiness workshop in January 2025. This helps you assess fit and understand requirements.

Step 2: Confirm your target markets. Which specific countries? Why? What’s the market opportunity?

Step 3: Gather evidence of product-market fit including customer testimonials, case studies, revenue data, and impact metrics.

Step 4: Develop your market entry strategy. How will you enter each market? What partnerships do you need? What regulatory approvals?

Step 5: Plan customer success programs. How will you train farmers? Provide support? Ensure adoption?

Step 6: Assess localization needs. What hardware, software, or documentation changes are needed for target markets?

Step 7: Prepare sustainability verification. What climate impact can you demonstrate? What certifications will you pursue?

Step 8: Prepare application with all required components: business plan and export strategy, financial statements and forecasts, customer testimonials and impact case studies, sustainability certifications and lifecycle assessments, and letters of intent from distributors or partners.

Step 9: Submit by May 26, 2025.

Visit the official Ireland Agritech Export Boost page for detailed guidelines and application materials: https://globalambition.ie/

Questions about eligibility, target markets, or sustainability requirements? Contact Enterprise Ireland—contact information is available on their website.

Irish agritech can help global farmers produce sustainably. If you’re ready to scale your impact and revenue globally, this program can help you succeed.