Context

The question of how to deliver a ‘Just Transition’ raises complex challenges for the future of County Offaly – economically, environmentally and socially. In response, Offaly Local Development Company (OLDC) has taken a leading role in launching transformative initiatives, such as Create Green.

The European Union has acknowledged the substantial contribution of craft and local food sectors to the economic resilience of rural regions, surpassing that of industrial sectors, and their importance in fostering sustainable economic development and stability in rural areas across Europe. In Ireland, these sectors strongly align with Theme 3 of Offaly’s 2023–2027 LEADER Programme and its Local Development Strategy, which emphasises the rural economy, regenerative tourism and the natural landscape, and positions rural areas as learning laboratories.

However, significant barriers persist. Most businesses in these sectors are SMEs, and there are currently few accessible green supports tailored to their needs. This gap is especially urgent with the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), signed into law in July 2024. From 2027, SMEs will be legally required to report on their sustainability performance, including carbon footprint data.

Create Green was conceptualised after OLDC had assessed and evaluated the existing supports for the creative and artisan food sectors, especially in terms of regulatory compliance, as businesses navigate the transition to greener practices. It emerged as a unique and tailored programme that effectively catered to the specific needs of individual participants and groups, filling a gap in the market for such customised and bespoke initiatives.

Objectives

The project’s main focus was on building capacity and economic resilience within rural communities, and supporting the future-proofing of craft, food and farming SMEs in preparation for upcoming legislation and market demands.

In addition, it looked to enable participants to effectively communicate their sustainable business value across the environmental, social and economic pillars, in alignment with the Triple Bottom Line (the idea that companies should focus on impact on society and the environment, as well as profits) and the UN SDGs.

The project hoped to deliver targeted business supports, including technical guidance, financial planning and product development, tailored to the specific needs of SMEs, while fostering meaningful connections and partnerships, laying the groundwork for a future 'Create Green' network to drive collaboration and long-term impact across the sector.

Activities

Following the completion of a pilot programme, funded under the previous LEADER programme, a scoping paper was commissioned to identify the most appropriate options to extend the value of Create Green for participants, tap into identified opportunities and build a wider set of supports for future participants.

The Create Green branding and project outline were created in August 2024, closely followed by the training and mentoring programme, developed after analysing feedback from the previous pilot initiative. Through consultations with the sector, the project recognised the significance of providing product and business development, financial and marketing assistance, and additional SDG training. Ultimately, there was a strong emphasis on establishing a lasting legacy and celebrating the participants’ achievements through the creation of a short video for each of them.

LEADER funding was approved in early 2025, which is when the project advertised and recruited for the training and mentoring programme. It was launched in April 2025, both online and in person. Modules included sustainable business and product development (including site visits to participants’ workshops, farms and places of work); "crafting your sustainable story"; digital marketing for business; financials, including the impact of going green; and understanding sustainability and implementing sustainability initiatives.

A short video was created celebrating Offaly's ‘Green Champions’, designed as a recognition programme for graduates of the Create Green Offaly initiative. It encapsulates the knowledge gained from the training programme, aiding participants in sharing their green business narrative, and integrating them into a network of esteemed Green Business graduates.

​​Ongoing evaluation and feedback were conducted throughout the project to assess the programme's overall value to the participants.​

Gender equality

The CEO and management team of Offaly Local Development Company are female and have a key role in developing and delivering on the strategic direction for the company. The RDP team leader is also female and is responsible for the design and development of the Create Green programme design, branding and overall implementation with the assistance of the CEO. The project officer working directly on this project is also female, as were 75% of the tutors delivering the project.

OLDC recognises the robust presence of female entrepreneurs in creative and artisan food/farming sectors in Offaly. Through years of collaboration, tailored support programmes have been developed to assist women interested in establishing businesses in the region. These initiatives encompass business training, mentoring, networking opportunities, and direct LEADER interventions. The Create Green training programme is currently supporting five enterprises, four of them female-led.

Main Results

Five SMEs from the creative and artisan food/farming sector in Offaly participated in the 2025 Create Green training programme, following on from a pilot initiative in the previous LEADER programme where seven SMEs participated (Offaly & Westmeath). Professionally produced storytelling videos for each of those five businesses, communicating the sustainable value of their products and services, are in production, and these will help each SME to increase their reach and to connect with customers, collaborators and wider markets.

A total of five participants received training on how to measure and reduce the carbon footprint of their business, which was calculated and recorded as part of the training module.

The programme offers practical guidance on product development and financial training with a green impact perspective. For two participating SMEs, this resulted in increased confidence when engaging with potential retailers and securing significant contracts. One participant secured a wholesale contract in Ireland with international retailer Harvey Norman, while another also secured a number of new contracts with Irish health food chains.

All five participants are receiving support in creating their Sustainability Strategy document outlining their individual sustainability mission and goals aligned with the SDGs. They are also aware of the value of networking and focusing on opportunities to showcase their SMEs collectively, with three of them appearing at the Tullamore Show, the FBD National Livestock Show, and the Irish National Ploughing Championships in August / September 2025.

Key lessons

Participants initially unsure about their readiness for the programme were pleasantly surprised to discover that it allowed them to understand and address relevant sustainability issues. Despite acknowledging the complexity and uncertainties in the field, they all felt they gained a deeper understanding of sustainability and its implications for their businesses.

Certain fundamental aspects of the project were critical: simplifying the narrative, language and messaging around the green, sustainable and circular economy; identifying potential corporate businesses to create symbiotic local partnerships; providing a branding or accreditation system to easily differentiate and support compliant businesses; developing a uniform system of tracking and measuring progress, so that participants can understand the value of the programme to both the companies and the environment; and developing a peer mentoring or buddy system for participants to share successes and experiences.