Bord Bia Marketing Fellowship Programme

The MSc International Marketing Practice runs every 2 years in springtime i.e. 2023, 2025, 2027, 2029 and so on

No you cannot apply by emailing your CV. All applications must be made via our recruitment platform "Submit" during the application period of the programme. The green application button is on the righthand side of the website.

As per the Bord Bia Scholarships Notice for this programme, the successful candidate must be resident in Ireland or have Irish citizenship. Applicants with citizenship of a limited number of other locations may be considered subject to the availability of placements in those locations, such as: China, Singapore, Japan and Vietnam. In addition, applicants with fluency in other languages may be considered for learning assignment locations such as France, Germany, Spain, Italy and The Netherlands.

We look for people who have a passion for Irish Food and Drink, that's the most important thing. Also those who are hard-working, resilient, open to learning, dedicated and motivated. You don’t need to have previous experience in the Food and Drink industry but you should have at least 2–3 years professional work experience.

You could be placed in one of a selection of major cities in the world. Some of these locations include London, New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Shanghai, Dubai, Tokyo, Amsterdam, Dusseldorf, Madrid, Milan among others. Successful candidates will be advised on their location when offered a place an note that these locations are subject to change.

A language is a nice-to-have but not required for all locations. Some of the locations do not require a second language although you would need a high level of fluency for other locations. English speaking locations could include: London, Dubai, Singapore, Amsterdam, New York and San Francisco.

You will work on your overseas learning assignments with a number of clients in your market location for the duration of the programme. You will be assigned approximately three clients e.g. 1 x major and 2 x standard clients.

During the assessment centre interview you can express an interest in a particular location. While this will be taken into account, ultimately the decision regarding where you are placed lies with Bord Bia

This programme combines on-the-job experiential learning in the form of overseas learning assignments for Irish food, drink and horticulture companies. Successful candidates are awarded a monthly scholarship bursary, and a fully funded internationally recognised MSc Masters programme at UCD Michael Smurfit Business School. No academic fees will apply.

Guidance can be provided by the team at UCD Smurfit School and Bord Bia to students assigned to overseas markets where a visa is necessary.

Places are competitive and there are limited spaces for our programmes. If unsuccessful you can re-apply in the next application year, if you wish and if you still meet the requirements. We recommend that you check out our other Talent Academy programmes on offer that might be better suited to you or other MSc programmes in UCD.

You will not be guaranteed a full-time position in Bord Bia upon finishing the programme. However, we place a strong focus on your future career and self-development through offering a module on navigating the industry. There a multitude of networking opportunities for you while in your market e.g. trade fairs, food conferences, client engagements to name a few.

We also create a CV booklet of all participants for sharing with the Irish food, drink and horticulture industry towards the end of your programme. We are very confident that the combination of overseas learning experience and our outstanding Masters programme will advance your career in the food industry to an exceptionally high standard. Approximately 80% of alumni are retained in excellent food industry roles.

Finally, you will become a valued member of our Bord Bia Talent Academy/UCD Smurfit School Alumni network. This network provides an excellent way to connect with other food industry executives for insights sharing, jobs sharing, events, among other career development initiatives.

No, as a recipient of the tax-free Bord Bia Scholarship you cannot work a part-time job or paid job during the programme.