Commercialisation Partner for AFBI-bred Forage Grass Varieties

The Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI), Northern Ireland's leading science and technology organisation, seeks a commercialisation partner to test, produce, and market AFBI-bred ryegrass varieties. AFBI's grass breeding programme, established in 1952 and based in Loughgall, has developed 22 different ryegrass varieties currently on Irish and UK recommended lists, with an average of 2.5 new varieties accepted annually over the past decade. The successful contractor will be responsible for commercialising all future AFBI-bred varieties by conducting market performance testing prior to national list registration, managing seed production, and facilitating market access for these locally-adapted forage grass varieties across the UK and ROI markets. This partnership is essential as AFBI's strategic breeding programme produces germplasm requiring commercialisation support to reach target customers. The ideal partner will have expertise in seed production, market knowledge of forage grass sectors, and the capacity to manage testing, regulatory compliance, and distribution networks.