Innovation, Diversification, Competitiveness Supports
Enterprise Ireland has a range of existing supports to help businesses in the areas of innovation, diversification and competitiveness.
1. Innovation Supports
Enterprise Ireland has a range of existing supports to help businesses become more innovative. These include:
Agile Innovation Fund
This fund is a great fit for companies that need to rapidly develop solutions or are planning their first R&D project. Eligible companies submit a short online application form to get approval for projects with a maximum expenditure of €300,000.
Business Innovation Funding
Business Innovation Funding supports companies that want to seriously step up how they do business. Projects should involve a real change to your company’s business model, possibly by implementing a new innovative service delivery or production method.
R&D Funding
This funding enables companies to conduct industry-led R&D that helps grow sales and employment. It supports them to expand to new markets or increase competitiveness through the strategic development of new or improved products, services and processes. Companies may also qualify for tax credits under the R&D Tax Credit Scheme.
2. Diversification Supports
Enterprise Ireland has a range of existing supports to help businesses become more diversified. These include:
Market Discovery Fund
The Market Discovery Fund is designed to help companies of all sizes to prepare to enter new markets. By providing funding to hire consultants with in-depth knowledge of the target market, businesses can determine barriers to entry, assess the competitive landscape and identify opportunities. This support also enables companies to carry out market research and develop an effective strategy.
GradStart
GradStart provides salary support of up to 70% for the employment of graduate talent with language fluency to assist client companies when expanding into new markets.
Market Research Centre
Continuous intelligence gathering is key to successful export growth. Enterprise Ireland has a range of world-class market research reports which detail relevant company, market and sector information. These reports can be accessed at one of our regional locations or from the Market Research Centre in our Dublin office.
Strategic Marketing Review
The Strategic Marketing Review (SMR) includes 7 days consultancy support from a sales and marketing expert. The total cost is €6,300 and client companies can receive grant support of €5,000. The SMR can be delivered online with a current focus on risk assessment, contingency planning and the development of a re-start strategy to sustain business into the future.
3. Competitiveness Supports
Enterprise Ireland has a range of existing supports to help businesses become more competitive. These include:
Operational Excellence Offer
This offer incorporates business innovation, capital investment and capability building (including Lean) into a single project. The goal is to incentivise and support the key elements of a larger transformation project leading to significantly increased competitiveness.
Lean Business Funding
Lean methodologies have helped hundreds of Irish companies to improve efficiency and to reduce waste in terms of operational processes. Enterprise Ireland has a full suite of supports in this area, ranging from initial consultancy awareness to an entire organisational level capability building or training project.
Lean Business Offer
Enterprise Ireland’s Lean Business Offer is designed to encourage clients to adopt Lean business principles in their organisation to increase performance and competitiveness.
The Lean Business Offer is made up of three levels of support:
- LeanStart
- LeanPlus
- LeanTransform
Capital Investment Initiative
The aim of the Capital Investment Initiative (CII) is to assist Enterprise Ireland client companies to improve productivity and competitiveness through the acquisition of new capital equipment and technology.
