Business start-ups, SMEs and large established companies at all stages of development can apply for funding supports to assist them to grow and expand through Research and Development (“R&D”). The range of supports are considerable and are delivered through a variety of State agencies and European Union (“EU”) Institutions.

This section provides a brief overview of some of the main R&D funding support options available through bodies such as Enterprise Ireland (“EI”), Irish Development Association (“IDA”) Ireland, Science Foundation Ireland (“SFI”) and the EU funding bodies.

Enterprise Ireland

EI is a State agency responsible for the development and growth of Irish enterprises in global markets. R&D funding supports from EI are closely aligned to a business’s stage of development, with their funding options reflecting this. A selection of some of the main R&D funding supports available are set out below:

Innovation Voucher
Innovation Vouchers, worth €5,000, are available to incentisize early stage companies to collaborate with registered colleges or knowledge providers in Ireland and Northern Ireland. The key criteria are that the company should be exploring new business opportunities or seeking to solve a technical problem(s).

High Potential Start-Up (“HPSU”) Feasibility Study Grant
The aim of this feasibility grant is to assist an early stage company or individual entrepreneur to investigate the viability of a new export orientated business or proposition. The grant funding available is up to 50% of eligible expenditure, capped at a total grant amount of €15,000.

Exploring Innovation Grant
This exploration grant can be used to investigate the feasibility of developing a new product, process, technology or service offering. The grant funding available is up to 50% of eligible expenditure, capped at a total grant amount of €35,000.

In-house Research, Development and Innovation (“RD&I”) Fund
This fund is aimed at companies developing new or substantially improved products, services or processes. Projects may range from solving technical challenges to innovations in services delivery or business models. Companies can access up to 50% funding, where the grant requested is greater than €150,000 (total project cost greater than €300,000).

The Agile Innovation Fund
This fund is similar to the RD&I fund in that it aims to support developing new or substantially improved products, services or processes. It is called the ‘Agile’ Innovation Fund as it offers faster turnaround times from application to approval than the RD&I funds. It allows companies in sectors with rapid design cycles to keep their advantage by offering an online application and fast-track approval process, so you can quickly engage in the innovation activity necessary to make your international growth ambitions reality. Companies can access up to 50% funding, where the grant requested is less than €150,000 (total project cost less than €300,000).

Innovation Partnership Grant Programme
This programme offer's financial support to companies who engage in collaborative research projects with Irish Universities and Institutes of Technology. The proposal process and administration of the project is managed by the participating third level research institution. This programme provides grants of up to 80% towards eligible costs of the research project. Funding from Enterprise Ireland will normally not exceed €200,000.

IDA Ireland

IDA Ireland is State agency responsible for the attraction and retention of inward Foreign Direct Investment (“FDI”) into Ireland. Grants and support are available to existing and potential clients of IDA Ireland. They are dependent on company size, category, activity and its potential economic impact. Below outlines a selection of the main R&D funding supports available:

Innovation Vouchers
Innovation Vouchers, worth €5,000, are available to assist IDA client SME companies to collaborate with a registered college or knowledge provider in Ireland and Northern Ireland to explore a business opportunity or solve a technical problem.

RD&I Feasibility Study Grant
This grant can be used to investigate the feasibility of developing a new product, process, technology or service offering. This grant is designed to support exploratory work required to develop and justify longer term and more sustainable RD&I programmes within IDA client companies. It provides grants up to a max of €250,000 or 50% of eligible expenditure.

RD&I Grant Aid
The RD&I Grant Aid is designed to support extremely large and technically ambitious R&D projects. RD&I Grant Aid is available for current and potential IDA clients. The level of funding is dependent on an independent technical assessment and assessment of the strategic and commercial importance of the project.

Science Foundation Ireland

This is an Irish State agency that offer's a portfolio of research funding programmes aimed at oriented basic and applied research in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (“STEM”). SFI offer a number of co-funded initiatives for industry-academic collaborative projects. Joint-proposals submitted to SFI’s main suite of programmes must align with the definition of SFI’s legal remit (oriented basic and/or applied research in all areas of STEM).

Details of individual programmes can be found at http://www.sfi.ie/funding/funding-calls/

European Union

Horizon 2020 is the largest EU Research and Innovation programme with nearly €80 billion of funding available over 7 years (2014 to 2020). The emphasis through Horizon 2020 is on excellent science, industrial leadership and tackling societal challenges. Funding opportunities under Horizon 2020 are set out in multiannual work programmes, which cover the large majority of support available. The current main work programme (2018-2020) comprises 18 sections. Each section is self-contained, and describes the overall objectives, the respective calls for proposals, and the topics within each call. Call topics directly support the Commission's political priorities, e.g. “A low-carbon, climate resilient future”.

You can find more detailed information including budget allocation in the programme sections. All information available on Horizon 2020 work programmes can be accessed through the European Commission’s Participant Portal.

The EU institutions reached a provisional agreement, subject to formal approval by the European Parliament and Council, on Horizon Europe on 20 March 2019. Horizon Europe is an ambitious €100 billion research and innovation programme that will succeed Horizon 2020.

A listing of further funding supports can be found at https://supportingsmes.gov.ie/sme-search