The MET Technology Gateway is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union through the ERDF Northern and Western Regional Programme 2021-27

The Innovation Partnership Programme encourages Irish-based companies to work with Irish research institutes resulting in mutually beneficial co-operation and interaction. Companies can access expertise and resources to develop new and improved products, processes, and services, generating new knowledge and know-how. The participating company benefits in terms of growth, the evolution of strategic research and the development and creation of new knowledge that it can use to commercial advantage. The research institute benefits in terms of developing skill sets, intellectual property and publications.

Am I eligible?

Any manufacturing or internationally traded services company with an operating base in the Republic of Ireland that wishes to collaborate with one or more research institutes, also based in the Republic of Ireland, is eligible to participate. The company must be a registered client of one of the following state development agencies: Enterprise IrelandIDA IrelandÚdarás na Gaeltachta, or a Local Enterprise Office.

How does it work?

The Innovation Partnership Programme provides grants of up to 80% towards eligible costs of the research project. All Innovation Partnership projects require the company partner to provide a minimum cash contribution of 20% of the total project cost. In all cases, the partner company must have the resources to contribute its share of the funding for the research and to fund the commercialisation of the research, when completed.

Funding from Enterprise Ireland will normally not exceed €200,000.

In an independent survey of companies that participated in the Innovation Partnership Programme:

  • 96% of respondents would be willing to recommend the Programme to other businesses.
  • 71% of participant companies surveyed said that their objectives were largely or fully achieved.
  • Each €1 of funding invested by Enterprise Ireland in Innovation Partnerships delivered €7.71 Net Turnover Impact at the company side. 
 
 

Contact us or visit  Enterprise Ireland  for further information.