Innovation Boost

About this scheme

Innovation Boost is an InterTradeIreland programme that helps established SMEs on the island of Ireland address a technology or skills gap by funding a partnership between the business, a dedicated project manager, and an academic partner with relevant expertise. The project manager delivers the project and acts as the point of access to the academic/industry expertise. Eligible businesses must be SMEs in the manufacturing or tradable services sectors, financially viable, with an established trading history, and able to demonstrate both a need for the support and senior management commitment. The application process begins with an initial assessment/enquiry, followed by a consultation with an Innovation Boost advisor, identification of a suitable academic partner, and submission of a joint bid for approval. Businesses that have benefited from the programme report over £1 million in sales or efficiency savings on average in the three years following a project.

Who can apply

• Must be an SME with 5-249 full-time employees
• Must be a manufacturing or tradable services company located on the island of Ireland (North or South)
• Must be financially viable with a minimum 2-year trading history
• Must demonstrate an understanding of and capacity for innovation, and a demonstrable need for Innovation Boost technical support
• Must demonstrate capacity and commitment to support an Innovation Boost project at senior management level
• Ineligible sectors: wholesale/retail, distribution, tourism, hospitality, primary agriculture, and personal services; professional business services are only eligible where the project will develop an internationally traded product or service
• Two support packages: an 18-month package worth up to £56,000/€67,900, typically for new product/service development; or a 12-month package worth up to £39,000/€47,400, typically for process improvement
• InterTradeIreland funds 100% of the academic partner's costs and contributes 50% (to a ceiling) toward the salary of a project manager, who is recruited by the business as a full-time, fixed-term employee

How to apply

1. 1Complete an initial assessment (enquiry form) to discuss business needs and confirm potential fit for the programme
2. 2If eligible, an Innovation Boost consultant arranges a meeting to understand the business's needs in more detail
3. 3InterTradeIreland helps identify a suitable academic partner to bring industry/academic expertise to the project
4. 4A joint bid combining the business and academic partner is submitted for assessment by InterTradeIreland
5. 5If approved, the business recruits a project manager (a full-time employee for a fixed term) to deliver the project, with InterTradeIreland contributing 50% of the project manager's salary (to a ceiling) and 100% of the academic partner's costs