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Checklist

Business Explorer - Explore: Eligibility Criteria

Are You Eligible?

To be eligible for support under the Business Explorer - Explore, businesses must:

  • Be a small or medium-sized enterprise (SME) with 5 – 249 employees (part-time/full time).
  • Be an SME which is a manufacturing or tradable services company, located on the island of Ireland (North or South).
  • Be financially viable by demonstrating a minimum of £250k annual turnover to £40m (guided figure). Priority given to businesses with less 100 staff and less than £10m turnover.
  • Have a minimum 2 year trading history.
  • Be an SME indigenous to the island of Ireland.
  • Be in the early stages of exploring a business challenge/new idea and need support to find an innovative solution.
  • Be an SME which is able to demonstrate the capacity and commitment to support an InterTradeIreland Innovation programme project at senior management level.

Please note: You will be working with an academic or industry specialist in the opposite jurisdiction to where your business is based.

Ineligible Sectors

Businesses involved in the following sectors are not considered eligible for funding: Wholesale/retail, distribution, tourism, hospitality, primary agriculture, personal services. Professional business services will only be considered where the proposed project will develop a product or service which will be traded internationally.

Areas not supported include sales and marketing, training, purchasing of equipment, business consultancy, business plans, website development and e-commerce platforms. This is not an exhaustive list as this programme is a Pilot. The funding support is for businesses engaging primarily in process improvement or product development.