Business Explorer: funding for academic and specialist support
The Business Explorer programme provides an opportunity for SMEs to collaborate with an academic professional or industry specialist to explore new ideas or technical business challenges within their business. The programme provides a pathway of funded support to explore, to plan and to implement an innovative solution into the business through collaboration and knowledge transfer.
The Business Explorer pathway of academic/industry specialist support is provided over two programmes, and all payments are made directly to the academic or industry specialist’s organisation:
- Explore – Investigate a problem or new idea = £5,000/€5,800 + VAT
- A business can apply up to 3 times to explore 3 different technical challenges which will result in 3 different areas of specialisms required up to £15k/€17k + VAT
- Plan - Take the findings and develop a plan to implement = £20,000/€23,200 + VAT
- A business can apply up to 2 times to develop 2 different plans of implementation against 2 different areas of technical specialism up to £40k/€45,400 + VAT
InterTradeIreland are currently inviting academic and industry specialists to submit an expression of interest form so they can take part in the programme, avail of funding and support SMEs across the island. We welcome expression of interest from engineering, manufacturing, IT and science sectors.
Provide businesses with 5 days of academic/specialist support:
- To explore current challenges or new idea within a business.
- To work with the business to develop an innovative solution to their technical challenge. This can involve new production processes, developing code to integrate systems, creating new materials, recipes or products, prototyping or design. Working mainly with Manufacturing or Tradeable service businesses to address specialist need in Advanced Manufacture, AI, Digitalisation, Food Technology, Packaging, Polymer, Agri Tech and any other technical specialism a business requires.
- To be completed over a minimum of 1 month to a maximum of 6 weeks.
Next Steps
The business can use the recommended innovative solution agreed to apply for further support through Business Explorer - Plan or InterTradeIreland’s Innovation Boost programme whatever the recommendation advises.
Once you have read the Rules of Engagement, Eligibility Criteria and Code of Conduct, please continue with your expression of interest form.