Rules of Engagement for Academic/Industry Specialist
Project to be completed over 5 days lasting no longer than 1 month.
InterTradeIreland will facilitate the collaboration by pairing an academic or industry specialist with the business, ensuring their technical expertise aligns directly with the challenge that needs to be addressed.
Academic/industry specialist will blind review proposed project to confirm they can support the parameters of the business challenge or new idea. Academic/industry specialist cannot reject a pairing due to location of the business. If academic/industry specialist rejects more than 3 pairings, they will be removed from the register.
The business will then blind review the academic/industry specialist professional bio to confirm they are happy to proceed with the pairing for the project.
Academic/industry specialist and business will meet independent of InterTradeIreland to discuss the project in more detail and finalise their agreement to work together.
Once both parties are happy to move forward they will complete the Letter of Offer/Terms of Reference together and submit to InterTradeIreland for final funding approval.
A business can apply up to 3 times for the BE Explore programme but each application must demonstrate a need for support in a different area of specialism.
For 2nd and 3rd applications contact the Business Explorer team and they will provide an application link.
IP sits with the business.
To progress to BE Plan the business will be required to submit accounts with the application form to demonstrate they meet the criteria.
Project to be completed over 18 days in no less than 3 months and no more than 6 months.
As part of the application submission a business will be required to submit for assessment their last filed accounts and if those are older than 6 months they must also submit the last 6 months management accounts at the date of application.
A business can apply up to 2 times for the BE Plan programme but each application must demonstrate a need for support in a different area of specialism. A business can apply directly or progress with up to 2 projects from BE Explore.
For 2nd and 3rd applications contact the Business Explorer team and they will provide an application link.
InterTradeIreland is a cross-border body. Under the Business Explorer pilot programmes, projects will involve working with a business in the opposite jurisdiction to where the academic/industry specialist is professionally based i.e. address of academic or research institution.
An academic/industry specialist can also make a referral of a business they are wishing to work with. Before the application is submitted:
A day is defined as 7.5hrs - travel time cannot be included.
The academic/industry specialist is required to be on site with the business for:
BE Explore - 3 out of the 5 days
BE Plan - 12 out of the 18 days
Exceptions can be considered by InterTradeIreland where a business travels to the academic/industry specialist place of work for testing or research on an allocated onsite day. Where the business has agreed with the academic/industry specialist that the allocated-on site time can be reallocated to research or testing within the academic/industry specialist’s place of work. In both scenarios the change of allotted time allocation must be documented with an explanation and signed off by both parties on the Business Explorer reporting document. Ultimately the onsite activity is at the discretion/request of the business.
From the date funding approval is granted from InterTradeIreland, the project launch meeting should take place within 10 days on site with the business.
Where InterTradelreland pairs an academic/industry specialist with a business, on receipt of this pairing the academic/industry specialist or business becomes aware that there is a conflict of interest, they must immediately inform InterTradelreland by email to Business.Explorer@intertradeireland.com; or call. InterTradelreland will reallocate a new academic/industry specialist to the business and a new project (where available) to the academic/industry specialist.
InterTradeIreland reserve the right to remove the academic/industry specialist due to failure to provide timely delivery, quality delivery or following receipt of negative feedback from the business.
InterTradeIreland reserves the right to withhold payment from an academic/industry specialist until the Reporting Doc is completed to a satisfactory standard.
Where a business does not progress from BE Explore to BE Plan or from BE Plan to Innovation Boost. InterTradeIreland expect the academic/industry specialist to make timely follow ups with the business to encourage progression through the Innovation pathway.
Through the course of the project should the parties wish to seek particular expertise the cost of this will be absorbed in an agreement between the academic/industry specialist and the Business. InterTradeIreland will not contribute outside the terms of agreement of the Letter of Offer.
The academic/industry specialist cannot subcontract the project out to another academic/industry specialist. In this instance the academic/industry specialist will be subject to contract termination and removed from the Business Explorer register.
Can support businesses through the BE Explorer programme.
To progress with the business to BE Plan, the industry specialist will identify the academic/research institution the business can progress with on the Innovation Boost programme.
The academic/research institution will also need to complete an expression of interest form and meet the criteria to gain acceptance onto the Business Explorer register.
Industry specialists are required to provide proof of current Professional Indemnity Insurance.
Payments will be made directly to the academic institution the academic is based at and not the business.
Payments will be made directly to the company the industry specialist is employed by.
There are 2 claim periods throughout the programme aligned to the launch date and final date provided in the Letter of Offer/Terms of Reference. The documentation to be submitted within a week of the:
Launch meeting – submit an invoice, complete the claim form provided and provide evidence of work carried out by completing the Business Explorer Reporting Document detailing work completed to date and the proposed activity for the next meeting.
Final meeting – submit an invoice, complete the claim form provided with a final and complete Reporting Doc detailing all project activity over the 5 days with evidence attached, completion of section 6 performance and detail of recommendations:
Provide a set of actionable recommendations for the business to begin to adapt to solve their business challenge on completion of project, during the period between applications or to action independent of further support.
The business can be recommended for progression to BE Plan if they can demonstrate the need for the development of a plan of implementation and further solution development.
There are 4 claims periods throughout the programme which are aligned with each meeting date provided on the Letter of Offer/Terms of Reference. The documentation to be submitted within a week of:
Launch meeting – submit an invoice, the claim form provided and complete the Business Explorer Reporting Document with detail of work carried out to date and an outline of what you plan to complete on over the period until the next meeting detailing all achievable tasks. Attached evidence as appendix to the Reporting Doc.
Meeting 2 & 3 – submit an invoice, claim form provided and Business Explorer reporting document with an update detailing what has been completed, achieved, actioned, investigated with further detail on what work will be carried out before the next meeting. Also provide details of the dates of the days allocated to the project detailing the days on site and off prior to the meeting and proposed dates over the next period including date for the next meeting.
Meeting 4, final meeting – submit invoice, claim form provided and Business Explorer Reporting Document with an update on what has been achieved over the last and final period. Detail the dates of the days allocated to the project and any on site work. Completion of section 6 detailing the project performance and recommendations.
If progressing the final report should detail recommendations for implementation of the solution through Innovation Boost to assist with the completion of the application form.
If the business does not meet the criteria the academic will then need to provide recommendations with actionable tasks so the business can begin to implement the plan independently.
Where a business does not meet the criteria for Innovation Boost after completing both Explore to Plan consideration may be given to further Plan funding for the purposes of beginning implementation.
As Business Explorer is a pilot, funding will be budget dependent. The nature of the pilot will mean that we will continue to review, update and improve process and procedures. As we do you will be advised and expected to follow new process or procedures from the date off notification. The programme is in pilot until December 2026.
