Rules of Engagement for Academic/Industry Specialist

• Project to be completed over 5 days lasting no longer than 1 month.
• InterTradeIreland (ITI) will pair the academic/industry specialist with the business to address their challenge based on the academic/industry specialist area of specialism.
• Academic/industry specialist will in the first instance review proposed pairing 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 review the academic/industry specialist professional bio to confirm they are happy to proceed with the pairing.
• Academic/industry specialist and business will be introduced by the Business Explorer team either by MS Teams or email. Once introduced, the academic and business will complete Letter of Offer/Terms of Reference (TOR) together and submit to ITI for final funding approval.
  
• To progress to BE Plan the business is required to demonstrate a £300k/€350k annual turnover.
  

• Project to be completed over 18 days in no less than 3 months and no more than 6 months.
• In most cases the academic/industry specialist will progress with the business from BE Explore to BE Plan and they will complete the application form together, the application form will be available on the InterTradeIreland website.
  
• Where a business did not complete BE Explore but is already working with an academic/industry specialist a referral can be made by the academic/industry specialist for the business to apply for BE Plan support.
  
• The business is the primary applicant.
  
• To progress to InterTradeIreland’s Innovation Boost programme the business is required to demonstrate a £350k/€400k turnover.
  

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.

A business can refer an academic or industry specialist they wish to work with on a project. The specialist must either be on the Business Explorer register or, if not, complete and submit an Expression of Interest form (available on our website) for assessment by the InterTradeIreland panel before the business applies to Business Explorer. To make a referral, businesses can send an email to Business.Explorer@intertradeireland.com.

A day is defined as 7.5hrs - travel time cannot be included.

You are 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 ITI 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.

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 InterTradeIreland pairs you with a business, on receipt of this pairing the academic/industry specialist becomes aware that there is a conflict of interest, they must immediately inform InterTradeIreland by email to Business.Explorer@intertradeireland.com; or call. InterTradeIreland 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.

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 Explore programme.
• To progress with the business to BE Plan, the industry specialist will identify the academic/research institution the business will work with on the Innovation Boost programme. That 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 specialist are required to provide proof of current Professional Indemnity Insurance.
  

• Payments cannot be processed if the documentation for each claim is not in place.
• Payments will be made to the academic institution you are employed by. If you are employed by a consultancy firm, payment will be made to them.
  

There are 2 claim stages throughout the programme documentation to be submitted within a week of the:

• Launch meeting – submit an invoice with an update of the Business Explorer reporting document detailing proposed activity for the remaining 4 days.
• Final meeting – submit an invoice with a final report of recommendations:
  
  • Provide a set of actionable recommendations for the business to begin to adapt to solve their business challenge on completion of project.
    
  • The business can be recommended for progression to BE Plan if they have a turnover of 300k or more and the recommendation can demonstrate the need for time to create an appropriate plan of adaption.
    

There are 4 claims stages throughout the programme, documentation to be submitted within a week of:

• Launch meeting – submit an invoice and the Business Explorer reporting document with a detailed outline of what you hope to work on over the period until the next meeting detailing all achievable tasks. Also provide details of the date when you met, who was in attendance and proposed date for next meeting.
• Meeting 2 & 3 – submit an invoice 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 and Business Explorer reporting document with an update on what has been achieved over the last period. Detail the dates of the days allocated to the project and when you were on site. Also submit a final report detailing a plan of action for implementation of the plan which should advise according to the business circumstances:
  
  • If business turnover is under 350k, provide a plan of adaption with actionable tasks so the business can begin to implement the plan independently.
    
  • If the business turnover is over 350k and they want to explore hiring a project manager to implement the plan the business can consider applying for further funding through Innovation Boost. The plan of adaption should also consider the criteria for Innovation Boost.
    

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. 1st Phase of Pilot is from Sept 23 to Dec 24 for project completion date.