Enterprise Ireland can help you implement your expansion plans to increase exports. Their funding package for the expansion plan category is now offered under a single preference share contract.

How Enterprise Ireland Can Help You

The total amount of funding available will be determined by need for financial support for the project, anticipated export growth, potential employment and regional location. Funding is biased towards the Border, Midland and Western (BMW) region, and the South East, South West and Mid West regions. Not all funding under the new preference share agreement will be repayable.

In order to particularly stimulate R&D and training, a non-repayable incentive will apply to these activities. Again, this will be regionally biased, with higher non-repayability in the BMW region, followed by the South East, South West and Mid West regions, and lastly by Dublin and the Mid East region. Investment and job creation funding will always be repayable, as there will no longer be capital or employment grants.

Region	R and D Non-Repayable Incentive	Training Non-Repayment Incentive	(Max Grant Level)
Dublin and Mid East	€390,000	€75,000	SME 35% Lrg 25%
South East, South West and Mid West	€425,000	€100,000	SME 35% Lrg 25%
Border, Midland and West	€450,000	€125,000	SME 45% Lrg 35%

When the R&D/training activity has been undertaken, the certified amount of non-repayable incentive will be determined by the actual expenditure incurred and validated. In addition, any approvals under the Research, Technology and Innovation Competitive Grants Scheme (RTI) will be taken into account in determining non-repayable R&D amounts.

Do I Qualify?

You are eligible to apply for this funding if your company is an existing manufacturing or internationally traded services company, employing ten or more people. Typically, companies are existing clients of Enterprise Ireland or Shannon Development.

How Do I Qualify?

If you are an existing client, contact your Development Adviser who will discuss your expansion plans with you. If your company does not have a Development Adviser, contact your nearest Enterprise Ireland regional office or Shannon Development.

How will my proposal be assessed?

Applications for funding will be presented to a relevant committee made up of Enterprise Ireland Executives, public sector and private sector representatives (as appropriate).

Key considerations in assessing applications include:

• need for financial assistance
• value for money
• commercial considerations
• technical considerations
• financial track record.

In arriving at a decision, the committee also takes into consideration any relevant regulations including EU state aid rules and policy direction from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Innovation.

When the committee has decided whether or not to approve funding, and determined the appropriate amount of funding, you will be informed of the outcome. If your application is successful, Enterprise Ireland?s client service unit will contact you regarding the legal agreement and payment will follow.

These are the stages of the entire process:

• application submitted/agreed development plan
• evaluation by relevant committee
• letter of offer
• legal documentation
• validation process
• payment.