Support

Grant aid rates will comply with the relevant EU R&D&I Framework and State Aid Regulations.

(Ireland)

(United Kingdom)

Grant Funds may be used exclusively for expenditure that is essential for the approved project. Only those costs incurred by the company participants as a direct result of the project will be eligible for assistance.

Eligible costs include:

• Personnel costs (Researchers, technicians, and other supporting staff employed solely on the research activity)
• Overheads (up to a maximum of 50% of in-house labour costs)
• Travel and subsistence
• Equipment costs (dependent upon individual company circumstances and only when required exclusively for the research activity. These costs should only form a small proportion of total project costs and only depreciation costs associated with the equipment usage during the life of the projects will be considered eligible)
• Costs of consultancy and equivalent services used exclusively for the research activity, including the research, technical knowledge and patents, etc. bought from outside sources and specifically costs for protecting intellectual property.
• Other operating expenses (cost of materials, supplies and similar products incurred directly as a result of the research activity)

Assessment

The Applications process will be initially through “Expressions of Interest” then followed by the completion of a standard Application form or Business Plan.

At each stage of the assessment process, InterTradeIreland will utilise commercial and technical advisors to assist decision making.

The Innova sub-committee will ultimately be presented with a “Case for Support”, which includes comment on the following criteria:

• Technical feasibility of the project;
• Innovative quality of the project;
• Commercial feasibility, including budget planning;
• Track record;
• Project planning, including project management arrangements;
• Credibility of the partnership/consortium; including technical capability;
• Exploitation/ commercialisation potential;
• Contribution to strategic development of partner companies;
• Benefits to island economy.

Alltech, a Kentucky-based multinational with its Irish headquarters in Dublin, is working with Dunbia, the Dungannon meat processor, to develop an organic supplement which can be added to animal feed and effectively delivered to the consumer in red meat.“The Innova funding enabled us to put this through a commercial system and take it beyond the laboratory – that is a big thing,” said John Thornton, Alltech Manager Ireland.“We could do this very easily in a scientific environment, but without Innova we probably couldn’t have tested it on a commercial scale.  The next move is to upscale the operation to a couple of thousand animals and put that through a rigorous testing regime.”