| 2003 |
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YEAR BOOK |
Enterprise Ireland - Science & Innovation Division
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Commercialisation Fund
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As part of its commitment to facilitating the commercialisation of research, Enterprise Ireland has brought a spectrum of supports together under the Commercialisation Fund. These comprise a:
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� Proof of Concept phase
� Technology Development phase � Business Development phase. |
Under the Proof of Concept phase, Enterprise Ireland supports academic researchers in establishing that a scientific concept is:
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� Sufficiently robust
� Unencumbered by intellectual property considerations � Potentially attractive to the commercial market. |
The Proof of Concept Phase is open on an equal basis to all researchers employed full-time in the third level sector, and non-profit research agencies/organisations. Staff on fixed term contracts are eligible, provided that the terms of the contract extend for the duration of the project. The formal arrangement for the funding of the project will be between Enterprise Ireland and the host institution. For this reason, proposals must have the endorsement of the host institution at the time of submission.
Grants to an indicative level of �90,000 may be awarded for a period of up to 12 months (or, in exceptional cases, 18 months) subject to a competitive evaluation process. Applications for funding under this phase of the Commercialisation Fund may be submitted at any time and there are three assessment rounds each year.
The Technology Development phase is designed to assist researchers in conducting substantive applied research projects where the underlying technologies are sound and where there is a reasonable prospect of commercial success in the marketplace. This phase should bring the technology to a point where it can be licensed either to an existing firm or to a new campus company.
Under this phase, grants of typically no more than �350,000 may be awarded over a 24-36 month period on the basis of technical excellence, and a competitive assessment of the commercial prospects for the research outputs. Evaluation of submissions takes place once a year, usually in May/June.
In both of the above phases, candidates are encouraged to consult closely with Enterprise Ireland as it takes an active interest in the outputs of all research projects.
In the Business Development phase, Enterprise Ireland assists individuals to commercialise R&D on the college campus. It provides them with business support, thereby enabling them to assess the commercial viability of a technologically proven project. The Campus Company Initiative provides academic training, mentoring and financial assistance. The latter primarily takes the form of CORD (Commercialisation of R&D) grants that may be approved to a maximum level of 50% of �76,000 eligible expenditure (i.e. grants of up to 50% of the CORD study are available - up to a maximum of �38,000 per study). The grant can be used for business planning, market investigation and helping the promoter to develop a viable business plan.
The following can be contacted to discuss your project:
Industrial Technologies
Mr Jim Lawler; Tel: 01 808 2467; E-mail: [email protected]
Life Sciences
Dr Ena Prosser; Tel: 01 808 2462; E-mail: [email protected]
Informatics
Dr Joe Curtis; Tel: 01 808 2014; E-mail: [email protected]
Electronics
Mr Joe Madden; Tel: 01 808 2243; E-mail: [email protected]
Optronics
Mr Austin Duke; Tel: 01 808 2292; E-mail: [email protected]
Proof of Concept
Dr Barry Fennell; E-mail: [email protected]
Technology Development
Ms Monica Flanagan; E-mail: [email protected]
Business Development
Ms Bernie Dooley; E-mail: [email protected]