Ireland’s small enterprise sector has a valuable role to play in the development of our knowledge based economy. The ability of small companies to adapt quickly to market changes means they are often in an ideal position to take on new ideas. 

The objective of the Enterprise Ireland Innovation Voucher initiative is to build links between Ireland’s public knowledge providers and small businesses and to create a cultural shift in the small business sector’s approach to innovation.

If you own or manage a small limited company and you want to explore a business problem or opportunity you can apply for an Innovation Voucher worth €5,000. The voucher can be exchanged for advice and expertise from knowledge providers. To be successful in your application, your project must require an innovative solution, provide additional value for your company and have on-going benefits.

The first call of 2016 for Innovation Vouchers opens on Wednesday 20th January and closes on Wednesday 3rd February at 3pm.

By participating in the Innovation Voucher programme, you can concentrate on running your business while knowledge providers come up with a solution that could take your business to the next level. The voucher also opens the door to knowledge providers, building links between you and researchers that could yield further benefits in the future.

All small limited companies, in every sector of the Irish economy are eligible to apply for an Innovation Voucher*. The only exclusions are small enterprises in the agricultural sector, in line with State Aid guidelines. Applications are not restricted to clients of Enterprise Ireland.

Companies can approach any Institute of Technology, University or publicly-funded research oganisation on the island of Ireland provided those research bodies have agreed to participate in the Innovation Voucher programme.

For a full list of participating knowledge providers and further information about the programme, go to www.innovationvouchers.ie

*For the purposes of the Innovation Voucher Initiative, a Small Enterprise is defined as a company or (if part of a group) a group of companies where the total number of full-time employees in the company (or the entire group) is less than 250 and has an annual turnover not exceeding €50m and/or an annual Balance Sheet total not exceeding €43m.