InterTrade Ireland Acumen programme
The Acumen Programme is a cross-border Business Development Programme designed to stimulate cross-border sales and develop other forms of commercial co-operation amongst SME's throughout the island of Ireland. Financial support may be provided by way of consultancy and/or salary support.
Funding for the Programme is comprised of contributions from the International Fund for Ireland, Development Agencies and Participant Companies.
Consultancy Description
Where a company wishes to undertake a significant new cross border initiative, Enterprise Ireland can assist them with consultancy support under the Acumen Programme. The types of activity that will be considered for support include:
Prospector Consultancy Description - Connecting companies to contractual sales generators in cross-border markets
Under the Acumen Programme there is additional support that refines and enhances the pure consultancy option. Prospector consultancy offers companies an alternative to hiring a full-time person in the target cross-border market. This support assists the company in finding an appropriate contractual representative in the target market and provides critical funding support while the market opportunity is being explored and developed.
Prospector definition
A prospector is a qualified contractual representative who will represent a company in a specific cross-border market on a shared risk basis. The prospector may be a market-centred consultant, an experienced sales agent or a connected recently retired sales or industry professional who can offer effective marketplace representation to the client company. The other vital ingredient to make any contractual sales relationship work is to engineer sufficient wait time to allow actual sales to happen and to allow for reward for the contractual sales person before sales/reward/earnings begin to flow.
The prospector concept covers this by building in a consultancy canvass period at the beginning of the assignment before the contractual arrangement/relationship kicks in. Acumen will cover 50% of the cost of this up to an eligible ceiling. The prospector proposition is that the prospector should, after an initial period of familiarisation, earn his/her return for the work done, through a contractual arrangement with the company. Acumen involvement will cover the initial period only (before the contractual arrangement/relationship commences) and will, in all cases, last no longer than a twelve-month period.
What costs are eligible?
Enterprise Ireland support is provided towards the costs of hiring a consultant for the planning and implementing of first-time market entry into a new cross-border.
Maximum support limits
Consultancy:
Support up to 50% of the cost of the consultancy or a daily rate of €900, up to a maximum of grant €5,000, whichever the lesser. The consultancy period can be spread over six to twelve month period.
Prospector consultancy:
Support up to 50% of the cost of the consultancy, or a daily rate of €900, up to a maximum grant of €10,000, whichever the lesser. The Prospector consultancy period can be spread over six to twelve month period.
Acumen Consultancy is an Enterprise Ireland Category 1 support. Category 1 support includes funding for consultancy, feasibility studies, mentor network service, and trade fair participation support.
A cumulative grant limit within a rolling two-year period for all proposals approved under this category of funding. For further information, please discuss with your Development Adviser.
The grant maximum is based on a percentage level of your expenditure and may be reduced if you have raised funds under the BES (Business Expansion Scheme) or SCS (Seed Capital Scheme).
Am I eligible?
Clients are eligible to apply for this funding if they are one of the following:
How do I apply?
Project ideas must be discussed with your Enterprise Ireland Development Adviser , or with InterTrade Ireland Acumen prior to submitting the completed application form. Following this discussion your Development Adviser will arrange for you to receive an application form if appropriate.
Any expenditure incurred prior to receipt of the application by the Client Service Unit will not be eligible for grant aid.
If you are not already a client of Enteprise Ireland, please contact your Enterprise Ireland Regional Office.
Details are also available from the Acumen website or contact:
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Bernadette Dooley +353-42-9354424 |