The purpose of this scheme is to provide

• advice on the protection and commercial development of discoveries and inventions made by researchers in the Higher Education Sector
  
• financial support for the protection by the intellectual property system of those inventions considered by Enterprise Ireland to have potential for commercial development.

Eligibility

The scheme applies to third level colleges and associated teaching hospitals. Advice is open to all researchers in such bodies.

Financial support will only be considered for those projects for which application is made by the Industrial Liaison Department, or equivalent, of the organisation. Funding will be limited to expenditures directly involved in patent protection.

Basis of the scheme

Funding can be provided at one or more of three stages in the process of patent protection:

• Stage 1: Up to €7,000 to assist with the costs of preliminary patent protection

• Stage 2: Up to €20,000 to support patenting costs arising in the continuing prosecution of an already filed initial patent application or extension of patent coverage to other countries

• Stage 3: Funding to provide support for the later stages of the patenting process.  The amount to be determined by Enterprise Ireland in each case but normally not more than €50,000

Funding is restricted to costs directly associated with the protection of the invention concerned. It will normally cover 100% of such costs.

For more details on the scheme, you can download our brochure

You can also download an Application Form for each Stage

See also the Funding Agency Requirements and Guidelines for Managing Research-Generated IP, which you can download  below in PDF format.

Contact

Michael Sharp Head - Intellectual Property Unit Enterprise Ireland Glasnevin Dublin 9 Tel: +353 1 808 2220 Fax: +353 1 808 2296