Description
What costs are eligible?
Maximum support limits
Do I qualify?
Are International Specifications covered?
How do I apply?
Where can I get more information?
Description
Enterprise Ireland on behalf of the Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment has launched a Telecoms Standards Competitive Grants Scheme. This is an extension to the Wireless Standards Pilot Scheme. The aim of the scheme is to encourage companies to take a driving role in standards development and to use this as a basis for achieving technology leadership or competitive advantage in the industry and thereby achieve company growth.
What costs are eligible?
Expenditure incurred from the call closing date of Thursday 15th November 2007 will be eligible for support. It must be exclusive to and essential to the approved project and fall within the following categories:
- Salaries & Wages - Gross salary inclusive of employer PRSI contribution. Salaries can be claimed based on the cost of available days or hours to the company.
- Membership Fees of Standards Bodies
- Travel & Subsistence
- Economy class fares
- Mileage within Ireland - €0.40 per km
- Subsistence (€100 per night within Ireland; €250 per night outside Ireland)
- Other agreed third party costs
- Hosting meetings and workshops
Expenditure undertaken to commercialise the results of standards development work, for example the cost of market development, is not eligible under this scheme.
Maximum support limits
Funding is in the form of a research & development grant and the maximum grant rates are shown in the table below.
| Company Size |
Max. grant limit (%) |
| Small |
70% |
| Medium |
60% |
| Large |
50% |
Maximum programme duration is 18 months for companies who were approved under the initial Wireless Standards Scheme and three years for other companies.
The maximum funding support per application is €200,000.
The maximum funding support for companies approved for funding under the initial Wireless Standards Scheme is €200,000 less the funding amount for which the company was initially approved. For example, if a company was approved a grant of €80,000 under the initial scheme, the maximum amount it could be approved for under this extension scheme is €120,000.
Support is provided under the De Minimis rule, which means that the maximum funding that a Company can receive is €200,000 over any three year fiscal years. De Minimis Aid can come from any State body, agency or department. If a company is part of a group, then the €200K limit applies to the group. If a company has availed of any such funding (e.g. Enterprise Ireland funding for Wireless Standards Scheme, Mentor Support, Market Research, Key Skills (outside the BMW area which was approved after 1st January 2007) or County Enterprise Board, FAS (Competency Development Programme), An Bord Bia, EPA funding), then funding under this scheme would be restricted accordingly. For example if a Company/Group received €30,000 via a market research grant in the last three fiscal years, then the maximum funding available under this imitative would be €170,000.
Do I qualify?
This fund is open to existing clients of Enterprise Ireland. Applications will be accepted from individual companies or from companies acting in collaboration with other companies.
Funding will be awarded on a competitive basis. Overall funding is limited to a total of €1.5m.
Are International Specifications covered?
In the context of this pilot, both formal standards development and international industry standards and/or specifications development are included.
How do I apply?
All applications for support must be submitted on the standard form and be accompanied by 2 years audited accounts and latest management accounts. An application form and company guidelines can be downloaded in MS Word format from the table below.
If you have any problems downloading the application form, please contact
The closing date for receipt of applications is on or before 5.30pm on Thursday 15th November 2007. Application forms should be emailed as READ ONLY to
Funding will be awarded on a competitive basis and it is intended that funding decisions will be made before the end of February 2008.
Where can I get more information?
Before preparing an application, you should inform your Development Adviser. For detailed questions you should contact
 |
Padraig Timmons, Programme Manager, tel 01 808 2212 |
Excellence and Innovation Workshop - A workshop hosted by Enterprise Ireland on the 14th June 2007 focusing on the pratical experiences of companies in developing telecoms standards.