Technology Centres

Ireland's Technology Centres

Technology Centres Brochure 2023

On behalf of Enterprise Ireland, I am pleased to announce a call for applications from members of the Technology Gateway and Technology Centre programmes under the 2023 Capital Equipment Fund. To be eligible, applications should be made using the attached form and should be sent to GA-CapitalCall2023@enterprise-ireland.com to arrive no later than 12pm (noon) on Friday the 22nd of September 2023.

The purpose of the funding is to increase the level of interaction between the Technology Gateways and Technology Centres and industry in Ireland. Therefore, the intended outcomes should include, but not be limited to:

More companies engaging in R&D
Pilot manufacturing capability for new product / process development
Enhanced technology validation and testing capabilities
Test bed generation
Enhanced training potential for key industry staff on emerging technologies

Applications to this call may be made under either of the following 2 streams:

Stream 1 – Equipment that has a well establishing industrial need and is commonly used for specific applications.

Steam 2 – Equipment that is either considered new or leading-edge technology and has yet to mature in terms of industrial usage when benchmarked internationally.

Each eligible Technology Gateway or Technology Centre will be limited to a maximum of 3 applications.

To ensure the aims of the call are achieved and to justify the level of funding sought, all applications must clearly demonstrate sufficient industrial need and usage over the lifetime of the equipment. This should include at least 5 named companies who are likely to utilise the equipment within the first 18 months. The assessment panel will validate the industrial need by contacting the named company representative listed in the application.

A minimum score of 70% must be achieved against the ‘Industrial Need’ category to be considered for funding. Applications that fail to meet this threshold will not be funded, regardless of other scores.

Eligibility Criteria

The call is restricted to members of the Enterprise Ireland Technology Gateway and Technology Centre programmes.
The successful proposal must possess a strong track record of industry engagement and demonstrate a significant industrial need for the new equipment.
The host institute must provide space for the equipment and confirm that it will insure, service and maintain the equipment according to international standards.
Individual applications will be restricted to sums greater than €50,000 and less than €400,000 (more costly items may be considered on an exceptional basis, but the additional funding request must be clearly justified).

Ranking Criteria

All applications will be reviewed by a panel that will include external independent experts. The panel will review individual applications with a view to approving them for funding, or not. In a situation where the sum of approvals is greater than the available budget then the following criteria will be used to rank the successful applications:

The number of companies using the equipment and cost of their projects (validated with the companies)
Clustering with other IoTs/Universities and shared access to the equipment
Criticality of equipment to the continued service of industry
Novelty of equipment in terms of current availability within the IoTs/Universities

The prioritised list will be presented to the Industrial Research and Commercialisation Committee (IRCC) and Enterprise Ireland Board for final approval.

Closing Date for Applications

The closing date for applications is 12pm (noon) on Friday the 22nd of September 2023.
One signed electronic copy of the attached application form (in MS Word format only) to be sent to GA-CapitalCall2023@enterprise-ireland.com to arrive before the closing date.

All queries should be directed to mark.whelan@enterprise-ireland.com.

Link to the application form: Capital Call September 2023 Application Form.doc

Overview of Technology Centres

The Technology Centre programme is a joint initiative between Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland. It allows Irish companies and multinationals to work together on market focused strategic R&D projects in collaboration with research institutions.

The 9 Technology Centres in the programme are resourced by highly-qualified researchers who provide a unique ecosystem for collaboration in areas identified, by industry, as being strategically important.