Innovation Partnership Programme

Innovation Partnership Programme

Supports Irish manufacturing and innovation projects through monthly Innovation Partnership windows.

The Innovation Partnership Programme (IPP), operated by Enterprise Ireland, funds collaborative research and development projects between Irish-based companies and one or more Irish research institutes. The programme allows companies to access academic expertise to develop new or improved products, processes, or services and generate commercially valuable knowledge. The company partner must be a registered client of Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, a Local Enterprise Office, or Údarás na Gaeltachta, and must operate in manufacturing or internationally traded services. Clusters of companies are welcome to apply.

For the 2026 schedule, twelve Full Proposal submission windows run from 25 November 2025 through 27 October 2026, with IRCC funding decisions arriving approximately 8–10 weeks after each window. Funding rates for Industrial Collaborative Research reach up to 80% for small companies, 75% for medium, and 65% for large; for Experimental Collaborative Development the rates are 60%, 50%, and 40% respectively. Capital equipment can attract up to 100% funding where justified. HPSU and early-stage companies are capped at EUR 100,000 unless a commercial assessor approves a higher amount. The company partner must provide a minimum cash contribution of 20% of total project cost; in-kind contributions of researcher time are accepted in addition to cash. Feasibility Studies attract a 100% grant up to EUR 9,000 and can be submitted at any time with no fixed deadline. An IPP Express Pilot for projects up to EUR 150,000 offers a streamlined process.

The application is submitted by the Principal Investigator at the research institute, after the company partner has confirmed eligibility with their assigned Client Advisor. The academic partner owns foreground intellectual property and licenses it to the company under a Heads of Agreement signed before project start. Project duration typically runs six to twenty-four months. To maximise success, applicants should ensure the research objective is tightly aligned to a commercial gap, confirm company Client Advisor support in advance, and submit Outline Proposals early to receive eligibility feedback before committing to a Full Proposal.