I propose to take Question Nos. 7 to 10, inclusive, together.
NDRC is one of the State’s supports for early-stage enterprises operating in the pre-seed investment funding gap between entrepreneurs/researchers and the commercial investment sector offering accelerator and pre-seed support for enterprises in the digital sector.
NDRC was initially established in 2006 under a Concession Agreement. The initial value of the concession agreement was €5m per annum and was €3.5m annually since 2013.
Following a procurement process a contract was awarded in November of 2020 to Dogpatch Labs to continue the NDRC supported by its regional partners in Kerry, Cork and Galway. This contract expires in 2025 and has a value of €3.5million per annum. The principal services, provided under the NDRC name include:
1. Accelerator Programmes and capital investments in early-stage digital enterprises
2. Regional services: a variety of pre-accelerator programmes and “training the trainer” services
3. Investment portfolio management.
The nature of concession agreement and reporting thereunder means that my Department does not have access to the information relating to applicants prior to the current services contract for the then NDRC programmes.