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Action Plan for Jobs

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 March 2014

Tuesday, 25 March 2014

Questions (455)

Stephen Donnelly

Question:

455. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the reason his Department suggests rolling out Enterprise Ireland's market access grant to 35 companies; the way this figure was arrived at, as per Action 31 of the Action Plan for Jobs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13160/14]

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Written answers

The Market Access Grant is an important financial support from Enterprise Ireland to assist companies to build their business in international markets. It is one of a number of supports provided by Enterprise Ireland to support the achievement of international sales. These supports complement Enterprise Ireland’s international office network, which has access to more than 60 countries worldwide, through which Enterprise Ireland can support Irish companies in the market place.

This grant is designed to assist clients to develop viable marketing strategies in target markets. The Market Access Grant supports a client to undertake all the activities from initial market research to developing insights to the relevant market prior to a market launch. The client may receive funding in respect of:

- New staff assigned to the project;

- Staff re-assigned to the project;

- Consultant(s) to undertake the project;

- Marketing costs up to market launch

The grant is available only to companies:

- Entering a new geographic market;

- Entering an existing market with a new product/service

The Market Access Grant was piloted to a small number of companies last year and the agreed target for 2014 stretches that level of activity and reflects Enterprise Ireland’s own internal targets for company capability development and export sales. There is no doubt that Enterprise Ireland will strive to exceed this target however this specific company support should be looked at in the context of the wider suite of direct and indirect supports provided by Enterprise Ireland for its client base.

If Irish owned companies are to continue to achieve an increase in the diversity and quantum of Irish exports I believe that it is very important that companies are supported to undertake informed research to assess the potential of a new product or service in an existing market or an existing product or service in a new geographic market.

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