Louise O'Reilly
Ceist:133. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if funding will be made available from Budget 2024 for a doubling of the innovation voucher. [45601/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraWednesday, 18 October 2023
Ceisteanna (133)
Freagraí scríofa
The Innovation Voucher Programme is funded by my Department under the Science and Technology Programme, though Enterprise Ireland.
The Innovation Voucher Programme is designed to build links between Ireland's public knowledge providers (higher education institutions and research performing bodies) and small businesses and help to create a cultural shift in the small business community's approach to innovation. The current €5,000 vouchers encourage companies and public knowledge providers to work together on specific innovation questions and projects related to a company’s needs and is available to the broadest number of companies. The nature of these projects will be such that they transfer knowledge that is new, thereby enabling a company to use this newly acquired knowledge to innovate a product, production process or service.
Following the announcement of Budget 2024 and the allocation to my Department, my officials, in conjunction with Enterprise Ireland, are formulating the requirements of each scheme under the Science and Technology Programme in order to maximise the impact of the funding for 2024. The 2024 funding allocation will facilitate a doubling of the value of the Innovation vouchers up to €10,000. Details of the revised scheme are currently being finalised and will be announced for implementation in early 2024.