37 | Smart Regions Enterprise Innovation Scheme
Feasibility Funding is targeted at applicants which meet the eligibility criteria of Smart Regions and that wish to explore the feasibility of developing plans for regional or sectoral projects aligned with the scheme objectives. A grant of €50k max or 80% of eligible costs, whichever is the lesser, is available to support Stream Four Feasibility projects. Feasibility funding will be open to new projects 20 which have not been previously supported by Enterprise Ireland and can be led by existing or new Not-for-Profit applicants, or public bodies. Feasibility funding is available for Consultancy and Travel and subsistence expenditure to assist early-stage project development and to enable promoters design and test their project concept and establish how they would develop detailed plans to fund the design, planning and tendering costs related to preparing an application for further state funding. The activity being proposed for funding must be additional to the activities currently being undertaken, if any, and additional to activities currently funded by the State 21 , if any. Feasibility Study projects should focus on developing innovative supports for enterprise in the first instance. If an infrastructure gap becomes apparent and is justified, then the project can apply for further funding to contribute to costs of preparing a suitable business case as the basis for an application under current or future open competitive calls for Smart Regions. Such a further application could, if timing allowed, be made within the period before closure of the same call or under a further call. While the objective of these Feasibility projects may be to confirm the need for further funding to progress the realisation of an ensuing project, Smart Regions (Enterprise Innovation Scheme) support does not confirm any rights or commitment by the state to further funding of the project. Enterprise Ireland shall make no commitment to funding the successful applicant after the approved period of feasibility or priming funding. Where there is a border county or international nexus to a particular project, Enterprise Ireland will have regard to the needs of the project and, having regard to its statutory powers, may consider projects for evaluation which have a cross border or international dimension in the form of other cluster or consortium members being incorporated in Northern Ireland or another jurisdiction, provided however, that Enterprise Ireland shall not provide funding to companies or public bodies incorporated or founded in Northern Ireland or another jurisdiction. Similarly, individual promoter applicants for funding must be resident in the State. Priming Funding is targeted at new regional based infrastructural projects which meet the eligibility criteria of the scheme, who will develop detailed plans to deliver new transformational regional or sectoral projects aligned with the objectives of the scheme. The output of these Priming projects may lead to a subsequent Stream One – Stream Three application. A grant of €200k max or 80% of eligible expenditure, whichever is the lesser is available. Priming Funding is available for Consultancy, Travel and subsistence and Promotion costs as well as the cost of Rental of Office space for larger scale more significant scoping projects 22 .
20 Not for profit companies which have existing projects supported by Regional Funds such as REDF, BEDF or RETS can apply if eligible for new projects which are not directly associated with the previously supported project. 21 Double funding is not allowable and will be reclaimed in the event of being discovered. 22 Smart Regions Stream Four support does not confirm any rights, obligations or commitment by the state to further funding of the project under future competitive or non-competitive schemes administered by Enterprise Ireland.
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