How We Help
Momentum works with the ICT industry in Northern Ireland to provide assistance and support. We work with Invest Northern Ireland and InterTradeIreland to help our members find support and assistance.
Momentum works to provide members with business intelligence that is of real use. We work with Invest Northern Ireland and InterTradeIreland to help our members find support and assistance. While the information on this page is open to anyone, we encourage our members to contact us ditectly for detailed free information.
InterTradeIreland’s Support Programmes
Acumen
The Acumen programme aims to help SMEs to grow their business on the island of Ireland by targeting new cross-border markets. Acumen has provided assistance to over 300 companies and secured more than €58/£50m in sales since it was rolled out across the island in 2003.
Acumen offers four support options:
- Consultancy
- Sales Salary
- Prospector
- Graduate
To find out if your business qualifies for the programme visit the InterTradeIreland website
Fusion
If your business is a company with a technology-related development need Fusion provides financial support to fund R&D that your company wants carried out. Your business is matched with a University or College in the opposite jurisdiction to provide one-to-one tailored assistance to solve your technology needs. A high calibre graduate is recruited and based in the company to champion the project. The graduate is the link and agent for technology transfer between the university or college and your company.
Salary funded at 50% and some costs such as necessary equipment funded at 100%.
To find out if your business qualifies for the programme visit the InterTradeIreland website.
Innova
Currently closed but Momentum is always in contact with InterTradeIreland and we will bring you news here if Innova re-opens.
It worked this way; R&D collaboration between two companies one in each region with funded at up to 75% for new innovations but more typically 60% for projects which are significantly improving existing products/processes. Depending on the company’s size, up to €300,000/£200,000 was made available.
Read more about Innova at the InterTradeIreland web site.
Invest Northern Ireland’s Support Programmes
Momentum works closely with Invest Northern Ireland. We can help you with information about support that is available and guide you through the application processes.
Innovation Vouchers
Invest NI will make up to €5000/£4000 available to you if you have a particular piece of research carried out by an approved ‘Knowledge Provider’ or seek specific advice on a business decision you are considering. The programme provides a voucher to enable small enterprises to engage with one of the 38 universities, colleges and other publicly funded research organisations throughout Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
A call for applications normally happens every 2 months. Current call will close at the end of November.
For more information see the Invest Northern Ireland web site http://www.innovationvouchers.com/ or contact one of the Momentum Team.
Grant for R&D
This is a programme to support R&D applications where project submissions can be for a substantial amount of support potentially over £250,000. Support levels are dependent upon the type of R&D being carried out and the size of the company applying. R&D which is improving processes/products is likely to receive lower levels of support while higher levels are usually for projects that are producing something ‘brand new’.
See http://www.investni.com/r+d for more details.
Please note that the application for support can be broken up into different phases e.g. an application can be made for Project Definition which is up to £50,000 and then a follow-up application can be made to carry out the actual real development.
Other Support
E2 programme (Exporting Excellence) new Export Development Programme from Invest NI designed to partner graduate talent to local organisations in an attempt to develop export opportunities in markets outside of the region.
See http://www.e2programme.com/
FP7 Participation
FP7 is a European project with can offer up to 135% funding return on spend to participating SMEs. The calls are open until January. If you are interested in finding out more visit the web site http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/dc/index.cfm?fuseaction=UserSite.FP7CallsPage&rs and if you think FP7 is something you might want to apply for, call Stephen Slone at Momentum. Stephen can talk you through the processes.
From time to time other support becomes available. The Momentum Team monitor the sources and will know when support programmes become available. Subscribe to our News RSS feed to find out about new Support Programmes.
The information here is supplied with best intentions but accuracy should be validated by checking the appropriate body’s website for changes in conditions, rules, levels of support.
Momentum is not responsible for the content of external web sites.