Exploring Innovation Grant
Helps companies explore the feasibility of an innovative idea — market research, technical assessment, IP review
- Typical value
- Up to €35,000
- Deadline
- Rolling (open year-round)
Export grants for Irish SMEs: check before you commit the spend
If you are planning new markets, trade missions, market validation and cross-border growth, run a free GrantMatch scan before you sign quotes, pay deposits or lock in a project plan.
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Why check this before spending?
Irish SME supports are fragmented across state bodies and often depend on timing, business size, sector, location and project type.
Export supports are stage-specific
Market validation, trade missions, sales capability and international R&D all have different routes.
Eligibility often depends on ambition
Some schemes expect export potential, innovation, growth plans or existing traction.
Rank the best next step
The right first support may be a small validation grant, not the largest scheme on the list.
Examples of schemes worth checking
These are examples from the GrantMatch database. Your actual matches depend on your business profile and planned spend.
Innovation Partnership Programme
Collaborative R&D projects between Irish companies and research institutes (universities, IoTs, Teagasc etc.)
- Typical value
- Up to 50% of eligible R&D costs (amounts vary by project scale)
- Deadline
- Rolling
R&D Fund
Supports research, development, and innovation activities that improve competitiveness and create new products/services
- Typical value
- 25%–50% of eligible R&D costs (varies by company size and project)
- Deadline
- Rolling
Employment Funding Support
Financial support towards salary costs to help companies hire key staff and create new jobs
- Typical value
- Maximum €15,000 per new employee — minimum 3 new jobs required; supports companies expanding international trade
- Deadline
- Rolling
GradStart
Subsidises salary cost of graduate hires (including international graduates) to build company skills base
- Typical value
- Up to €12,000 per graduate per year (max 2 years)
- Deadline
- Rolling
HPSU Feasibility Study Grant
Helps high potential start-ups validate the commercial and technical feasibility of their idea before seeking investment
- Typical value
- Up to €25,000
- Deadline
- Rolling
Planning this spend in 2026?
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