Enterprise Ireland Innovation Vouchers
Enterprise Ireland · Innovation voucher
$11K€10,000 (~$11k) voucher for work by a publicly funded knowledge provider; Co-funded Voucher covers 50% of projects up to €20,000
Vouchers that let Irish small companies, including pre-revenue start-ups, buy research expertise from universities and public research bodies to solve a business problem.
Key terms
- Voucher pays the knowledge provider (universities, institutes of technology, public research bodies), not the company; VAT is payable by the company
- Company must be an SME limited company registered with the CRO in Ireland; sole traders not eligible
- Up to four vouchers per company (one must be co-funded); one active voucher at a time
- Vouchers are valid for 18 months; decisions normally within four weeks
Eligibility
- Where
- Ireland
- Stages
- idea, pre-seed, seed, series-a, growth
- Needs VC/accelerator backing
- No
- Needs partner referral code
- No
- Must be incorporated
- Yes
- AI focus required
- No
- Students / researchers
- Not eligible
- Nonprofits
- Not eligible
Also required
- Fewer than 250 employees; turnover up to €50M or balance sheet up to €43M
- Agriculture-sector companies and charities excluded
How to apply
Apply any time online via Enterprise Ireland, naming the registered knowledge provider you will work with.
- Benefit
- in-kind
- Equity-free
- Yes
- Decision time
- About 4 weeks
- Credit validity
- —
- Deadline
- Rolling
- Status
- Open
Verified 2026-10-30 · source
More: Government grants for startups · Startup programs in Ireland
Guide: Innovation vouchers in Europe (2026): amounts and rules compared