Have an Idea
If you wish to commercialise an idea and are not based in a research institute or higher education institute, visit the Start a Business section of our website. You have an idea for a technology that has the potential to become a commercially viable service or product. Have you checked that it is not already invented? Run a search through the Irish Patents Office and European Patent Office.
Enterprise Ireland supports/services available to assist you
If you are in a college, you may have a Technology Transfer Office (TTO) and they should be your first port of call. They can help you to assess the potential commercial application of your research and work out the best route to the marketplace. Go to our Technology Transfer Supports section for more information and to see a full list of TTO contact details.
First Steps
In consultation with your Technology Transfer Office (TTO), you should explore if you are eligible for funding from Enterprise Ireland to prove the commercial potential of your technology. At this stage it would be important to have a good idea of the market potential for your technology. You should consider the following:
- What problem does your concept address?
- What are the current approaches to address the problem?
- Describe your proposed solution to the problem.
- Why is your concept better than the existing solutions?
- What supporting evidence can you provide that your concept has a commercial application?
- Can your team successfully deliver this project?
Enterprise Ireland supports/services available to assist you
Enterprise Ireland Commercialisation Fund
Grant support is available to researchers who wish to demonstrate the commercial potential of their research. We can advise you on how to apply and the best approach for your particular research area. For more details and to apply for support, go to Enterprise Ireland Commercialisation Fund.
Enquiries
If you have any queries about funding and the supports available, please contact us by sending an email outlining your query and including your contact details to:
Una Moran
Commercialisation Fund Programme Manager, Enterprise Ireland
Una Moran
+353 1 7272962
For help on using the SmartSimple online applications system, please contact the System Administrator Ann Carolan.
Ann Carolan
+353 1 7272374
Develop the Technology
You need to develop your technology to a point where it can be protected and assessed by industry to determine market potential. Demonstrating the technology and understanding the competitive advantages it could provide to companies in the market is a priority.
You need to consider the following:
- The commercial potential of the project output.
- The markets and customers where you think your technology will have the strongest commercial potential.
- The industry relationships you plan to forge, or have already developed.
- The status of the technology in terms of intellectual property rights.
Enterprise Ireland supports/services available to assist you
Enterprise Ireland Commercialisation Fund
Grant support under the Commercialisation Fund is available to assist researchers with technology development and market validation costs.
The Commercialisation Fund supports research in areas of technology of medium term interest to industry in Ireland leading to technologies, products or processes that can provide the basis of new businesses in Ireland or can improve the competitiveness of industry in Ireland through licensing agreements. For more details and to apply for support, go to Enterprise Ireland Commercialisation Fund.
Enquiries
If you have any queries about funding and the supports available please contact us by sending an email outlining your query and including your contact details to
Una Moran
Commercialisation Fund Programme Manager, Enterprise Ireland
Una Moran
+353 1 7272962
For help on using the SmartSimple online applications system, please contact the Systems Administrator Ann Carolan
Ann Carolan
+353 1 7272374
License Your Technology
Technology and associated intellectual property developed out of research can be transferred to a new or existing company through the granting of a license. This brings financial rewards for the college and the inventor and can lead to longer term research relationships with industry.
Enterprise Ireland supports/services available to assist you
The Technology Transfer Offices in the colleges can help locate appropriate companies and direct the negotiation of a licence.
Enterprise Ireland’s Commercialisation Specialists work closely with the Technology Transfer Offices to assist with this process using Enterprise Ireland’s network of client companies.
If you do not have access to your own Technology Transfer Office, please contact commercialisation@enterprise-ireland.com directly for assistance.
Enterprise Ireland host events to showcase the commercial opportunities emerging from Ireland's Higher Education Institutes such as Big Ideas Showcase which presents the spin-outs and commercial opportunities emerging from Ireland's Higher Education Institutes. These events are attended by venture capitalists, angel and private investors, entrepreneurs, innovators, international and Irish business executives.
Spin-out a New Company
In some cases it is feasible for researchers to progress to the point of establishing a spin-out company to exploit the intellectual property that has been created. Such researchers often become the Chief Technology Officer in the company, bringing in an experienced CEO to run the venture but there are many options that can be examined as part of this process.
Enterprise Ireland supports/services available to assist you
Our Commercialisation Specialists will work with you and your Technology Transfer Office to help build the company. Email us at commercialisation.fund@enterprise-ireland.com
We can use our Business Partner programme to bring in experienced entrepreneurs to lead the company and provide feasibility funding towards the costs of market investigations. Enterprise Ireland can also invest directly in the company via our Innovative High Potential Start-Up Fund if it has the potential to be a real winner.
Spin-out companies supported by Enterprise Ireland can locate in campus incubators and will receive dedicated support and advice on access to venture capital, targeting and servicing new customers and markets.
For more information, read more on our supports for spin-out companies.
