Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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248. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the estimated cost in 2025 if the capital funding for Innovation Partnership increased by 20%; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36542/24]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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The Innovation Partnership Programme is funded by my Department, though Enterprise Ireland (EI).

The Innovation Partnership programme offers financial support to companies who engage in collaborative research projects with research performing organisations (RPOs) such as Universities, or Technological Universities where the bulk of the R&D is carried out within the RPO. The programme provides grants of up to 80% towards eligible costs of the research project with a view to developing new products, services and cost efficiencies.

The Innovation Partnership Programme budget outturn for 2023 was €5,500,418 which comes from capital expenditure. Therefore, increasing the budget for Innovation Partnerships will only have impact if the companies have eligible projects to this value. The table below shows the cost of increasing this funding by 20% and the total expenditure inclusive of the rate of increase.