James Geoghegan (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael)
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180. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will outline any plans to reform the Enterprise Ireland Commercialisation Fund evaluation process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54503/25]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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My Department, through Enterprise Ireland, funds the Commercialisation Fund as a means of developing deep tech start-ups as part of the larger goal of improving the competitiveness of the Irish economy. This Fund plays a key role in supporting the transformation of publicly funded research into commercially viable products and services.

In terms of reviewing the Commercialisation Fund, Enterprise Ireland continuously reviews and refines all the funding programmes it delivers to ensure they remain effective, transparent, and responsive to the needs of Ireland’s innovation ecosystem.

Regarding the application evaluation process for the Commercialisation Fund, it is rigorous and robust and includes assessment by independent external evaluators with significant commercial expertise. This ensures that projects are not only scientifically sound but also have strong potential for market impact and commercial success. The use of external reviewers from industry and investment backgrounds helps to provide an objective, market-oriented perspective in the decision-making process.

In addition, Enterprise Ireland - following engagement with my Department and stakeholders, has recently introduced a Proof of Concept (PoC) funding stream under the Commercialisation Fund. This initiative provides a lower quantum of funding, up to €100,000, with the aim of enabling researchers to explore early-stage commercial potential of their ideas before progressing to full-scale commercialisation projects. The application and evaluation process for PoC funding is streamlined to reduce administrative burden, and the evaluation mechanism is proportionate to the scale and scope of the funding sought—while still ensuring appropriate scrutiny and alignment with programme objectives. The PoC funding stream is in addition to the established Commercialisation Fund Feasibility Grant which provides researchers with up to €15,000 in funding to help validate the potential market opportunity before development.

At present, there are no major reforms planned to the core evaluation process of the Commercialisation Fund. However, both my Department and Enterprise Ireland remain committed to ongoing improvement and regularly reviewing programme performance and seeking stakeholder feedback to ensure continued alignment with national enterprise and innovation priorities.

Any future enhancements to the evaluation process will be developed in consultation with relevant stakeholders and communicated in a clear and transparent manner.