There are a number of ways to fund collaborative work between CAPPA and your organisation. Below is some information on supports provided to researchers to carry out industrial R&D either on behalf of or in collaboration with an industrial partner. CAPPA can help in assessing the most suitable funding programme for the proposed research and has been successful in securing funding at a national and European level to assist start-ups, SMEs and MNCs as part of their R&D roadmap.

	Enterprise Ireland
Enterprise Ireland provides a number of initiatives to facilitate engagement between industry and researchers. Here are two of their most popular support schemes.
Innovation Vouchers Irish based SMEs can apply for vouchers, valued at €5,000 each, which can be redeemed with research performing higher education institutes in return for innovative solutions to small business challenges. This programme provides an opportunity for SMEs to engage in small scale or early stage R&D activities which are particularly well suited to exploring new ideas or concepts. For full and up to date information on the programme, including the application process, please visit the Innovation Voucher website or contact us. CAPPA has completed several Vouchers, a number of which have facilitated longer term collaboration through the Innovation Partnership programme.
Innovation Partnerships The Innovation Partnership programme is open to both SMEs and MNCs based in Ireland and provides funding to facilitate collaboration between companies and researchers based in higher education institutes. The programme encourages Irish based companies to work with Irish colleges to access their expertise and resources to develop new and improved products, processes, services, and generate new knowledge and know-how. Projects typically last 12 to 18 months with the level of funding dependent on the size of the company. Enterprise Ireland provides grants of up to a maximum 80% towards eligible costs of the research project. There is also funding available, up to a maxmium of €9,000, to carry out a technical Feasibility Study prior to engaging in a full project. For full and up to date information on the programme, including the application process, please visit the Innovation Partnership website or contact us. CAPPA is very active in the Innovation Partnership programme and has recently completed two Full Projects (Oct 2010 & Mar 2011), has another three Full Projects ongoing as well as a number of active Feasibility Studies.

FP7: European Union

The complete name of FP7 is 7th Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development. It runs from 2007 to 2013 and the programme has a total budget of over €50 billion. FP7 is a key tool to respond to Europe's needs in terms of jobs and competitiveness, and to maintain leadership in the global knowledge economy. This money will (for the most part) be spent on grants to research performers all over Europe and beyond, in order to co-finance research, technological development and demonstration projects. Grants are determined on the basis of calls for proposals and a peer review process, which are highly competitive. The breath of activities and modes of interaction are too wide to be comprehensively described here but many of the funding calls offer the opportunity to fund collaboration between researchers and companies. CAPPA has experience in a number of FP7 programmes and is currently co-ordinating a Marie Curie Initial Training Network PROPHET with a consortium of 9 academic partners, 4 industry partners and 2 associated partners across 6 member states. FP7 also has a range of supports targeted at small and medium enterprises including the Research for the Benefit of SMEs programme under which CAPPA is also currently active. If you would like to discuss the potential of accessing EU research funding then please contact us.

Science Foundation Ireland

Science Foundation Ireland has a number of programmes which support engagement between SFI-funded researchers and industry. Programmes range from large scale initiatives such as the Centres for Science, Engineering & Technology (CSET) and Strategic Research Clusters (SRC) to those focused on developing new technologies with commercial potential like the Technology & Innovation Development Award (TIDA). CAPPA currently has two researchers funded by SFI under their Principal Investigator Awards. For full and up to date information on SFIs programmes please visit the SFI website or contact us.

IRCSET

The Irish Research Council for Science, Engineering & Technology (IRCSET) operates research funding initiatives which support talented researchers in their early stage career formation across Masters, Doctoral and Postdoctoral levels in the area of science, engineering and technology. The Enterprise Partnership Scheme is an innovative initiative through which IRCSET links with private enterprise and eligible public bodies to award co-funded postgraduate scholarships and postdoctoral fellowships to the most promising researchers in Ireland. The Scheme facilitates the establishment of new relationships and the strengthening of existing relationships between industry and academia while offering financial support to researchers at an early stage of their career development. For full and up to date information on the programme, including the application process, please visit the IRCSET website or contact us.

	Direct Funding
Industry can also engage CAPPA on a direct funded basis ranging from consultancy to feasibility studies and onto contract R&D. Depending on the scope and nature of the work direct funding offers the opportunity to quickly initiate work as there is no submission to a funding agency. Apart from the wide range of Supports & Services available, CAPPA also operates a Stepping Stone Programme to help new and existing partners to explore new potential ideas for collaboration.