State faces bill excess of €150 million for unmet Climate Targets

Missing climate change and renewable energy targets will cost the State well in excess of €150m as emissions continue to rise. The Government has admitted it will miss 2020 emission reduction and renewable energy targets, and has undertaken “informal discussions” with EU neighbours with a view to minimising the cost of compliance, the Dáil Committee...

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Co-Innovate: Free innovation workshops for SMEs

Co-Innovate is a new programme supported by the European Union’s INTERREG programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body. It is aimed at small and medium sized businesses interested in cross-border research and innovation in Northern Ireland, the Border Region of Ireland and Western Scotland. The programme of support will include: innovation workshops business health check...

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Bio-Enterprise Academy: National Call for Applications

The AgriForValor H2020 project has just launched a national call for applications for the ‘Bio- Enterprise Academy’, an intensive support program for researchers and entrepreneurs.  The Academy is designed for innovators with cutting edge ideas, solutions & technologies for the valorisation of biomass & biomass side streams from the agri & forestry sectors. The highest...

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Eurofunding Toolbox: Templates, forms, case studies

Gaining access to EU Funds, or Eurofunding, involves a formal framework.  We have attached below some links to tools such as factsheets, templates, samples and forms which can assist with the process. Applying for funding How to write the application form with partners? How to develop a problem tree and an objective tree? How to design a solid...

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Tendering for public procurement – SMEs should prepare for the future

InterTradeIreland has urged SMEs to prepare for changes to the way in which public sector services are tendered in Ireland in terms of new category structures and centralised Government purchasing through the Office of Government Procurement (OGP). The OGP was established in January 2014 with a key objective to optimise value for money through smarter...

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Ireland’s Open Data Portal

Ireland’s open data portal has been launched.  Open data forms a core element of Ireland’s first open government partnership (OGP) national action plan.  The new national open data portal currently contains 418 datasets from 45 public bodies.  While it is an alpha site, the Government describes it as an important first step.  Steps to further develop...

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5 Thoughts for the Day

Here are 5 thoughts for the day which are relevant to most of us – Start-up and Established Businesses, Entrepreneurs and Implementors, SME’s and Multinationals, Home and Family Life. Never tell people your troubles. Half of them are not interested and the other half are glad you’re getting what’s coming to you. – Tommy Cooper...

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Thought for the day for Innovators

“I got vision and the rest of the world is wearing bifocals” – Robert Leroy Parker, better known as Butch Cassidy, as played by Paul Newman in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Here is another thought – “For many years, Butch Cassidy was an industry leader”, at least as portrayed in the movie, ……….think about it:...

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