InterTradeIreland Innovation Boost

Innovation Boost, formerly Fusion, places a qualified graduate inside a company for a cross-border innovation project, supported by an academic partner and part-funded by InterTradeIreland. For AI work it suits companies that want internal capability built alongside the system rather than a delivery that leaves when the supplier does. Companies trading or planning to trade across the Ireland–Northern Ireland border that want to retain AI capability internally.

What this scheme funds

Cross-border scheme that funds a graduate plus academic support to build AI capability inside your own team.

  • Graduate salary contribution for the project period
  • Academic partner input and technical oversight
  • Graduate training relevant to the project
  • Defined innovation project management support

What it does not fund

These costs are routinely ruled ineligible under this scheme.

  • General recruitment for business-as-usual roles
  • Capital equipment
  • Projects with no genuine innovation or cross-border dimension

Who is eligible

Eligibility is decided by InterTradeIreland, not by Digital Bridge.

  • Company based in Ireland or Northern Ireland
  • A cross-border dimension to trade or to the project partnership
  • A defined innovation project with a clear technical challenge
  • Capacity to host, manage and mentor a graduate on site

How to apply

Typical end-to-end timeline: This is the slowest route on this page and the one with the highest capability payoff: expect several months to define the project, secure a partner, gain approval and recruit, then a project running over roughly twelve to eighteen months.

  • Define the innovation project and the technical challenge it addresses
  • Contact InterTradeIreland to confirm current scheme parameters and fit
  • Secure an academic partner with relevant expertise
  • Apply with the project definition and partnership detail
  • On approval, recruit the graduate through the scheme process and begin

Evidence you will need

Applications are usually delayed by missing paperwork rather than by weak projects.

  • Project definition with technical objectives
  • Academic partner commitment
  • Company capacity to host and mentor
  • Financial information as requested

Why applications get rejected

The recurring reasons assessors give under this scheme.

  • No genuine cross-border dimension
  • The role is ordinary recruitment rather than innovation
  • No academic partner secured
  • The company cannot evidence mentoring capacity

What Digital Bridge delivers under this scheme

Illustrative net cost applies the published rate (Substantial co-funding of a graduate-led innovation project) to our published engagement bands. It is arithmetic, not an offer of funding.

  • Technical architecture & engineering mentoring alongside the graduate — list From €15,000, illustrative net cost Complements the scheme; the scheme funds the graduate, not the supplier

Can Digital Bridge work alongside an Innovation Boost project?

Yes, and it is a good combination. The graduate builds internal knowledge while we handle the parts that need production engineering discipline — integration with live systems, security review, deployment and observability. The company keeps the capability after we finish.

Is a cross-border element really required?

It is central to InterTradeIreland's remit, so yes. If your business has no cross-border dimension, the Enterprise Ireland or LEO routes are the honest recommendation instead.

Source and last review

Scheme parameters checked against InterTradeIreland — funding and support (https://intertradeireland.com/) on 2026-08-18. Reviewed quarterly. Next scheduled review: November 2026. Digital Bridge is a supplier, not the awarding body. Eligibility, approval and payment are decided solely by the funding body named on each scheme. Figures below are the published scheme parameters as at the review date shown, and net costs are arithmetic illustrations of the published rate applied to our published prices. Always confirm current rules with the funder before you commit to any spend, because expenditure incurred before an application is received is almost always ineligible.