In an account published by IRDG some years ago, APC described how it planned its research, development and innovation work on a roadmap of immediate, near-term and longer-term deliverables, running from twelve months to two years and beyond. Work for the immediate term, and for sensitive proprietary technology, was done in-house by the company's own subject-matter experts and paid for from internal funds.
For near-term and longer-term deliverables the company targeted national and EU funding. The account says these programmes helped ring-fence innovation activity, brought in research staff and access to new technology, and reduced the risk and cost of longer-term RD&I goals, which it described as a critical issue for an SME.
The schemes the account named were those of the time: Enterprise Ireland's Large R&D Grant and Innovation Partnership funding; Irish Research Council PhD programmes; Science Foundation Ireland's Industry Fellowship programme; Horizon 2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions and other European research funding; and participation as an industry partner in the SSPC and PMTC research centres at the University of Limerick. Several of these programmes have since changed name or closed; the funding pages on this site describe the routes available today.
The account also said the R&D Tax Credit had underpinned the development of the company's new RD&I facility at Cherrywood and the recruitment of R&D scientists and engineers from Ireland and abroad, and that the full scope of State and EU incentives was helping to anchor core RD&I activity in Ireland. That is APC's account of its own position at the time, not a statement about eligibility: IRDG does not advise on eligibility for the credit or any grant.
