Business development consultancy services

Dundalk Institute of Technology

Title attributed to the contract by the contracting authority: ICE Innovation Learning Programme for SME's. Dundalk Institute of Technology invites expressions of interest from suitably competent organisationsconsortia to meet the development and implementation of the Innovation Learning Programme (ILP) for its Innovation for Competitiveness (ICE) Initiative. The ICE Initiative - Innovation for Competitive Enterprises (ICE) aims to promote regional economic growth and development through the establishment of a Tri_Regional Innovation Network aimed at building the innovation capacity and capability of existing SMEs in the Northern Ireland, the six southern Border Region of Ireland and Western Scotland. The European Union’s INTERREG IVA cross border programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body with match financial assistance from Scottish Enterprise and the accountable departments in Ireland and Northern Ireland, are funding this tri-regional innovation network project. The regions involved are the six southern border counties of Ireland to include Counties Louth, Monaghan, Cavan, Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal, Northern Ireland and Western Scotland to include Lochaber, Skye and Lochalsh, Arran and Cumbrae and Argyll and Bute, Dumfries and Galloway, East Ayrshire and North Ayrshire mainland and South Ayrshire. The ICE Initiative is a collaboration between the University of Glasgow, Glasgow Caledonian University, the University of Ulster and is led by Dundalk Institute of Technology (the ICE Partnership). The Innovation Learning Programme, within the ICE Initiative, will be delivered in 3 consecutive years commencing April 2010 working with 30 SMEs per year and developing the innovative skills of 90 owner managers and key staff from within those 30 SME's. In total the project will engage with 90 SMEs and 270 owner-managers and their staff over the three year period. The Programme will be delivered on a cross-border cross regional basis to cover six southern border counties of Ireland, Northern Ireland and Western Scotland. The contract is for the development and implementation of an Innovation Learning Programme aimed at developing the innovative capacity and capability of the participating SMEs through the delivery of 12 in-company action based learning sessions per company which will be take the company through the complete innovation process resulting in tangible commercial opportunities and achievable routes to market. For the purposes of this project, innovation related activities are defined as committing resources to developing new products, processes or services and / or significantly improving existing products, processes or services or developing new niches for the firm. The contract will also involves the delivery of 6 group innovation development sessions per year for each of the three year programme on a cross border cross regional basis. In addition, the supplier will be required to attend and consult during the innovation information workshops held in Year 2 and Year 3 of the programme when recruitment and selection of the companies takes place. The contract will involve working closely with the Project Management Team and will include reporting on the individual company progress at monthly meetings. To register your interest in this notice and obtain any additional information please visit the eTenders Web Site at http://www.etenders.gov.ie/Search/Search_Switch.aspx?ID=108198.

The time limit for receipt of tenders was 2010-01-08. The procurement was published on 2009-12-10.

• • Dundalk Institute of Technology

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