About Enterprise Ireland

Enterprise Ireland is the government organization responsible for growing and developing Irish companies. The aim of the Commercialisation Fund Programme is to improve the competitiveness of the Irish economy. We invest in innovative scientific research at Irish universities and research performing organizations to develop new products and services, leading to the creation of technology-based start-up companies and the transfer of innovations to industry in Ireland.

The Challenge

The Commercialisation Fund Programme grants manual processes were cumbersome, taking a heavy toll on their staff. “We really needed to find a way to streamline and improve the audit trail,” says Majella Maher, Programme Manager for Enterprise Ireland. “Plus, the research space has changed, with more and more researchers working online to submit grant applications and scientific papers for publication.”

Selecting SmartSimple

Recommendations from other Irish organizations and a strong track record in the United States helped guide their decision to choose SmartSimple Cloud. “Other funding agencies in Ireland spoke highly of their own SmartSimple Cloud platforms. Their large client base, particularly in the United States, also made it clear that they had the capabilities to handle our needs.”

Once Enterprise Ireland met with the SmartSimple team, they were sold: “The people were competent and confident they had the expertise to create the kind of system we were looking for.”

Working with SmartSimple

At the start, Majella and her team put a high value on regular, face-to-face meetings with SmartSimple’s Dublin office. “It was important to build the relationship and a common understanding of our system needs. Once we got to know the people and the process, we were able to comfortably transition to virtual meetings.”

“A high level of configuration and innovation was needed to create the online system for Enterprise Ireland. The SmartSimple team was open, responsive and willing to adjust and change specifications to ensure we had what we needed. Overall, it was clear they wanted to work with us to find a good solution everyone was happy with. We also appreciate ongoing regular support meetings with Business Support Analyst Ciaran Arshad, as we continue to refine our system.”

Enterprise Ireland has experienced improved efficiency since moving online and into the cloud. “Not having to print off reams of paper has greatly reduced the amount of administrative support required to manage our grants. Having one central system has made work much less labor intensive for everyone. The system provides a better audit trail, eliminating the need to go into multiple systems to find all the details we’re looking for.”

External users have also complimented Enterprise Ireland’s online SmartSimple Cloud for Government Funding platform, “Feedback from our users has been highly favorable. For applicants, the application forms are organized so they are easy to work through and complete. For reviewers, applications are organized to logically present information – rather than needing to flip back and forth between sections looking for relevant details – making it easier to evaluate each submission.”