About Enterprise Ireland
Client: Enterprise Ireland
Industry: Government Agency
Key Stakeholders: Majella Maher (Program Manager)
Client Since: 2012
Tools Used: SmartSimple Cloud
Overview
Enterprise Ireland is the government agency responsible for supporting Irish businesses and fostering innovation. Through programs like the Commercialisation Fund, the agency invests in cutting-edge research to drive the development of new products, services, and technology-based startups in Ireland.
Challenges
The Commercialisation Fund Programme was previously managed through outdated, manual processes that placed a heavy burden on staff and lacked sufficient tracking or reporting capabilities.
Challenges included:
- A paper-based system requiring excessive administrative hours
- Difficulty tracking the progress of applications and reviews
- Limited ability to provide real-time status updates
- Poor audit trail requiring manual file searching
- Inefficient experience for both internal teams and external applicants
As digital transformation swept through the research space, Enterprise Ireland recognized the need for a fully digitized, cloud-based solution that could grow with their evolving needs.
Solutions Implemented
Enterprise Ireland selected SmartSimple Cloud after a strong recommendation from other Irish funding agencies and based on SmartSimple’s global track record, particularly in the U.S.
What set SmartSimple apart:
- Proven experience with similar organizations and grant structures
- Local support through its Dublin office
- High configurability to meet unique program needs
- A commitment to collaboration and customization
Impact & Outcomes
Enterprise Ireland emphasized the importance of close, in-person collaboration, especially early in the process. This foundation led to a smooth transition to virtual meetings and a strong long-term partnership.
Key achievements during implementation:
- Development of a fully online platform tailored to Enterprise Ireland’s workflow
- Regular check-ins with dedicated support (shoutout to Business Support Analyst, Ciaran Arshad)
- System flexibility that allowed ongoing improvements and refinements
Client Testimonials
“Other funding agencies in Ireland spoke highly of their own SmartSimple Cloud platforms.”
— Majella Maher, Programme Manager
“Having one central [grants management] system for our Commercialisation Fund Programme makes work much less labor-intensive for everyone; no need to go into multiple systems to find and collate the information we’re looking for.”
— Majella Maher, Programme Manager
Key Takeaways
Moving to SmartSimple Cloud delivered immediate and measurable benefits for Enterprise Ireland’s grant management process.
Key outcomes:
- Significant reduction in administrative workload
- No more printing “reams of paper”
- Single centralized platform for all users
- Stronger audit trail
- Real-time insight into application statuses
- Improved experience for both applicants and reviewers