Programme description
Main objectives
The programme aims to add value to wider investment programmes in targeted high growth and innovative sectors to support the creation of new quality jobs, enterprises, innovations, licenses as well as growth in the Border, Midland and Western region of Ireland.
Investments through the OP will contribute to the delivery of the Europe 2020 targets for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, focussing is on specific growth opportunities and targeted growth and innovative sectors identified in Ireland's smart specialisation strategy, building on the region's strengths.
Funding priorities
The programme will focus on five main priorities:
- Develop and exploit commercially research excellence and innovation capacity in the BMW region with active company engagement financially and intellectually in such research
- Access to, use and quality of high-speed information and communication technologies by settlements in the BMW Region, including SMEs
- SME competitiveness, especially micro-enterprises in high growth and innovative sectors
- Shift towards a low-carbon economy, especially energy efficiency in housing, and promoting low‑carbon strategies for urban areas
- Integrated urban development to revitalise urban areas
Expected impacts
- Increased development and applied research in the BMW region through increasing the number of companies engaged with strategic research centres from a baseline of 103 to a target of 159;
- To increase the number of companies undertaking industry research and development (R&D) in the BMW region by supporting a commercialisation fund, an innovation partnership programme and an industry R&D fund with the objective of increasing the number of SME clients of 'Enterprise Ireland' spending over €100,000 per annum from a baseline of 185 to a target of 220;
- Creating 583 new jobs in the micro-enterprise sector in the BMW region;
- Creating 4,500 jobs among SME clients of 'Enterprise Ireland';
- To increase the provision of fibre optic links to all unserved towns and villages in the BMW region by providing 583 settlements with next generation broadband;
- To improve the thermal performance of housing stock in the BMW Region from 210 kWh per BRm2/year to 185 kWh per BRm2/year;
- Revitalised urban areas and low-carbon strategies improving social, economic and physical conditions in selected urban growth centres with the objective of increasing by 20 % points non‑private car commuting levels in designated urban centres.
Funds
Regional Development Fund (ERDF): 160.708.921,00 €
Thematic priorities
View the dataFinancial information
Total OP budget: 321.417.842,00 €
Total EU contribution: 160.708.921,00 €
View the data