Digital Discovery Programme – Enterprise Ireland

By project AccelerateGDT

Published on 06 August 2023

Ireland

About this good practice

Problem Addressed:
Despite a major push towards digital transformation in the past couple of years, the majority of Irish SMEs said they were less than halfway on their digital journey, while only 55 per cent said they have their own website - significantly below the EU average (Irish Times, Apr 2022).

Enterprise Ireland (EI) are committed to supporting these businesses with their digitalisation journeys, investing in the capabilities that will help lead them to international success.

How Objectives are reached:
Under Ireland’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (2021-2026), projects supporting the digital and climate transition of enterprise are being funded through the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility. Eligible companies employ 10 or more full-time staff.

EI will provide grant funding for 80% of the project cost up to a maximum of €6,300. This is based on 7 days external consultancy where eligible costs are capped at €900 per day inclusive of travel and all out-of-pocket expenses.

Tangible outputs include a strategic, digital roadmap that outlines key milestones for organisations digital transition covering the next 12-18 months are co-developed with the chosen service provider. To assist in implementing firm’s roadmap, a defined (4-6 month) action plan is co-developed.

Stakeholders: Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation; Enterprise Ireland, Local Enterprise Offices, Údarás na Gaeltachta and IDA Ireland.

Resources needed

Cost of developing and rolling out the Digital Discovery Programme @ EI:
1.5 x Staff in the Operational Excellence and Digital team approx. €120,000, they manage the Digital Discovery Programme. Additional, €280,000 invested via 56 projects since July 2022 to July 2023 under Digital Discovery.

Evidence of success

• 56 projects completed since July 2022.
• Key focus areas: (1) Skills assessment, culture of innovation, digital mind-set; (2) Process flow efficiency in operations (Lean & Digital); (3) Opportunities to deliver new value-added digital services/products; (4) Use of digital systems to measure and reduce energy, emissions, and waste (5) Review of cyber-security strategy and processes.
• More value for companies as applications focus on competence development and upskilling of key staff.

Potential for learning or transfer

One of the reasons that the Digital Discovery programme have been successful and could be transferred is that the programme empowers companies to strategically integrate capacity development of their people and a digital mind-set culture into the organisation. Digital Discovery requires investment by the recipient in their own development (to match fund the grant) and therefore achieves a higher level of buy in rather than being purely consultant lead. This autonomy allows companies to take the first steps towards integrating a system ‘end to end flow’ rather than point technologies that lack connection, and more importantly allowing companies to develop internal capacities to tackle digital challenges and improve their operational excellence.