--- title: "R&D Technical Assessment for Enterprise Ireland & IDA" url: https://decisionanalytics.ai/technical-assessment/ description: "Independent technical and R&D assessment for Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland and LEOs. State-of-the-art research, line-by-line cost review and a clear recommendation." last_updated: 2026-10-14 publisher: Decision Analytics Ltd (CRO 724237), WorkIQ, Innovation Quarter, Tallaght, Dublin 24, D24 E1TT, Ireland contact: hello@decisionanalytics.ai --- Technical Assessment # Independent R&D technical assessment for funding decisions. As a member of Enterprise Ireland's ICT Specialists panel, we carry out independent R&D technical assessments of funding applications for Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland and other funders. Each one starts with deep research into the state of the art and ends with a clear, evidence-based recommendation. - **2025** Appointed to Enterprise Ireland's ICT Specialists panel - **2** IDA Ireland R&D assessments for multinationals ## Who our R&D technical assessments are for State funding agencies: Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, Local Enterprise Offices and Údarás na Gaeltachta. The panel assesses research, development and innovation funding applications from their client companies. ## Deciding whether a project is really R&D Agency committees must decide whether a complex technology project qualifies as R&D under EU state-aid rules, and which costs are eligible. They need an assessor who understands the technology and can explain it in plain terms. ## What an R&D technical assessment covers We break each project into clear elements, research whether each one is genuinely new, test every cost line, and give the committee a plain-English recommendation. Deep research ## State-of-the-art research: is it genuinely new, or has someone already done it? Before we judge any element, we research the state of the art. If a competitor, a research group or an open-source project has already solved the problem, it isn't R&D, however hard it is for the applicant. The committee gets evidence, not opinion. - 1Published research - 2Patents - 3Open-source projects - 4Competitor products - 5Vendor platforms How we work ## Our R&D technical assessment process - Review: Review the application, technical description and cost workbook. - Break down: Break down each workstream into clear project elements, in plain English. - Research: Research the state of the art for each element, from published research and patents to competitor products, to test whether it is genuinely new. - Engage: Engage with the company and the agency's project team through Q&A and on-site meetings. - Test costs: Test each cost line against the agency's eligibility guidelines. - Recommend: Recommend a course of action in a written assessment, with follow-up support for the agency. ### What the agency gets - A clear view on R&D eligibility - A cost review that stands up to scrutiny - A report the approving committee can act on - An assessor with no stake in the outcome Results ## R&D technical assessment case studies IDA Ireland · Multinational client ### AI and data platform R&D programme A multi-year, multi-million euro programme to build a new cloud data platform with AI-driven data intake and automation. We researched the state of the art to test the R&D content, assessed eligibility, and reviewed costs line by line. DeliveredFull assessment and written recommendation IDA Ireland · Multinational client ### AI R&D programme An AI-driven R&D programme covering customer interaction, workflow automation and document processing. We are assessing the programme for IDA Ireland through the Enterprise Ireland panel. In progressAssessment under way FAQ ## Questions about R&D technical assessment ### How do you decide whether a project is really R&D? We start with research. For each element of the project, we look at what already exists: published research, patents, open-source projects and competitors' products. If someone has already solved the problem, it isn't R&D, however hard it is for the applicant. We then judge what remains against the agency's R&D definitions, which follow the OECD Frascati Manual. ### Who do you carry out technical assessments for? State funding agencies: Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, Local Enterprise Offices and Údarás na Gaeltachta. We are a member of Enterprise Ireland's ICT Specialists panel, appointed in 2025, which assesses research, development and innovation funding applications from agency client companies. ### What does a technical assessment include? It includes a review of the application, technical description and cost workbook; a plain-English breakdown of each workstream; state-of-the-art research on each element; Q&A and on-site meetings with the company; a line-by-line cost review against the agency's eligibility guidelines; and a written recommendation, with follow-up support for the agency. ### How do you manage conflicts of interest? We never assess a company we've advised, and we declare any conflict to the agency before accepting an assessment. ## Funding agency or programme manager? We provide independent technical assessment through the Enterprise Ireland ICT Specialists panel. Other ways we help ## Explore our other services ### Venture Building We build the software our clients needed. ### Digital Discovery A costed investment roadmap your board can back. ### Digital for Business Know what to invest in, and what it will return.