Ireland’s Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund Call 8 opens on 1 October with 40 million euros, closing 3 February 2027

Ireland’s Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund Call 8 opens on 1 October with 40 million euros, closing 3 February 2027

30 September 2026: Ireland's Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund (DTIF) opens its eighth call on 1 October 2026. The online submission link goes live at 9:00 that day, and applications close at 15:00 Irish time on 3 February 2027. The call was announced on 9 June 2026. It has a budget of 40 million euros, and projects are funded in order of their ranking on weighted evaluation scores.

The fund is managed by the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment and administered by Enterprise Ireland. The department says more than 530 million euros has been awarded to 131 projects across the first seven calls.

Who can apply

DTIF funds collaborative projects that develop and deploy disruptive technologies. Consortia combine SMEs, multinationals and research bodies doing industrial research and experimental development. Call 8 brings several changes:

• Semi-state and public bodies: they can now take part as non-funded partners, provided the project still includes at least three other eligible partners.
• Pre-eligibility check: a mandatory check is introduced for every applicant before a proposal is submitted.
• Fixed window: the call runs for four months, and all applications are assessed after the 3 February deadline.
• Faster start: projects are expected to begin within six months of the ministerial announcement of awards.

How projects are judged

Proposals are assessed on four criteria:

• the strength of the disruptive-technology dimension;
• the excellence of the overall proposal and approach;
• economic impact and sustainability;
• the quality and efficiency of the collaboration.

Help with applying

Enterprise Ireland will hold a Call 8 information webinar on Tuesday 20 October 2026 at 11:00. It is also running "DisrupTech on Tour", a series of ten regional events for briefings and for companies and researchers to meet potential partners. The call documents are on the department's page:

• a guide for applicants;
• indicative application forms (parts A and B);
• a consortium agreement template.

What to do

• Irish software and technology SMEs with a disruptive idea should start forming a consortium now: the minimum is three eligible partners, and building one takes time.
• Complete the mandatory pre-eligibility check early; it comes before submission.
• Register for the 20 October webinar and a DisrupTech on Tour event to meet research and industry partners.
• Plan the project to start within six months of an award.

Sources

• Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment: Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund, Call 8 (read 30 September 2026) - 30 September 2026