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To date, 37 companies are already benefiting from support through the first round of ID2015's International Trade Fund, participating in 46 international trade events and generating new market penetration and export opportunities.

The second round of the Fund will support events taking place between August 2015 and March 2016 inclusive. The deadline for submission of proposals is 4pm on Monday 21st September 2015 and ID2015 aims to notify applicants of funding decisions within four to six weeks of the application deadline. Full details are available at: http://bit.ly/ID2015ITF

Business and Employment Minister Ged Nash said: “ID2015 is about harnessing Irish creativity and promoting it to the world, growing Ireland's reputation abroad as a home for innovative design across a broad range of disciplines. The International Trade Fund is instrumental in supporting innovative design-led Irish companies in the promotion of their work on the international stage and in achieving additional exports of design-based products and services. It aims to nurture the ongoing development Ireland's dynamic design sector and the creation of design-based jobs across the country.

“The outcomes of the Fund to date are very positive, with successful applicants reporting that their participation in trade events around the world has been an excellent introduction to key international contacts, generating interest in their product and service and creating export opportunities. We look forward to seeing further Irish companies benefit from this second open call and the resulting commercial opportunites unfold over the coming months.”

The International Trade Fund is one of a number of funding opportunities for Irish businesses as part of Irish Design 2015 (ID2015). The year-long ID2015 programme, an initiative of the Global Irish Economic Forum in 2013, aims to promote Irish design capability nationally and internationally and to encourage small and medium Irish companies to use design as their critical competitive advantage.

Karen Hennessy, Chief Executive of ID2015 says that supporting Irish companies in presenting their work internationally is vital to sustaining and growing the Irish design sector and that the experience and industry knowledge gained from participating in trade events abroad can be instrumental in helping companies develop their buiness.

“Through the Irish Design 2015 programme, we are seeing real commercial opportunities emerge for developing international markets. The companies being supported through the International Trade Fund have the ambition and capability to expand into international markets. This fund provides financial support to Irish businesses in participating in international trade events which would probably be difficult for them to do independently. We look forward to supporting additional enterprising Irish companies in expanding their reach internationally through the second round of funding,” said Ms. Hennessy.

Reflecting the significant impact the International Trade Fund is already having, 10 of the companies supported through the first round of the Fund report that combined sales orders in excess of €3 million have been generated, with several events still due to take place before the end of the year. The first round, which was launched on 3rd December 2014 and closed on 9th January 2015, is supporting 37 companies in participating in a total of 46 trade events around the world.

Stephen Hughes, Manager, Consumer Retail Products at Enterprise Ireland added: “Participation in international trade events is vital for Irish companies who are serious about exporting. Starting on the exporting journey is both costly and demanding. This fund provides valuable financial support to ambitious Irish companies on a match-funding basis. Companies being supported through the fund are mainly micro and small innovative, design-led companies. While many of these companies are at the early stage of the exporting journey, the objective is to help them become part of the next generation of Irish exporters who will ultimately create and sustain jobs in the Irish economy.”

Successful applicants from the first round of the International Trade Fund include Dublin-based Jam Media, one of the leading creators and producers of multi-award winning animated and live action content for the children's and pre-school audience, who attended Kidscreen in Miami; Castlebar-based Alergy Lifestyles, providers of allergy and asthma friendly products, to attend the Alergy and Free From Show UK; Letterkenny-based award winning toy company Arklu to attend the Toyfair in Nuremberg; Poly Passive Mouldings, based in Midleton, Co. Cork, to attend the Self Build and Improve Your Home Show in Belfast; and contemporary cut crystal company J. HILL's Standard, based in Dungarvan, Co. Waterford, to attend London Design Festival.

Reflecting the breadth of the ID2015 initiative, the disciplines supported through the first round included animation; architecture and built environment; consumer product design; contemporary and traditional craft; digital design; engineering; fashion and textiles; film/TV and visual effects; furniture and lighting design; graphic and communication design; illustration; and industrial product design (including medical devices).

About the ID2015 International Trade Fund
The International Trade Fund, delivered by Irish Design 2015 in association with Enterprise Ireland and the Design & Crafts Council of Ireland (DCCoI), aims to assist export-ready, design-led business in developing their export potential and routes to market. It provides financial support on a match-funding basis to companies headquartered in the Republic of Ireland who wish to participate in trade events around the world. To date, 37 companies are benefiting from support through the first round of ID2015's International Trade Fund, participating in 46 international trade events. The second round of the Fund will support events taking place between August 2015 and March 2016 inclusive. The deadline for submission of proposals is 4pm on Monday 21st September 2015 and ID2015 aims to notify applicants of funding decisions within four to six weeks of the application deadline. Full details of the fund, including terms and conditions, frequently asked questions and how to apply are available on the Irish Design 2015 website at http://bit.ly/ID2015ITF

About Irish Design 2015
Irish Design 2015 (ID2015) emerged as an idea from the Global Irish Economic Forum in 2013 which the government supported. The initiative, which has been included in the Government's 2015 Action Plan for Jobs, aims to:

· Create 1800 jobs over three years through sales of design-led products and services
· Generate an additional €10m in design-based exports
· Generate 200 new design-led business start-ups
· Facilitate more than 300 companies in international trade missions and design based trade events
· Engage with an audience of over 3 million at home and abroad

Through a year-long programme of events and activities exploring, promoting and celebrating Irish design both in Ireland and internationally, Irish Design 2015 (ID2015) aims to showcase the very best of Irish design in order to drive job creation, grow exports and increase competitiveness. ID2015 is an island of Ireland initiative engaging the public, the design community and businesses. The initiative is promoting Irish design in just about every form at home through events and exhibitions while also targeting the export market through trade missions and events in international capitals of design and commerce. ID2015 sees over 300 design installations, conferences, exhibitions, talks and more take place on the island of Ireland and at high profile global design events in London, Paris, Eindhoven, Milan, New York, Chicago and Hong Kong/Shenzhen.

ID2015 is being convened by the Design & Crafts Council of Ireland (DCCoI), in collaboration with partner organisations, on behalf of the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Enterprise Ireland. ID2015 partners include Founding Partners - MCO Projects; Accommodation Partners - The Doyle Collection; Venue Partners - OPW; Exhibition Partners - DAA; Transport Partners - Bus Éireann Expressway, Construction Partners - SISK, Technology Partners - IBM and Broadcast Partners - RTÉ. www.irishdesign2015.ie

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