EU Grants Ireland

EU grants can materially improve project economics but they also introduce financial, operational and governance risk if handled poorly. For CFOs, the key is to understand these risks upfront and manage them deliberately, not discover them during an audit or cash squeeze.

State aid and double funding: Overlaps between EU grants, national grants and R&D tax credits can breach aid ceilings if the same cost base is supported twice.

Cash flow timing and working capital: Most EU grants pay in arrears and payment cycles can run months behind actual spend. Evaluation delays, contract amendments or extended audits all slow cash in.

Consortium and delivery risk: EU projects often rely on multi country consortia. Partner underperformance, withdrawal or disputes can undermine delivery, claims and impact.

Compliance and audit exposure: Time recording, procurement and IP documentation are frequent points of failure. Costs that look eligible at budget stage may be disallowed if supporting evidence is weak or inconsistent with R&D tax positions. Misalignment between grant records and tax claims can create questions in both regimes.

Opportunity cost and resource strain: High effort, low probability bids can tie up senior technical and finance staff for limited return, especially if applications are pursued opportunistically rather than through a planned portfolio.

Produced by FI Group’s international incentives team, the guide brings together the insight of specialists working day to day with R&D tax incentives, innovation grants and IP boxes in multiple jurisdictions. It is written for senior finance and tax leaders who need a clear view of effective benefit rates, compliance risk and interactions with local accounting and Pillar Two.

Inside the guide you will find:

• Concise country profiles covering the main R&D tax incentives in each jurisdiction.
• Comparable data on incentive types, typical benefit levels and qualifying activities.
• Commentary on how R&D tax reliefs interact with grants, innovation loans and IP regimes.
• Red flag areas for CFOs, including audit trends, documentation expectations and common errors.
• Practical tips on coordinating incentives across subsidiaries to avoid double counting and missed value.

Use the International R&D Tax Incentives Guide as the starting point for your global incentives strategy.