The Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment (DETE) has announced a €3.68 billion capital allocation under the National Development Plan (NDP) to fund enterprise, innovation, and tourism initiatives through 2030. This includes an additional €400 million in funding and is aimed at enhancing the competitiveness and productivity of Irish businesses across all regions, supporting start-ups and scale-ups, and attracting inward investment.
The funding will allow for direct investments in Irish companies, helping to strengthen the indigenous enterprise base amid potential global economic uncertainties. It includes the creation of new investment funds to address existing financing gaps for Irish businesses, alongside support for a national start-up accelerator, the development of regional enterprise centres and incubators, and Ireland’s global positioning as a hub for entrepreneurs and start-ups.
Key investments will also include funding for the acquisition of two land banks to create Next Generation Sites. These sites are designed to attract large-scale foreign direct investment and enhance Ireland’s competitiveness on the global stage. Continued support for inward investment remains a core pillar of the department’s strategy.
In the tourism sector, the funding will boost product development, provide SME support, and target new high-growth tourism markets through enhanced overseas marketing. It also supports the delivery of new Regional Enterprise Plans, aimed at driving economic development across different parts of the country.
This NDP funding builds on the department’s 2025 capital base of €3.28 billion and will be further supplemented by revenue generated by DETE’s agencies. It positions the department to make strategic investments in enterprise scaling, R&D initiatives aligned with EU objectives, and the creation of a robust national innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem. Further programme specifics will be detailed in the upcoming Competitiveness and Productivity Action Plan, set for release in September.
