From Business Idea to Viable Plan With the HPSU Feasibility Grant

Every founder hears some version of the same warning. A good idea is not the same thing as good business. The gap between the two is where most early stage companies lose money and momentum. It is exactly the gap the HPSU Feasibility Grant was built to close.

If you are building an export focused business in Ireland and want funding to test your idea properly before committing serious time and money to it, this grant is worth understanding.

What Is the HPSU Feasibility Grant?

The grant is an Enterprise Ireland support aimed at entrepreneurs. The grant supports new and early stage businesses that want to investigate the viability of an innovative, export-oriented business or proposition before committing further resources to development and expansion.

HPSU stands for High Potential Start Up. Enterprise Ireland uses the term for internationally focused startups developing innovative products or services with significant growth potential. 

Instead of writing business plan based on assumptions and hope, this grant funds a proper feasibility study. That study looks at whether real demand exists and whether the idea can be delivered at profit.

Who Can Apply for This Support?

Not every idea qualifies, and that is by design. Enterprise Ireland generally looks for:

• Most applicants are pre trade or only a few months into operation
• An innovative product or service with clear differentiation and potential to succeed in international markets
• Clear potential to sell into international markets rather than depending on domestic customers alone
• Founders or a team with relevant industry experience
• Realistic potential for significant growth, including the ability to create jobs and generate international sales. 
• If your idea ticks most of these boxes, it is worth exploring rather than assuming you will be turned down.

How Much Funding Can You Actually Get?

The HPSU Feasibility Study Grant can provide up to €30,000 towards eligible feasibility study costs, subject to Enterprise Ireland's eligibility and funding rules. That can cover market research, prototype testing, specialist consultancy, or the time of someone working directly on the feasibility study.

It will not fund your whole runway. It exists to lower the financial risk of finding out early whether an idea deserves further investment.

What a Solid Feasibility Study Should Cover?

A feasibility study is more than paperwork to satisfy a grant application. Done properly, it becomes the foundation your business plan is built on. At CAPIQAL, the studies we prepare for clients generally work through:

• Market analysis, covering demand, competitors and pricing
• Financial projections for realistic revenue, costs and return on investment
• An operational review of the resources, technology and logistics needed to deliver
• A risk assessment with practical ways to manage what could go wrong
• Clear recommendations on whether and how to move forward

This is the stage where a business idea either earns its place in a serious plan, or gets reshaped before real money is spent chasing it.

From Feasibility Study to Viable Business Plan

Once the feasibility study is finished, its value becomes obvious. You are no longer guessing. You have evidence for your market size, an honest view of your costs, and a clear sense of what could go wrong.

That evidence can give investors, lenders and grant assessors a clearer picture of the opportunity, risks and financial assumptions behind the business. 

We have supported founders across agritech, food, and technology sectors, including businesses such as IO Agri (Agricultural Equipment for Livestock Farming). We have supported businesses across sectors including agritech, food and technology, with services spanning feasibility studies, grant applications and drawdown management. 

Why Founders Work With CAPIQAL on Their HPSU Application?

Enterprise Ireland applications are competitive, and a rushed feasibility study rarely survives close scrutiny. CAPIQAL has spent years helping Irish, UK, and European businesses prepare feasibility studies, run eligibility assessments, and put together the kind of documentation that gives an application a genuine chance of approval.

They are not just form fillers. Their team assesses your idea honestly, points out where the gaps are, and helps you build a feasibility study that meets the standard Enterprise Ireland expects to see.

FAQs

• What does the HPSU Feasibility Grant actually pay for? 

It funds the cost of researching whether a business idea is viable, including market research, financial projections, and expert input, before you commit to building it out.

• Do I need to already be trading to apply? 

No. Most applicants are pre trade or only a few months into operation. The grant exists specifically to test ideas before they scale.

• Is this grant only for tech startups? 

No! Enterprise Ireland supports innovative, export focused businesses across sectors including food, agritech, manufacturing and services, not just software companies.

• How long does a feasibility study take to complete? 

It depends on how complex the idea is but properly researched study usually takes few weeks to a couple of months.