InterTrade Ireland has announced a €1.2 million funding programme aimed at small and medium-sized enterprises that want to target the cross-Border market.

Individual companies can receive up to €18,000 under the sales and marketing programme known as Acumen.

Support options include assistance towards employing a full-time or part-time sales person, hiring a graduate for a 12-month sales and marketing project or funding for a market research project.

In 2011 each participating company benefited from an average of €280,000 worth of additional sales, according to the agency.

To qualify for the programme companies should be a local manufacturing or tradable service company with fewer than 250 employees and an annual turnover below €40.8 million.