FIVE Northern Ireland companies and three from the Border counties are to receive awards of up to £12,000 each from RADIUS, the science and technology programme of the International Fund for Ireland.

RADIUS Research and Development between Ireland and the United States supports joint venture arrangements between Irish and American companies involved in new product or process development.

Announcing the details of the awards, IFI chairman Mr William McCarter said three of the companies selected will go forward to a further selection process, where they will receive a grant of £150,000 to develop a new product or process.