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Government supports for COVID-19 impacted businesses – Starting a business in Ireland

Hi Guys,

We hope you are all staying well mentally & physically in these trying times.. Business is tough at the best of times but in our 15 years running Startups.ie we have never witnessed a more challenging time for Startups and small businesses. Below is a list of government supports available (Source: dbei.gov.ie) if you have not reached out for support yet maybe now is the time..this is about survival!

Covid19 is a cruel force with some businesses gaining unexpectedly while others are being devastated and forced to close. Many businesses have had to pivot online which may be beneficial in the long run but it takes time to master the online world and competition is rife there also.

At Startups.ie we are here to help if we can so get in touch on info@startups.ie – we are also looking forward to celebrating the 2020 National Startup Awards – one of the best nights in the Irish Startup calendar – this year’s event will be virtual for obvious reasons.

The Startup Awards are a great way to profile your business and to get direct access to our sponsors and the supports they offer so enter now on www.Startupawards.ie

Entry is free and the closing date is November 13th.. best of luck with everything and stay safe.

Stephen

Founder – www.Startups.ie

There is a wide range of supports available to help businesses impacted by the COVID-19 crisis.

Register for the COVID Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS)

The COVID Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS) offers support to businesses forced to close or trade at significantly reduced levels as a result of restrictions imposed on them in response to COVID-19. A weekly payment of up to €5,000 is available to eligible businesses.

Financial supports, training and guidance to help your business mitigate the impact of COVID-19 and return to work safely:

Financial Supports

Income supports

The COVID-19 Income Support Scheme provides financial support to Irish workers and businesses affected by the crisis.

Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme: The new Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS), provides a flat-rate subsidy to qualifying employers based on the numbers of eligible employees on the employer’s payroll. The EWSS, operated by Revenue, has replaced the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme and will run until 31 March 2021.
COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment: The Pandemic Unemployment Payment is available to all employees and the self-employed who have lost their job due to the COVID-19 pandemic.MyWelfare.ie is the quickest and easiest way to apply for payments.
On MyWelfare.ie all customers can
- apply for the COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment
- apply for Enhanced Illness Benefit for COVID-19 including for self-isolation cases
- apply for a jobseeker’s payment
- request to close their COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment.
Short-time Work Support: Employees of businesses that need to reduce hours or days worked can avail of the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection Short-time Work Support.

Loans, grants, vouchers and schemes

COVID-19 Credit Guarantee Scheme: The COVID-19 Credit Guarantee Scheme facilitates up to €2 billion in lending to eligible businesses. Loans under the Scheme range from €10,000 to €1 million, for terms of up to five and a half years. Financing will be offered through a range of products, including term loans, working capital loans and overdrafts. Loans of up to €250,000 under the Scheme are available unsecured (except where this is a requirement of the product feature, as in the case of asset finance, invoice discount facilities, etc). The Scheme is operated by the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland (SBCI) through participating finance providers.
- COVID-19 Credit Guarantee Scheme FAQs
COVID-19 Business Loans: COVID-19 Business Loans up to €25,000 are available through Microfinance Ireland with zero repayments and zero interest for the first 6 months and the equivalent of an additional 6 months interest-free subject to certain terms and conditions. The loans can range from €5,000 to €25,000. Repayments will commence in month 7 for the remaining period of your loan. The Government will rebate to you the interest paid in the following 6 months (months 7-12 of your loan). The interest rate after the first 6 months will be a reduced interest rate 4.5% APR if submitted through the Local Enterprise Office Network (or other referral partners) or 5.5% APR if you apply directly to Microfinance Ireland. The loan terms are typically up to 3 years and there are no fees or charges.
- Microfinance Ireland COVID-19 Business Loan FAQs
COVID-19 Working Capital Scheme: The SBCI COVID-19 Working Capital Scheme for eligible businesses supports loans from €25,000 up to €1.5 million (first €500,000 unsecured) with a maximum interest rate of 4%. Applications can be made through the SBCI website at sbci.gov.ie. Eligibility criteria apply.
- SBCI COVID-19 Working Capital Scheme FAQs
Future Growth Loan Scheme: The enhanced Future Growth Loan Scheme makes up to €800m of loans available for terms of 7-10 years. This scheme is available to eligible businesses in Ireland, including those in the primary agriculture (farmers) and seafood sectors, to support strategic long-term investment.
Sustaining Enterprise Fund: The Sustaining Enterprise Fund of up to €180 million is specifically aimed at firms operating in the manufacturing and internationally traded services sectors, with 10 or more employees, that are vulnerable but viable. The fund is operated by Enterprise Ireland with amounts between €100,000 and €800,000 available to eligible companies who have been negatively impacted by COVID-19. The fund includes a 50% non-repayable grant element, up to a limit of €200,000.
Sustaining Enterprise Fund for Small Enterprise: As part of the Sustaining Enterprise Fund, Enterprise Ireland operates a specific Sustaining Enterprise Fund for Small Enterprise. This fund provides a short term working capital injection of up to €50,000 to eligible smaller companies to support business continuity and strengthen their ability to return to growth.
Pandemic Stabilisation and Recovery Fund: The Ireland Strategic Investment Fund will focus on investment in medium and large scale enterprises in Ireland through a Pandemic Stabilisation and Recovery Fund. The fund, worth up to €2 billion, will make capital available to medium and large enterprises on commercial terms.
General grant supports: The full range of Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, Local Enterprise Office and Údarás na Gaeltachta grant supports continue to be available to eligible firms to help with strategies to access finance, commence or ramp-up online trading activity, reconfigure business models, cut costs, innovate, diversify markets and supply chains and to improve competitiveness.
COVID Restrictions Support Scheme: The COVID Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS) offers support to businesses forced to close or trade at significantly reduced levels as a result of restrictions imposed on them in response to COVID-19. The relief will operate as a cash payment equal to 10% of the average weekly value of the 2019 business’s turnover up to €20,000 and 5% thereafter, subject to a maximum weekly payment of €5,000, for the same number of weeks as the restricted period. Eligible businesses can register for CRSS through Revenue.
Enterprise Support Grant: The Enterprise Support Grant for businesses impacted by COVID-19 is available for eligible self-employed people who close their COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment on or 18 May 2020. This will provide business owners with a once-off grant of up to €1,000 to restart their business which was closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Micro-Enterprise Assistance Fund: The new Micro-Enterprise Assistance Fund will help businesses with fewer than 10 employees, which are ineligible for existing grants, with a grant of up to €1,000 to help them adapt and invest to rebuild their business. The fund is administered by the Local Enterprise Offices.
Trading Online Voucher: The Local Enterprise Office Trading Online Voucher is a government grant scheme, designed to assist small businesses with up to 10 employees. It offers financial assistance of up to €2,500 along with training and advice to help your business trade online. Businesses that have already received a Trading Online Voucher can apply for a second voucher, where upgrades are required.
LEAN for Micro: LEAN for Micro is available to Local Enterprise Office clients to help build resilience within small companies. Businesses can avail of consultancy support with a LEAN Expert or help to implement new remote working and physical distancing guidelines. Contact your Local Enterprise Office for further details.
COVID-19 Business Financial Planning Grant: The COVID-19 Business Financial Planning Grant, worth up to €5,000, is designed to help companies to develop a robust financial plan, including the preparation of documentation required to support applications for external finance from banks and/or other finance providers. The grant is a new support for Enterprise Ireland clients and those manufacturing or internationally traded services companies that employ 10 or more full time employees.
Lean Business Continuity Voucher: The Lean Business Continuity Voucher is available to eligible companies to access up to €2,500 in training or advisory services support related to the continued operation of their businesses during the current pandemic. It is open to small, medium or large client companies of Enterprise Ireland or Údarás na Gaeltachta (including High Potential Start-ups). The voucher may be used to obtain services from approved providers.
Cross-border companies: InterTradeIreland’s Emergency Business Solutions offers professional advice, to the value of €2,250, to address key business challenges related to COVID-19. The E-Merge programme provides €2,800 consultancy support to help cross-border businesses develop online sales and eCommerce solutions.
COVID Products Scheme: The COVID Products Scheme will allow for up to €200m in targeted State support to facilitate the research and development of COVID products, to enable the construction or upgrading of testing and upscaling infrastructures that contribute to the development COVID-19 relevant products, as well as to support the production of products needed to respond to the outbreak. The scheme will be delivered through IDA Ireland’s COVID-19 supports and Enterprise Ireland’s COVID-19 Business Response.
Apprenticeship Incentivisation Scheme: The Apprenticeship Incentivisation Scheme, delivered by SOLAS, provides financial support for apprenticeship employers who take on apprentices on national apprenticeship programmes. Apprenticeship employers are eligible for a €3,000 payment for each new apprentice.
Irish Business Design Challenge: The Irish Business Design Challenge is a competition with a prize fund of €50,000, inviting micro, small and medium Irish businesses to share the challenges they are experiencing as a result of COVID-19 and the solutions they have designed to resolve them.
Code of Conduct for commercial rents: A voluntary Code of Conduct between landlords and tenants for commercial rents has been developed based on examples from other jurisdictions and with input from other Departments, State agencies and key stakeholders. The aim of the Code is to facilitate discussions between landlords and tenants impacted by COVID-19.

Rates waiver and tax measures

Commercial rates waiver: With limited exceptions, all businesses will be granted a waiver to 31 December 2020. Updates will be available on housing.gov.ie and from local authorities.
‘Warehousing’ of deferred tax debts: The scheme, administered by Revenue, will ‘warehouse’ VAT and PAYE (Employer) debts associated with the COVID-19 crisis.
Reduction in the standard rate of VAT: A six-month reduction in the standard rate of Value-Added Tax (VAT) from 23% to 21% will apply, effective from 1 September 2020.
VAT rate reduction from 13.5% to 9%: A VAT rate reduction from 13.5% to 9% applies from 1 November 2020 in recognition of the unprecedented challenges facing the hospitality and tourism sector.
Advice for taxpayers and agents: Revenue’s COVID-19 information and advice for taxpayers and agents provides information on Revenue services and tax and customs measures in place during the COVID-19 pandemic including information on tax returns and interest suspension arrangements.

Sector-specific supports and guidance

Food, drink and horticulture sector: Bord Bia’s ‘Navigating Change’ COVID-19 Response programme offers a suite of supports for food, drink and horticulture businesses affected by COVID-19.
Seafood sector: Bord Iascaigh Mhara is providing COVID-19 business support to the seafood sector.
Farm businesses: Teagasc is available to provide support on issues facing farm businesses in light of COVID-19.
Tourism sector: The Fáilte Ireland COVID-19 Business Support Hub is targeting its supports to respond to the challenges tourism businesses are now facing. Their supports include specific reopening guidelines for every sector and a €26m COVID-19 Adaptation Fund to support tourism and hospitality businesses who have incurred related adaptation costs.
Culture sector: The Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht has provided guidance on the latest COVID-19 protocols for the cultural sector. New supports to aid employment in the creative industries include the Live Performance Support Scheme and the Music Stimulus Package.
Design sector: The Design & Craft Council Ireland delivers a range of support and development programmes, including webinars and FAQs in response to COVID-19. The new Irish Business Design Challenge is a competition with a prize fund of €50,000, inviting micro, small and medium Irish businesses to share the challenges they are experiencing as a result of COVID-19 and the solutions they have designed to resolve them.
Childcare providers: The Department of Children and Youth Affairs funding package of €75 million for reopening early learning and childcare services helps with additional costs associated with reopening after COVID-19.
Supply chain workers: The Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport and the Department of Health have prepared COVID-19 guidance for supply chain workers.
Restaurants to operate as takeaways: Amendments to Planning and Development Regulations temporarily allow restaurants to operate as takeaways without being required to obtain change of use planning permission.
Standards for medical supplies made freely available: NSAI and SAI Global have developed the COVID-19 Response Package which provides free access to Standards for medical devices and PPE.
Guidance on the manufacture and distribution of medical devices, PPE and barrier masks:
- Placing PPE on the EU market–new conformity procedures (HSA): COVID–19 Conformity Assessment and Market Surveillance procedures for PPE
- Manufacturing and importing PPE and medical devices (NSAI): Guidance on manufacturing and importing PPE and Medical Devices to ensure compliance
- Guidance on barrier masks (CCPC): Guidance for business on producing or distributing barrier masks
- Specification on barrier masks (NSAI): SWiFT 19:2020 barrier masks for consumers – Requirements
Online COVID-19 platform to help firms collaborate: Companies aiming to help healthcare responses to the COVID-19 crisis can collaborate via a new online COVID-19 platform.

Skills and training supports

The government offers a range of initiatives for reskilling and upskilling to help businesses through the COVID-19 pandemic. The skills supports include Enterprise Ireland’s eiLearn online learning resource, LEOs training webinars, the Skillnet Ireland and Regional Skills Fora networks, the SOLAS Skills to Advance initiative and Springboard+ courses.

For details on the range of skills supports visit COVID-19: Skills and training supports for businesses.

Return to Work Safely Protocol

The Return to Work Safely Protocol is designed to support employers and workers to put measures in place that will prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace.

Online courses

The HSA Return to Work Safely online courses includes a course to help understand the Return to Work Safely Protocol requirements and a course for those appointed Lead Worker Representative.

Templates and checklists

The HSA COVID-19 templates and checklists – based on the Return to Work Safely Protocol – have been prepared to inform employers, business owners, managers and workers about what they need to do to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace.

Data Protection

The Data Protection – Return to Work Safely Protocol guidance document has been prepared to assist in providing clarification where the measures set out in the Return to Work Safely Protocol may result in the processing of personal data.

Business continuity

Business Continuity Planning COVID-19 Checklist: The DBEI checklist on Business Continuity Planning provides a checklist for businesses in responding to COVID-19.
Workplace Protection and Improvement: The NSAI COVID-19 Workplace Protection and Improvement Guide consolidates the practical guidance available on how to manage business continuity during the COVID-19 pandemic, in relation to workers and the public.
Retail Protection and Improvement: The NSAI COVID-19 Retail Protection and Improvement Guide consolidates the practical guidance available on how to manage business continuity of the retail sector during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Shopping Centre Recovery and Protection: The NSAI COVID-19 Shopping Centre Recovery and Protection Guide provides guidance for shopping centres restoring business operations following a disruption or closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Tourism businesses guidelines for reopening: Fáilte Ireland has published sector specific operational guidelines for the tourism industry to ensure the safe reopening of tourism businesses.
ReBound – Back to Business. Safely: The Skillnet Ireland ReBound initiative offers guidance to SME owners and managers on implementing the Return to Work Safely Protocol.
Working remotely: Guidance on working remotely during COVID-19 for employers and employees seeking to engage with remote working solutions.
HSA advice for employers and employees: Advice for employers and employees and FAQs for employers and employees on home-working

Posters and graphics

The Department of Health has issued a range of COVID-19 posters and graphics including face covering posters and safe guidelines for work, home, public transport, outdoors and shopping.

Posters, leaflets and other resources for use in workplaces and communities are also available on the HSE website at COVID-19 posters and resources and the HSA website at hsa.ie/covid19.

Download our guide to business supports

The Supports for businesses impacted by COVID-19 booklet details the key supports and resources available to help businesses.

Contact our Business Support Call Centre

Contact the DBEI Business Support Call Centre for information on the government supports available to businesses and enterprises affected by COVID-19.

Tel: +353 1 631 2002

Email: infobusinesssupport@dbei.gov.ie

Occupational Health and Safety Helpline

For information on workplace health and safety please contact the Occupational Health and Safety Helpline.

Tel: 1890 289 389 or (01) 614 7000

Email: wcu@hsa.ie

COVID-19 related prevention and recovery measures in the workplace

For support in relation to improving your COVID-19 related prevention and recovery measures in the workplace, contact the NSAI COVID-19 helpline.

Tel: +353 1 807 3800

Email: COVID-19-support@nsai.ie

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Government supports for COVID-19 impacted businesses – Starting a business in Ireland

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