Factsheet for measure
IE-2020-21/940
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Updated
– measures in Ireland
Grant for restarting small businesses introduced
COVID-19 Restart Grant
Background information
The Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation launched a restart grant for small businesses.
The €250 million Restart Grant provides direct grant aid to micro and small businesses to help with the costs associated with reopening and reemploying workers following COVID-19 closures.
The grant is the equivalent to the rates bill of the business in 2019, with a minimum payment of €2,000 and a maximum payment of €10,000.
Scheme applies to small businesses with a turnover of under €5 million and employing 50 people or less.
The business must have suffered a projected 25%+ loss in revenue from 1st April 2020 to 30th June 2020.
Companies apply through their local authority.
Content of measure
Support Available
The €250 million Restart Grant provides direct grant aid to micro and small businesses to help with the costs associated with reopening and reemploying workers following COVID-19 closures.
The grant is the equivalent to the rates bill of the business in 2019, with a minimum payment of €2,000 and a maximum payment of €10,000.
Eligibility Criteria
Any business (subject to qualifying criteria) that has a commercially rateable premises, or where rates are paid on behalf and attributable to the business premises.
Scheme applies to small businesses with a turnover of under €5m and employing 50 people or less.
Non-Eligible Business
Multiple chain stores, i.e. a business that is a non-financially independent branch of a group of chain stores which is owned and managed by a single entity.
Non-commercial organisations such as community and sporting premises (including charity shops and community and sporting premises with a bar).
Businesses that do not operate from rateable premises (tradesmen, service providers, etc).
Premises that were vacant prior to the Covid-19 emergency.
Qualifying Criteria for Grant
A business must have a turnover of less than €5 million and have 50 or less employees.
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The business must have suffered a projected 25%+ loss in revenue to 30 June 2020.
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The business must commit to remain open or to reopen if it was closed.
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The business must also declare the intention to retain employees that are benefiting from the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS).
Updates
The following updates to this measure have been made after it came into effect.
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12 November 2020
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As tightened restrictions were introduced from October 2020 the Government announced a 30% top up to the Restart Grant for businesses impacted by the level 3 and tighter restrictions.
This brought the new minimum to €5,200 and the new maximum to €32,500. Those that applied and received a grant previously, can receive the top up of 30%.
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Use of measure
According to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment:
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For the first call for the grant 56,892 applications were received. Of these, 48,704 were approved with a total value of €188.81 million.
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For the ‘Restart Grant Plus’, as of 5 March 2021, 63,599 applications were approved with a total value of €445.24 million.
According to the COVID-19 and Brexit Business Supports Tracker 2021, the value of approvals as of 18 of June 2021 was €195.25 million.
Target groups
Actors and funding
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Actors
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Funding
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National government
Local / regional government
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Local funds
National funds
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Social partners
Social partners' role in
designing the measure
and form of involvement:
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Trade unions
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Employers' organisations
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Role
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No involvement
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No involvement
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Form
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Not applicable
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Not applicable
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Social partners' role in the
implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:
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No involvement
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Main level of involvement: N/A
Involvement
No involvement.
Views and reactions
Employers organisation Ibec has called on the Government to significantly improve the Restart Grant: increase the fund to over €1 billion, including a flat rate payment of €15,000 per company to match the German and UK schemes and remove the link to the rates system which disqualifies many smaller operators.
Sources
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15 May 2020: Government approves details of Restart Grant for small businesses
(merrionstreet.ie)
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22 June 2020: COVID-19 Restart Grant from your Local Authority
(dbei.gov.ie)
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23 June 2020: Ibec CEO Update: Sustaining distressed SMEs
(www.ibec.ie)
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07 July 2020: Government supports for COVID-19 impacted businesses
(dbei.gov.ie)
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18 September 2020: Government here for impacted Dublin business
(www.gov.ie)
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20 October 2020: All remaining counties to join Donegal and Dublin on Level 3 under Ireland’s Plan for Living with COVID-19
(www.gov.ie)
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31 December 2020: COVID-19 and Brexit Business Supports Tracker
(enterprise.gov.ie)
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05 March 2021: COVID-19 and Brexit Business Supports Tracker
(enterprise.gov.ie)
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24 September 2021: COVID-19 and Brexit Business Supports Tracker 2021
(enterprise.gov.ie)
