As part of a number of response measures, a €250 million Restart Grant was introduced to provide additional support for SME’s.
The grant was available to rateable businesses with a turnover of less than €5 million and employing 50 people or less which were closed or experienced a drop of 25% or more in turnover to help with costs associated with reopening and reemploying workers following COVID-19 closures. The grant was based on an enterprise’s commercial rates bill for 2019 with a minimum payment of €2,000 and a maximum payment of €10,000.
To further support enterprises as the economy reopens and resumes activity, further grant funding of €300m will be provided to businesses through an enhanced Restart Grant.
The maximum grant available will rise to €25,000 (up from €10,000) and the minimum payment will be €4,000 (up from €2,000). Firms that accessed the Restart Grant will be eligible to apply for a second top-up payment to a total combined value of the revised minimum and maximum grant levels. The criteria for accessing the scheme will include Enterprises that have:
- 250 employees or less;
- Turnover of less than €100,000 per employee; and
- Reduced turnover by 25% as a result of COVID-19
Under the revised Restart Grant, support will also be provided for enterprises that could not access the original grant scheme. Non-rated B&Bs and rateable sports businesses will be eligible for a grant payment of €4,000.
Applications for the enhanced grant will open in due course through the Local Authorities