The Business Expansion grant is designed to assist the business in its growth phase after the initial 18 month start-up period.  

Business Expansion grants may be awarded to sole traders, partnerships or limited companies that fulfil the following criteria:

• Located and operating within the LEO geographic area
• A business, which, on growth, will have the capacity to progress to the Enterprise Ireland portfolio
• A business employing up to 10 employees
• A manufacturing or internationally traded service business 
• A domestically traded service business with the potential to trade internationally. 

The maximum Business Expansion Grant payable shall be 50% of the investment or €150,000 whichever is the lesser.

Expenditure may be considered under the following headings:

• Capital items
• Salary costs
• Consultancy/Innovation/Marketing costs
• General overhead costs

Grants over €80,000 and up to €150,000 shall be the exception and shall only apply in the case of projects that clearly demonstrate a potential to graduate to Enterprise Ireland and/or to export internationally. In all other cases, the maximum grant shall be 50% of the investment or €80,000 whichever is the lesser. Subject to the 50% limit, a maximum grant of €15,000 per full time job created shall apply in respect of any employment support granted.

All grants of a value greater than or equal to €50,000 or with a cumulative value of €100,000 over three years require Enterprise Ireland Approval

A business that had availed of a Priming Grant will be ineligible to apply for a Business Expansion grant until 12 months after approval/drawdown date of Priming Grant whichever is the later except in cases of exceptional merit and where less than the maximum Priming Grant was drawn down, and subject to the provisions in respect of 'De Minimus state aid'. 

Request Advice or Support with your Grant Application:

Do you need to speak to an advisor about your eligibility and suitability for grant funding? We have business advisors ready to assist you with any queries you may have about grant support.

Submit your request for support here.

Manufacturing/Internationally traded services employing more than 10 full-time employees

A new pilot is being introduced to provide financial support to companies employing more than 10 full time employees and less than 50 full time employees that have an international growth ambition who are not yet ready to transition into Enterprise Ireland.

To discuss eligibility and suitability for funding in this regard, please reach out to our team via here.

Before Submitting your Application:

Participation in our Financial Projections briefing is recommended to ensure a robust funding application.

An essential element of any business loan, grant aid or third-party investment application is your company's financial projections. We are hosting an interactive information briefing to simplify this process for you and to ensure that you are in the best possible position to acquire business funding. The one-hour workshop will feature speakers from Kildare Local Enterprise Office and an expert financial consultant.