Kildare

...Making It Happen

ALL COVID 19 BUSINESS SUPPORTS

IMMEDIATE COVID 19 SUPPORTS FOR KILDARE BUSINESSES 

Kildare County Council’s Local Enterprise Office Supports

 

Business Mentoring

Kildare Local Enterprise Office continue to offer complimentary mentoring in HR and Finance for all existing businesses in Co. Kildare REGARDLESS of Sector OR Size. This mentoring support will be delivered by a finance / HR / Health Safety consultant via Teams or ZOOM or Phone. Complete application form at http://bit.ly/LEOMentorKCC

 

 

Business Advice

For all early stage companies, the business advice service remains operational and all appointments will be dealt with via phone. Application form at https://www.localenterprise.ie/Kildare/Start-or-Grow-your-Business/Business-Advice-Mentoring/Business-Advice-Clinics/

 

Business Training to support Businesses through COVID

Kildare Local Enterprise Office runs a range of online interactive training programmes to support businesses through COVID 19. The courses are free to clients and are delivered online via ZOOM. Training schedule at https://www.localenterprise.ie/Kildare/Training-Events/Online-Bookings/

Trading Online Vouchers

The trading online voucher is an initiative which aims to support small Irish businesses to enhance their online trading presence. Vouchers to the value of €2,500 (90% of eligible costs up to the maximum of €2,500) are now available through Kildare Local Enterprise Office.

 

Clients must attend an information seminar in order to obtain an application form. You can book a place at https://www.localenterprise.ie/Kildare/Training-Events/Online-Bookings/

 

 

Feasibility Study Grant, the Business Priming Grant and the Business Expansion Grant - Eligible businesses (manufacturing or Internationally trading business under 10 employees) can also apply to Kildare Local Enterprise Office for financial assistance. More information at https://www.localenterprise.ie/Kildare/Financial-Supports/Types-of-Grants/

 

COVID 19 Business Loan from Microfinance Ireland

The COVID-19 Business Loan from Microfinance Ireland is a government initiative to support small businesses through the current period of uncertainty and protect job creation or sustainment in Ireland. Loans from €5,000 - €25,000 are available.

If you require help with applying, Kildare Local Enterprise Office will work with you on your application to expediate the process. More information can be found here: https://microfinanceireland.ie/loan-packages-2/covid19/

 

Shop county Kildare

Kildare County Council are launching Shop County Kildare - an online ecommerce platform providing Kildare businesses the opportunity to make the move to online sales in a free of charge, quick and user-friendly way. The aim of Shop County Kildare is to create hubs for local retailers and businesses to reopen their businesses to the local community.

How to register:

If you would like a presence on the website and an opportunity to market your product and services, please follow this link to register https://shopcountykildare.ie/. 

 

Restart Grant Plus

DEADLINE: The deadline for the Restart Grant Plus is the 30 September 2020.

The Restart Grant Plus scheme gives grants to businesses to help them reopen their premises and get back to work.

As of Friday 21st August, Kildare businesses will receive a further 20% top-up to the Restart Grant Plus, equivalent to a 40% uplift overall, bringing the new minimum grant to €5,600 and the maximum grant to €35,000.

 

 To qualify for the scheme, enterprises must have:

  • 250 employees or less;
  • Turnover of less than €100,000 per employee; and
  • Reduced turnover by 25% as a result of COVID-19

Those that accessed funding through the previous round of the scheme are eligible to apply for a second top-up payment to a total combined value of the revised maximum grant level.

Under the Restart Grant Plus scheme, support will also be provided for enterprises that could not access the original grant scheme, including rateable sports businesses and trading charity shops. Non-rated B&Bs will be eligible for a grant payment of €4,000.

An addition to RESTART the 20% TOP UP for Businesses In County Kildare

On August 14th, the Tainaiste allocated an extra 20% for Kildare due to the lockdown to assist business.

Businesses do not need to apply for this separately. The 20% top up will automatically be applied once Kildare County Council has received a restart application of any nature.

 

TO APPLY:

If you have received aRestart Grant already > you do not need to apply online again. Businesses who have already been approved for a Restart Grant will receive a Declaration email in the coming days for completion. No other action is required.

 

For first time applicants > Businesses who have not yet availed of the Restart Grant and are now eligible under the Restart Grant Plus Scheme should complete the online application form here: https://consult.kildarecoco.ie/en/content/restart-grant-plus-%E2%80%93-grant-reconnect-smes-their-employees-and-customers

 

 

You can find a full list Restart Grant Plus FAQs here: http://kildare.ie/CountyCouncil/Finance/RGPlusFAQsKildare.pdf

 

For all other queries you can email businessrestart@kildarecoco.ie.

 

 

COVID 19 Waiver of Commercial Rates

 A 100% waiver of business rates was applied for the 6-month period from 27th March 2020 to 27 September 2020.  This will be automatically applied to all occupied rateable properties except for a small number of categories.

Businesses DO NOT need to apply for this separately. This waiver will be applied by Kildare County Council automatically onto ratepayer’s accounts where the occupying business is not in the excluded category.

Full details on the Waiver Scheme and a list of excluded categories are available on the Kildare County Council website here: http://www.kildare.ie/CountyCouncil/Finance/CommercialRates/CommercialRatesWaiverScheme2020/

 

 

Shopfront Grant Scheme

Grants are available under this scheme up to a maximum of €5,000 to assist and support independent business owners to improve the appearance of shop fronts or commercial properties.

The fund will consider support for business on a case by case basis where funding is required for outdoor dining facilities subject to accordance with planning guidelines.

You can find an application here: https://www.localenterprise.ie/Kildare/SiteImages/Shop-Front-Improvment-Accessibility-and-Age-Friendly-Grant-Scheme-App-Form-2020.docx

Closing date: 31st October

Enterprise Ireland Supports

 

Online retailers over 10 employees specific scheme

The purpose of this fund is to enable Irish-owned retailers to enhance their digital capability and to develop a more competitive online offer, that will enable an increase in their customer base and build a more resilient business in the domestic and global marketplace both online and offline.

Successful applicants will be awarded funding to support a maximum of 80% of the project eligible costs with a maximum grant of €40,000.

Closing Date: Monday 28th September 2020 at 3pm

More information at https://www.enterprise-ireland.com/en/funding-supports/Online-Retail/Online-Retail-Scheme/

 

 

Sustaining Enterprise Fund for Small Enterprise

This fund will provide a €25k to €50k short term working capital injection to eligible companies to support business continuity and strengthen their ability to return to growth and be trading strongly in 3 years’ time.

The purpose of the fund is to sustain eligible manufacturing and internationally traded services companies by providing support to companies: who have been impacted by a 15% or more reduction in actual or projected turnover or profit; and require access to liquidity to sustain business continuity.

More information and how to apply at: https://globalambition.ie/supports/innovation-support/sustaining-enterprise-fund/

 

Business Financial Planning Grant

This grant is available to Enterprise Ireland Clients (businesses with greater than 10 employees and who are exporting). This provides 100% funding of up to €5,000 to enable companies access an approved financial consultant to drawn up a robust financial plan. More information here https://enterprise-ireland.com/en/funding-supports/Company/Esetablish-SME-Funding/Covid-19-Business-Financial-Planning-Grant.html

 

 

Department of Social Protection Supports

Enterprise Support Grant

The Enterprise Support Grant is available to assist eligible self-employed recipients who close their COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment on or after 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.

You can apply here: https://www.gov.ie/en/service/739f3-enterprise-support-grant-for-buisnesses-impacted-by-covid-19/#apply

 

COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment

The COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment is available to employees and the self-employed who have lost their job on or after 13 March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. New applications for this payment will not be accepted after 17 September 2020.For more information and to apply visit:  https://www.gov.ie/en/service/be74d3-covid-19-pandemic-unemployment-payment/?referrer=/pandemicsupport/

Fáilte Ireland Supports

 

COVID-19 Adaptation Fund

The COVID-19 Adaptation Fund has been designed to contribute to the costs incurred by tourism businesses in Kildare as they implement Fáilte Ireland’s Guidelines for Re-opening. The grants of between €500 and €15,000, are for either the structural adaptations required for fixed, visitor-facing premises, or to cover the costs of things such as Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) or sanitiser for those businesses which provide a visitor experience but do not have significant visitor-facing premises. 

 

Eligible businesses include:

  • Accommodation listed on Fáilte Ireland’s Statutory Accommodation Register 2020 or Non-Statutory Accommodation Listing 2020*
  • Pubs/ bars with a Publican’s Licence (opening under the Government’s Roadmap for Re-opening Society and Business)
  • Restaurants or cafés with a Wine Retailer’s On-Licence or a Special Restaurant Licence
  • Visitor attractions
  • Activity operators
  • Adventure centres
  • Cruise hire companies
  • Boat tour operators
  • Tourism equestrian centres
  • Tourism golf clubhouses
  • Tourism wellness centres

 

Eligible businesses can apply for adaptation grants from now until 8 October 2020. For further information and to apply to this scheme please visit www.failteireland.ie/covid-19-adaptation-fund You can also email customersupport@failteireland.ie for further assistance.

 

Wage subsidy & Taxation - Supports through Revenue Commission

Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS)

The Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS) will replace the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS) from 1 September 2020. The EWSS is an economy-wide enterprise support that focuses primarily on business eligibility. The scheme provides a flat-rate subsidy to qualifying employers based on the numbers of eligible employees on the employer’s payroll. For more information visit https://www.revenue.ie/en/corporate/communications/stimulus/employment-wage-subsidy-scheme.aspx

Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS)

The TWSS scheme enables employees, whose employers are affected by the pandemic, to receive significant supports directly from their employer through the payroll system. It is available to employers from all sectors (excluding the public service and non-commercial semi-state sector) whose business activities are being adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

This scheme will be replaced by the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme from 1 September 2020. For more information visit https://www.revenue.ie/en/corporate/communications/twss/index.aspx

Find more supports available through the Revenue Commission at https://www.revenue.ie/en/corporate/communications/twss/index.aspx

 

Further Support

The Kildare County Council’s Local Enterprise Office is ready to support you to ensure your business is in the strongest possible position in the face of these Covid19 challenges.  

 

Experts are available to assist with all your queries at 045 980838 or via email at localenterprise@kildarecoco.ie You can sign up to the newsletter at https://bit.ly/SignmeupKildare

 

 

 

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