COVID-19 Micro-Enterprise Assistance

• Apply online at www.micro-enterpriseassistance.ie  

  Closing date for applications, Friday Oct 9th at 5pm

• Objective of the Fund

• The grant is a contribution towards the cost of re-opening or keeping a business operational and re-connecting with employees and customers.

  Funding

  Grants of a minimum of €500 to a maximum €1,000 in respect of vouched expenditure. This is a restricted scheme with only one grant available per business.

  Eligibility Criteria

  This fund is open to operating businesses who:

  • Have suffered a 30% reduction in turnover due to COVID-19 restrictions or downturn in trade provided they commit to remaining open and to hiring and sustaining employment;
  • Employed between 2 and 10 full-time employees (or full-time equivalents) on their payroll at the 29th February 2020;
  • Have an annual turnover of less than €2 million as per the latest set of annual accounts;
  • Have a commercial focus excluding:
    • Businesses in the primary agricultural, fishery or aquaculture, coal and steel sectors;
    • Or involved in activities that the Local Enterprise Offices consider as ineligible or as involving an unacceptable reputational risk: gambling including ‘gaming’ (as defined in the Gaming and Lotteries Act 1956), adult entertainment, tobacco products and cannabis-based products which are not authorised as medicines);
    • Non-commercial organisations such as community, charity, arts and sporting (including charity shops and community and sporting premises with a bar).
  • Are not eligible for the COVID-19 Restart/Restart Plus Grant or similar COVID-19 business restart grants from other government departments.

  Eligible Expenditure

• • Adaptation and reconfiguration costs of buildings and room layouts to allow for physical distancing and safe working. Examples of eligible items include internal and external signage, queuing system materials, screens and barriers, sanitiser stations, sinks, waste disposal areas;
  • COVID-19 related consumables such as personal protective equipment, sterilisation equipment, additional cleaning equipment, waste disposal equipment, paper towel dispensers;
  • The grant will be based on the amount of vouched expenditure from the 14^th September 2020 to the 30^th October 2020;
  • As a condition of the funding for either of these strands, grantees are required to retain evidence of eligible expenditure in the form of invoices/receipts for 7 years to facilitate spot-checks and sample audits, and for State aid purposes.

  Terms and Conditions

  • Applications must be submitted via www.micro-enterpriseassistance.ie. Applications in any other format will not be accepted.
  • All sections of the application form must be completed in full.  Incomplete applications will not be accepted for processing by the Local Enterprise Offices.
  • Your application will be acknowledged by the Local Enterprise Office
  • The closing time for receipt of completed applications is 5pm on the 9^th October 2020 or whenever the €2million fund is exhausted, whichever is earlier.
  • Prospective applicants should note that the details of awards made under this scheme may be publicised subject to certain criteria.
  • This application and other relevant materials may be amended and updated at the discretion of the Local Enterprise Office
  • Ineligible applicants will be informed following receipt of applications.
  • If your application is approved, you can draw down your funding after you submit evidence of the expenditure detailed in your letter of offer. Any funding approved must be claimed before 5pm on the 30^th October 2020.
  • To claim any grant approved, you must submit the following:
    • a signed acceptance of offer
    • original invoices
    • evidence of payment
    • evidence of tax compliance
    • any other documents as set out in the letter of offer
    • please note that you cannot use your grant to pay for any expenditure incurred before 14^th September 2020.
  • The Local Authority will treat any false or misleading statements as a serious matter, which may be used in legal proceedings against the maker of any such statement or any applicant business of which they are an officer.