Supports Ireland Dec 21

Financial supports

In response to Brexit, a number of financial supports have been introduced to help address the challenges that it presents for Irish business. These include:

• The SBCI Brexit Impact Loan Scheme makes available up to €330m in lending to eligible Brexit-impacted SMEs and small mid-caps. This scheme is a successor to the Brexit Loan Scheme, with the important distinctions that loans are now for up to six years (rather than three) and primary producers (farmers and fishers) may now apply lending under the scheme. Loans range from €25,000 to €1.5m and loans of up to €500,000 are available unsecured.
• The Microfinance Ireland Brexit Business Loan provides up to €25,000 to businesses whose turnover has fallen (or is likely to fall) by 15% or more, or where a business has a short-term cashflow need as a result of Brexit. Loans range from six months to three years.
• Enterprise Ireland provides a range of financial offers to assist companies it supports to adapt to the relationship with the UK. These include the Post-Brexit Advisory Support , which provides companies with the consultancy advice necessary to plan for the opportunities and mitigate the risks associated with Brexit and the Evolve Strategic Planning Grant , which offers up to €5,000 to assist exporting companies to develop a comprehensive strategic approach to the new trading environment with the UK. The Market Discovery Fund is also available to explore market diversification.

Other Enterprise Ireland supports also include the Strategic Consultancy Grant, and the Agile and Operational Excellence offer.

• The Local Enterprise Office Network (LEOs) offers support in accessing a number of financial supports for businesses to prepare for Brexit, including Technical Assistance for Micro-Exporters Grants, and Trading On-line Vouchers .
• InterTradeIreland’s Brexit Voucher offers 100% financial support up to £2000/€2250 (inclusive of VAT) towards professional advice in relation to Brexit matters. This support can help your business get advice on specific issues such as movement of labour, goods, services and currency management.
• In addition the Government welcomes the European Commission’s proposal to allocate just over €1 billion from the Brexit Adjustment Reserve to Ireland and will continue to work to ensure this support is made available to the sectors worst-hit by the impacts of Brexit.

Upskilling supports

Customs and supply chain

• A second phase of Skillnet Ireland’s free customs training, Clear Customs Online 2020 , is open for applications, to support the customs intermediary sector and businesses that trade frequently with, or through, Great Britain. The course covers a range of customs and SPS requirements, and is delivered primarily through an online platform, reducing disruption for businesses.
• Enterprise Ireland online Customs Insights Module helps businesses understand the key customs concepts, documentation and processes required to succeed when trading with the UK (Excluding Northern Ireland).
• The course (circa 50mins) will give participants a firm understanding of customs, the implications for their business and the options from Revenue that are available to make the customs process more efficient.
• The Local Enterprise Offices run one-day Prepare for Customs workshops throughout the country, which aim to provide businesses with a better understanding of the potential impacts, formalities and procedures when trading with Great Britain. Click here to register for workshops.
• The Post-Brexit Advisory Support helps businesses to create a comprehensive action plan and identify the opportunities and risks that the new trading environment in the UK may pose to your business.
• Bord Bia offers training in customs and tariffs, supply chain management, and Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) requirements tailored for the needs of the food and drink sector. Bord Bia’s supply chain strategy guide and the logistics service provider directory aim to support businesses to identify operations partners, establish more efficient distribution channels or routes and identify possible strategies for managing Brexit.
• InterTradeIreland has created free bitesize supply chain supports to help businesses identify where their key opportunities and risks are, and what actions they can take to protect their supply chains.

Other training supports

Businesses can also avail of existing training supports through:

• Their local Regional Skills Forum which helps employers to connect with the range of services and supports available across the education and training system. Contact your Regional Skills Fora manager to explore your options.
• The Skillnet Ireland Network which works with businesses across a range of sectors to meet existing and emerging skills needs.
• Springboard + which offers free/subsidised higher level courses in a range of areas such as business development and logistics/supply chain management.
• Participation in the Logistics or Retail sector apprenticeship programmes. For further information visit the Apprenticeship Council.
• Enterprise Ireland’s GradStart programme which supports client companies in the recruitment of highly skilled graduates to develop and grow their business for two years. Where a company has a clear requirement for a graduate with language proficiency, 70% of individual graduate salary costs are covered.

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