Restart Grant Rebates Rates Payment

Increased funding and wider applicability are among the changes announced for Restart Grant Plus, which is open for applications until September 30. The revamped scheme will provide eligible SMEs with grants of between €4,000 and €25,000 to reopen and adapt to the Covid-19 environment.

The revised scheme saw grant thresholds rise from a previous range of €2,000 to €10,000. Additionally, companies with up to 250 employees can now apply (previously, the grant was for companies with fewer than 50 employees).

Non-rateable B&Bs, sports clubs with commercial activities and trading charity shops are also now eligible for grant funding. Businesses that received a grant under the first scheme can re-apply to local authorities to receive additional funding.

To qualify for a grant, the important criteria are:

A business must be commercial and in the local authority rates system (apart from non-rateable B&Bs, who can apply to Fáilte Ireland).

It must have suffered a 25% loss of expected turnover between 1 April and 30 June 2020.

It must have fewer than 250 employees and have a turnover of less than €25m.

It must declare its intention to re-employ staff in receipt of the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme.

Grants will be based on the amount of the rates assessment for the premises for 2019. The new scheme also sees the upper turnover limit for eligible businesses extended from €5m to €25m. There is a cap of €100,000 turnover per employee. For details on eligibility, see dbei.gov.ie