Publication
Government Brexit Advisory, Financial and Upskilling Supports
From Department of the Taoiseach
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of the Taoiseach
Published on
Last updated on
As of 1 January 2021, the UK is now outside the Single Market and Customs Union. This means that any business that moves goods from, to or through Great Britain are now subject to a range of customs formalities, SPS checks and other regulatory requirements. Businesses, no matter how small, must take steps to understand the impacts these new rules or processes will have on operations, and to make sure they are ready for them.
Separately, the Protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland applies from 1 January 2021 ensuring that many of the changes arising in our trade with Great Britain do not apply to trade with Northern Ireland.
The Government recognises that the current business environment is extremely difficult. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly changed the economic context in which Brexit has taken place, along with the capacity of Irish business to prepare. That’s why Government, working with industry bodies and business groups, have made available a range of business supports, including financial, upskilling, and advisory supports to support businesses, and help them adapt to the changes Brexit brings.
An overview of the range of Brexit supports available and where you can find further details is below.
As a first key step, there are a number of tools that businesses can use to self-assess their Brexit readiness and identify what areas of their businesses might be most impacted or need the most attention.
For companies in any sector: Check out the Brexit Preparedness Checklist Brexit Preparedness Checklist which outlines the essential actions to take to ensure you are ready to trade with the UK.
For those in food, drink or horticulture: Use the Bord Bia Brexit Action Plan.
For those in tourism: Use Fáilte Ireland’s Brexit Supports Page.
There is a broad range of programmes and advisory supports in place depending on your specific business needs.
For all businesses: InterTradeIreland provides funding support and advice to cross-border traders via their dedicated Brexit advisory service .
For small and micro businesses: The Local Enterprise Office network is running a nationwide Brexit Mentor Programme to support business owners and managers.
For those who export: Enterprise Ireland ran a series of Brexit Advisory Clinics nationwide which provided information and practical support. The key takeout's from the series can be found here. Enterprise Ireland also ran a series of Brexit Webinars with information and key tips that will help your business mitigate some of the risks of Brexit.
If you work in food, drink, fisheries or horticulture: Bord Bia’s Brexit Action Plan provides information on market diversification, business continuity, customer relationships, financial resilience and supply chain.
The new National Food Innovation Hub at the Teagasc Moorepark Campus provides infrastructure, expertise and opportunities to SMEs to innovate and engage in research activities in an affordable way.
In addition to the current supports open to the Irish seafood sector, Bord Iascaigh Mhara has a range of supports for seafood businesses to prepare for Brexit. Companies can avail of specific mentoring and consultancy of up to two days to help develop their Brexit strategy to mitigate associated risks. To apply for the Brexit Support Programme, please email brexit@bim.ie .
If you work in tourism: Through its Get Brexit Ready programme, Fáilte Ireland offers a set of supports, to help tourism businesses meet Brexit-related challenges such as development supports, training programmes, and insights and market intelligence.
Any company considering a market diversification strategy should be aware that companies in Ireland have access to the benefits of the full range of EU Free Trade Agreements, including those recently concluded with Japan, Singapore and Canada. The EUs Free Trade Agreements with Third Countries help to open new markets, break down barriers and provide new opportunities for Irish-based firms, in particular, agri-food businesses who often face the toughest barriers in exporting to Third Countries. Brexit has reinforced the importance of accelerating the delivery of EU trade deals with leading economies and regional blocs. Further information is available here .
Guidance and tools for managing currency exposure are available here .
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:
Other Enterprise Ireland supports also include the Strategic Consultancy Grant, and the Agile and Operational Excellence offer.
A range of supports to upskill staff within your business have been developed across key areas to address the challenges of Brexit including customs clearance, supply chain management, and marketing. These include:
Businesses can also avail of existing training supports through:
Further information on these training and upskilling supports is available from Getting Business Brexit Ready: Upskilling.
Click here to return to the Brexit and Business page.