Government Brexit Programmes, Funds and Supports

Brexit represents a significant challenge for businesses in Ireland, which can’t be underestimated. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly changed the economic context in which the end of the transition period is taking 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 prepare for Brexit.

The Government’s July Jobs Stimulus provided more than €7 billion worth of stimulus and support measures to help businesses and people impacted by COVID-19. These supports can already assist businesses improve their resilience and prepare ahead of the end of the transition period. The July Jobs Stimulus also included a €20 million Brexit package to help businesses involved in exporting and importing with the UK to prepare for the new customs arrangements and regulatory requirements that will apply from 1 January 2021. In addition to the Brexit supports already available, this includes a new “Ready for Customs” grant of up to €9,000 available through Enterprise Ireland.

An overview of the range of Brexit supports available and where you can find further details is below.

There is an ongoing calendar of Government events across the country. For details of upcoming events in your sector or locality, please visit here.

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: Use Enterprise Ireland's Brexit Scorecard to get an overall sense of your preparedness, and check out the Brexit Preparedness Checklist which outlines the essential actions to take to ensure you are ready to trade with the UK on 1 January 2021.

For those in food, drink or horticulture: Use the Bord Bia Brexit Action Plan and Readiness Radar.

For those in tourism: Use Fáilte Ireland’s Brexit Readiness Check

There is a broad range of programmes and advisory supports in place depending on your specific business needs.

For all businesses: InterTradeIreland’s Brexit Advisory Service provides a range of practical advice, support and information for businesses on Brexit related issues.

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 takeouts 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 supply chain, currency, customs and international market diversification opportunities for the sector.

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.

‘Get Brexit Ready’

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:

• Cashflow may be impacted by Brexit and businesses should consider applying for a working capital loan through the Brexit Loan Scheme through which eligible businesses can secure loans from €25,000 up to €1.5 million, including unsecured loans up to €500,000, for terms of up to three years and a maximum interest rate of 4%.
• The Future Growth Loan Scheme provides loans to support strategic investment by SMEs for future sustainability and growth. The scheme is underpinned by a guarantee from the European Investment Fund. It offers loans with terms of 7-10 years and is open to eligible Irish businesses, including those in the agriculture and seafood sectors. This scheme has recently been expanded to make up to €800 million available.
• Enterprise Ireland provides a range of financial supports aimed at Brexit Readiness including the new ‘Ready for Customs’ Grant of up to €9,000 per eligible employee hired, or redeployed within the business, to a dedicated customs role.
• In addition, Enterprise Ireland provides the Be Prepared Grant, which offers up to €5,000 to assist exporting client companies to develop a plan to deal with Brexit, and the Market Discovery Fund, which supports companies to research viable and sustainable new market entry strategies. EI supports also include the Act On Initiative, Strategic Consultancy, 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 Start to Plan vouchers, which provide up to €2,250 for SMEs to source professional advice/training to prepare for Brexit.
• In addition to supports available from the Government, the EU recently approved a €5 billion Brexit Adjustment Reserve, to support countries and sectors worst-hit by the impacts of Brexit. The Government is engaging with the Commission to ensure that Irish businesses and sectors benefit to the maximum extent possible, in the context of the disproportionate impact Brexit will have on Ireland.

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:

Customs and supply chain

• As part of the July Jobs stimulus package, Government approved an additional €150 million in funding to roll-out a suite of enterprise initiatives, which included €20 million for Brexit customs measures. This new €20 million Customs Clearing Capacity Building Scheme called “Ready for Customs” administered by Enterprise Ireland will help SMEs involved in exporting and importing with the UK and further afield to put in place the staff, software and IT systems to be ready for new customs arrangements from 1 January 2021.
• A second phase of Skillnet Ireland’s free customs training, Clear Customs Online 2020, is open for applications from September, to support the customs intermediary sector and businesses that trade frequently with, or through, the UK. The course covers a range of customs and SPS requirements, and is delivered primarily through an online platform, reducing disruption for businesses.
• Enterprise Ireland’s Customs Insights , a 45 minute online course available to all businesses which aims to give companies a good understanding of the key customs concepts, documentation and processes required to succeed after the transition period.
• 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 the UK after the transition period. Click here to register for workshops commencing in September.
• Enterprise Ireland’s Act On Initiative , a customised programme to help eligible companies develop an action plan for Brexit focusing on the areas of financial and currency management, strategic sourcing, and customs and logistics.
• 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.

Further information on these training and upskilling supports is available from Getting Business Brexit Ready: Upskilling.

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