Publication
Agency supports to help Irish businesses through the COVID-19 pandemic
From Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Published on
Last updated on
The full apparatus of the State, and its specialist agencies, is being deployed in supporting our business community in a planned, coordinated, national and local endeavour.
All of the relevant agencies are now fully engaged and entirely focused on supporting Ireland’s business community through the COVID-19 crisis, specifically:
Enterprise Ireland is working with Local Enterprise Offices and all government stakeholders to ensure that businesses are prepared and informed on the most up-to-date advice and supports available. Enterprise Ireland is also actively informing government policy.
Among the schemes being operated by Enterprise Ireland are:
In addition, Enterprise Ireland is encouraging businesses to make use of its full range of existing supports available here.
Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) in local authorites are working very closely with small businesses in their communities, and with Enterprise Ireland, to develop and deliver a variety of business supports which are accessible remotely.
These include:
In addition, Local Enterprise Offices also provide a sign-posting service, to help companies across every sector learn more about other government supports. LEOs also host weekly 'Lunch & Learn' live training webinars, helping companies to address emerging issues within their businesses.
Údarás na Gaeltachta is working alongside government, state agencies and the Gaeltacht community and businesses on a cohesive approach to COVID-19. Údarás na Gaeltachta is providing the full suite of supports highlighted in the Government Business response to COVID-19 to micro, SMEs and large businesses in Gaeltacht areas in close cooperation with EI.
In addition, Gaeltacht businesses have been encouraged to make full use of existing Údarás na Gaeltachta supports and mentoring to assist them in achieving future recovery.
Fáilte Ireland set up a Business Supports Taskforce with interventions focused on supporting the industry to shut down and survive and to ensure they are in a position to reopen safely and effectively.
This includes guidance on accessing government and financial supports, as well as expert guidance and supports on business liquidity, insurance, HR risk, safeguarding future revenues, and more.
Recognising the pressures on cashflow, Fáilte Ireland immediately triggered a number of refunds that are delivering almost €3 million back to Irish tourism businesses at this time. These include refunds of accommodation registration charges and trade show participation fees, as well as some rent breaks and the abolition of a range of other promotional charges for the remainder of 2020.
Fáilte Ireland’s next phase of interventions and supports is now focused on recovery and preparing to open safely. This will include bespoke supports on some of the most vital drivers of successful recovery, including financial plans for recovery, operational management procedures to open safely and effectively, asset utilisation and capacity management, demand creation and marketing, as well as upskilling industry.
Fáilte Ireland is working with key industry bodies and infection control experts to develop a set of detailed operational guidelines to prepare tourism and hospitality businesses to reopen safely.
These will be approved by the HSE and ready in the coming days. The guidelines will be sector-specific and will give detailed advice on the systems that can be adopted to help instill public confidence and reboot business whilst adhering to public health advice and government directives. Bespoke guidelines will be available for all accommodation providers, bars, restaurants, attractions, activities, and so on.
A suite of supports has been developed to help businesses to plan out the key elements of their financial recovery so that they can reopen and relaunch their business effectively. Key guidance areas include securing finance to cover the shutdown period, reopening and the initial 6 months of resumed trading. The suite of supports also includes a series of expert guides and templates for calculating cash flow and cash burn.
In light of new operational guidance, Fáilte Ireland is working with tourism businesses to support them to determine the capacity of their business and the financial implications of this new operating model.
A simple guide to understanding the financial implications of the capacity identified above, and how to reassess their model of operation.
The State agency responsible for developing the Irish seafood industry, is providing information, advice and business support to the seafood sector.
The State agency responsible for promoting Ireland’s food, drink and horticulture to the world has introduced a range of new supports and tailored existing programmes to support the agri-food sector businesses.
Bord Bia's COVID-19 Hub has a range of great supports including:
Teagasc - the national body providing integrated research, advisory and training services to the agriculture and food industry, is providing information and support on a range of issues facing farm businesses in light of COVID-19, including a new telephone helpline for the industry.
The information line phone number is 076 1113533 and will be open from 9.30am to 12.30pm and from 2pm to 5pm Monday to Friday.
IDA Ireland works closely with, and is firmly committed to, supporting its client companies during this turbulent period working with clients on a one to one basis.
IDA is also working closely with government on specific policy initiatives. The full range of IDA financial supports - including capital, R&D, training and business transformation grants - continue to be available to its client companies.
In addition, the Agency's clients can avail of support via three schemes that are administered by Enterprise Ireland on behalf of IDA Ireland.
These are:
The Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland COVID-19 Working Capital Loan Scheme is offered in partnership with the Department of Business Enterprise and Innovation, the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine and is supported by the InnovFin SME Guarantee Facility, with the financial backing of the European Union under Horizon 2020 Financial Instruments.
Microfinance Ireland is making COVID-19 related business loans of up to €50,000 at a reduced interest rate of 4.5% p.a.
An additional €30 million has been made available for micro-enterprises through the 31 Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) comprising additional funding for Microfinance Ireland and Trading Online Grants for those businesses that are in a position to do business online while complying with the public health guidelines.
The network of Regional Skills Fora provides a single contact point in each region to help employers connect with the range of services and supports available across the education and training system, including free or discounted online training, resolving skills needs issues or information on government supports.
Providing training to companies and their employees through the Skills to Advance initiative and through online courses on the eCollege platform, which are now free to all learners.
Supporting its 16,000 member companies, mainly micro and small and medium enterprises, across 70 learning networks as they address issues such as business continuity, financial planning, digital transformation and service innovation. Learning networks are also keen to offer their services and supports to new members during this period.
Design & Craft Council Ireland has almost 3,000 registered client enterprises across the country spanning a broad range of disciplines delivering a range of support and development programmes, and have also developed resources like webinars and FAQs in response to COVID-19.
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It is designed to support employers and workers to put measures in place that will prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace, when the economy begins to slowly open up, following the temporary closure of most businesses during the worst phase of the current pandemic.
This Protocol should be used by all workplaces to adapt their workplace procedures and practices to comply fully with the COVID-19 related public health protection measures identified as necessary by the HSE. The Protocol sets out in very clear terms for employers and workers the steps that they must take before a workplace reopens, and while it continues to operate.