Minister Humphreys announces that Local Authorities are now taking applications for €250m Business Restart Grant

• Minimum grant of €2,000 and maximum grant of €10,000
• Businesses reopening under Phase 1 and Phase 2, and those who have stayed open since the crisis hit, encouraged to apply now
• Online Application Forms available on local authority websites for Micro Enterprises and Small Businesses 

The Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation announced on Friday, 22 May 2020 that the application for the new €250m Restart Grant is now available. It is available online on all local authority websites providing direct grant aid to micro and small businesses.

The Restart Grant is aimed at helping micro and small businesses with the costs associated with reopening and reemploying workers following COVID-19 closures.

Eligible businesses who have stayed open throughout the crisis, as well as those who reopened, are encouraged to apply now for the Restart Grant. These applications will be prioritised for payment by the local authorities.

Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Heather Humphreys TD said about the Business Restart Grant:

I want to ensure that eligible companies with the most immediate need to get back up-and-running receive the grant support as quickly as possible.  For this reason, the businesses listed in Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the Roadmap, as well as those who stayed open all along, will be prioritised.

The Minister added:

Staff in the local authorities will endeavour to process applications quickly, but a quick turnaround will be difficult to achieve if every business applies immediately.

To avail of the Restart Grant, applicants must be a commercial business and be in the Local Authorities Commercial Rates Payment System and:  

1. have an annual turnover of less than €5m and employ between 1 to 50 people;
2. have suffered a projected 25% loss in turnover to end June 2020;  
3. commit to remain open or to reopen if it was closed;
4. declare the intention to retain employees that are on The Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme and re-employ staff on the Pandemic Unemployment Payment as business recovers.

The grant will be equivalent to the rates bill of the business in 2019, or a minimum payment of €2,000, whichever is the higher, and will be subject to a maximum payment of €10,000.

More information here.

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