Local Authority COVID 19 Business Restart Grants

Applications for the Restart Grant can be made online to local authorities from today Friday 22nd May.

A €250 million Restart Fund has been created nationally to help micro and small enterprises with the costs of reopening during Covid-19. The fund will operate through a system of rebates/waivers of commercial rates payments from 2019. Companies will receive a total amount equivalent to no more than their 2019 rates bill and that there will be a cap per business of €10,000. The grant can be used to pay ongoing fixed costs, for replenishing stock and for measures needed to ensure employee and customer safety.

To receive the grant, a business must:

• Be in the local authority’s Commercial Rates Payment System
• Have an annual turnover of less than €5 million and employ between 1 to 50 people
• Have closed or suffered a projected 25% or more loss in turnover to the end June 2020
• Commit to remain open or to reopen if it was closed
• Declare the intention to retaining employees that are on the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme and to reemploy staff on the COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment where applicable

The application form is available online from all local authority websites.

Find more information on further supports to businesses here.