Self employed people re-opening their business and exiting the Pandemic Unemployment Payment can avail of a once-off grant of up to €1,000.

The grant is aimed at micro enterprises not eligible for support from the Business Restart Grant or other similar business reopening grants.

Outgoing minister Regina Doherty (pictured) commented: “Some small self-employed businesses may face difficulties in transitioning from the Pandemic Unemployment Payment to a reliance on normal trading income, particularly in situations where normal trading conditions have not fully resumed.

"The Enterprise Support Grant operated by my department is normally paid to people who are in receipt of jobseeker payments who close their claim to start their own business and enter self-employment as a micro-enterprise.

"It usually helps people leave unemployment to start a new business but I am going to apply the scheme to help existing small businesses – typically trades people or sole traders – return to work and to give that return a helpful boost.”

In Association with

The grant will be awarded to tax and PRSI compliant self-employed individuals who:

+ Have been in receipt of the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment and have closed their claim
+ Have reopened their business
+ Employ fewer than 10 people
+ Have an annual turnover of less than €1 million
+ Are not eligible for other similar Covid business re-start grants from other government departments
+ Are not liable for commercial rates
+ Produce VAT receipts/invoices in respect of business re-start costs and expenses claimed.

It is envisaged that those who close their PUP claim will have a period of four weeks, from date of claim closure, within which to submit a claim.

Doherty said the department is developing the systems to put it into effect and will communicate how to access the grant in the coming weeks.