Applications are still being taken for the government’s Restart Grant Plus scheme, which provides financial support to help businesses reopen after the Covid lockdown.

The scheme provides eligible SMEs with grants of between €4,000 and €25,000 to reopen and adapt to the Covid-19 environment.

The closing date for receipt of applications is 31 October 2020.

The key changes to the new Restart Grant Plus scheme (also known as Restart Plus Grant) include:

• An increase in the grant allocations, which were previously between €2,000 and €10,000. The minimum grant is now €4,000 and maximum is €25,000.
• Companies with up to 250 employees can now apply (previously the grant was for companies with fewer than 50 employees)
• Non-rateable B&Bs, sports clubs with commercial activities and trading charity shops are now eligible.

Businesses that received a grant under the first scheme can re-apply to local authorities to receive additional funding.

In Association with

Grants will be based on the amount of the rates assessment for the premises for 2019 (excluding arrears). The new scheme also sees the upper turnover limit for eligible businesses extended from €5m to €25m. There is a cap of €100,000 turnover per employee.

The hospitality sector, restaurants, pubs, activity centres and tourist attractions such as galleries and museums are eligible if they are operating from a rated premise.

According to Cork business advisors Quintas, if your premises is in the category of wet pub, club or night club, which due to government guidelines had to remain closed for some or all of the period after restaurants and Gastro pubs were permitted to reopen, you may qualify for a Restart Grant Plus top up.

This facility is available by logging on to your local authority website, selecting the ‘Restart Grant Plus’ tab, answering ‘yes’ to having been awarded funding previously, and select the ‘Wet Pub 40% Top-up Grant’ option.

If your premises was impacted by Level 3 restrictions, and you previously received a Restart Grant Plus Grant, you may qualify for a Restart Grant Plus Level 3 Top-up. This facility is available by logging on to local authority website, selecting the ‘Restart Grant Plus’ tab, answering ‘yes’ to having been awarded funding previously, and selecting the ‘30% Top-up Grant’ option.

According to Quintas, if your business is in the category of wet pub, club or night club, you may be eligible to apply for both of the schemes outlined above.

• Click here for Restart Grant Plus website details of your local authority.