Available Funding

Energy Efficiency Grant

The Energy Efficiency Grant supports the investment in technologies and equipment of enterprises following on from a Green for Business Report, GreenStart Report or a SEAI Energy Audit with 75% of eligible costs from a minimum grant of €750 to a maximum of €10,000. The aim of the scheme is to reduce the impact of enterprises on the environment thereby increasing the agility and resilience of these businesses, to operate in a sustainable manner.  The support provided should be to support the recommendations of one of the above reports.

This scheme supports all aspects of sustainability project expenditure associated with the operation of an enterprise including water; energy; circular economy etc. Enterprises should be signposted to the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland for grant aid in respect of the building they are located in.

Who is Eligible for Energy Grant

The Energy Efficiency Grant is open to small enterprises (with between 1 and 50 paid employees) who:

• have undertaken a Green for Business, Green Start or SEAI Energy Audit.
• are not currently clients of Enterprise Ireland or IDA.
• are established and trading for at least 6 months, registered, and operate within the area of the Local Enterprise Office.
• this grant aid is considered not to give rise to unacceptable deadweight (where the project would have proceeded anyway)
  are solvent as demonstrated in the financial statements supplied.

Businesses must have either:

A fixed premises that is commercially rateable. Businesses will be required to supply a commercial rates bill to verify this.

Or be:

An establishment which is approved within the Fáilte Ireland National Quality Assurance Framework. Businesses will be required to supply approval documentation to verify this.

• Own the building/premises where the investment will take place or must hold a lease agreement on same, with at least 12 months remaining or agreed option to renew.
• Where an enterprise has multiple business premises, it can apply for projects across each premises, subject to the overall limits set out per undertaking.
• Any business that has a commercially rateable premises, or where rates are paid on their behalf and attributable in the rental or other agreement to the business premises they occupy, can apply.
• Commercially rateable premises, where a business is rateable but is not currently rated by Valuation Office for a variety of reasons, can apply. Businesses will be required to submit documentation from a Local Authority demonstrating that they have a commercially rateable premises that is not currently rated.

Ineligible Businesses

• Are operating solely from a domestic/home based office.
• Companies with charitable status, commercial semi-state companies, “not for profit” organisations – which do not meet the above criteria, trade associations, company representation bodies such as Chambers of Commerce, Sporting Bodies – which do not meet the above criteria and other non-commercial bodies or associations are not eligible to avail of the Small Capital Grants.
• Are operating in the coal or steel sector.
• Are active in the primary agricultural, fishery or aquaculture sectors.
• Are involved in activities that Local Enterprise Offices considers as ineligible or as involving an unacceptable reputational risk. Ineligible activities include activities relating to:

The gambling sector, including ‘gaming’ (as defined in the Gaming and Lotteries Act 1956).
Adult entertainment.
Tobacco and tobacco related products.
Cannabis-based products, which are not authorised as medicines.

Note: This is not an exhaustive list and Enterprise Ireland has a dynamic policy position on several activities.  Any queries in relation to the eligibility of an activity will be directed to the Enterprise Ireland Policy department, who will assess the case.