Priming Grant (Pre June 2023) : Application
Description
What is a Business Priming Grant?
A Business Priming Grant is designed to provide financial support for the creation of new jobs in eligible businesses. While other costs may be considered, the primary focus of this grant is salary support. For clarification, prior to applying, please discuss with your LEO representative.
Application Process
- Read the Eligibility Criteria in full (see below)
- Contact a representative of LEO DLR before completing an application form
- Complete Application Form
- Upload supporting documentation (see Application Checklist below)
- Please note that there is an opportunity to record a short (2 Mins Max) video to allow you to tell us a little bit about yourself, your business, and why you are looking for funding?
Eligibility Criteria
Local Enterprise Office Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown can accept applications for Business Expansion Funding to assist the business within the first 18 months of start-up. Providing it fulfils the following criteria:
- A business located, registered and operating in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County
- A business employing up to 10 employees
- A manufacturing or internationally traded services business
- A domestically traded services business that can demonstrate the potential to export
- The enterprise must be in the commercial sphere
- The enterprise must demonstrate a market for the product/service
- The enterprise must have a capacity for growth and new job creation
- Additionally, we require that:-
- Adequate finance will be available to fund the project including its operating costs
- The promoters possess sufficient management and technical capacity to implement the proposed project
- The project complies with existing policies and permits, licences and authorisations required under any statute regulation or order having the force of law
Within the above eligibility criteria there are certain priorities and restrictions:
- Priority must be given to enterprises in the manufacturing or internationally traded services sectors which over time can develop into strong export entities and graduate to the Enterprise Ireland portfolio
- Salary support may be offered to unique tourism services projects that are focused predominantly on generating revenues from overseas visitors and which do not give rise to deadweight and/or displacement in the local economy
- This grant aid does not support areas such as:
- Retail enterprises, personal services, professional services (including consultancies), generic services, or construction and local building services
- Areas of enterprise which involve displacement of existing jobs or business i.e. Builders, Hairdressers, Cafés, Pubs, Hotels, General Printers, Construction, Traders etc. would come within this category. Generally, where there are a large number of operators within a sector, the Local Enterprise Office has to have a regard to the implications of grant aiding one or some, possibly putting others at a competitive disadvantage
- Conferences and Seminars
- Projects which are contrary to public policy
- Duplication of support for projects which would be eligible for assistance from other State Agencies or EU funded Operational Programmes
- Existing Firms which already have an established relationship with Enterprise Ireland or IDA. Please do not apply to the Local Enterprise Office if you have an existing application for the same project under consideration by Enterprise Ireland
- Projects involving primary agricultural production
- Projects with employees in excess of 10 people
- Mobile assets, i.e. cars, motor vans, laptops, mobile machinery etc.
- Where specific potential for job displacement exists (i.e. where a new business could only prosper by diverting sales, output, or employment away from an existing local business already providing essentially the same offering, thus placing existing jobs and the viability of the existing business at risk
- Projects deemed to be capable of proceeding in any event without LEO assistance i.e. deadweight
- Projects essentially comprising importation and distribution
- Own Labour Research costs
- Any expenditure incurred, prior to receipt of application form, will not be eligible for grant support.
What does the Business Priming Grant Cover?
A Business Priming Grant may be paid to cover a portion of qualifying Salary Costs:
- Salary Costs – for the first year of employment. This money is paid in two instalments. The first instalment is at the start of employment; and the second after six months of employment. The level of grant support will reflect the salary scale proposed for the job being generated. Jobs attracting salaries of more than €40,000 will be eligible for the maximum €15,000 grant support. Lower-paid positions will receive a lower grant. Please note that approved grants are to be used for their intended purposes.
In certain circumstances a Business Priming Grant can also be used to cover 50% of qualifying Non-Salary Costs (excluding VAT) for example buying new equipment and direct business costs such as marketing and consultancy. Grant assistance is not payable to buy a building, land or mobile assets. Such supports should be discussed with a LEO representative prior to application.
The Priming Grant is subject to a maximum Local Enterprise Office DLR contribution of €80,000. Funding is issued on a full grant basis. Business Priming Grants are not subject to any refundable requirements.
Priming Grant and Business Expansion Grants
If a business received a Priming Grant (start-up grant), it cannot apply for a Business Expansion Grant until 12 months after the date of approval of the Priming Grant. An exception to this might be made in cases of exceptional merit where less than the maximum Priming Grant was drawn down and provided the rules of ‘De Minimis aid’ are respected. De Minimis aid is small amounts of State aid granted to enterprises.
Who can apply for a Business Priming Grant?
Micro enterprises (Limited Companies, Designated Activity Companies, sole traders, co-operatives and partnerships) can apply for a Business Priming Grant to help them get the business started within the first 18 months of start-up.
How do I apply for the grant?
You are strongly advised to contact the LEO office before applying so that we can assess your eligibility. Applications are considered on a case-by-case basis and the level of funding will be decided after the assessment. The assessment will examine:
- The merits of providing grant support to your proposal;
- Your need for financial support;
- Any previous funding you have received;
- The potential for employment and sales growth.
Application Checklist:
Any individual or business who wishes to apply must submit a completed online Business Priming Grant application form along with the following:
- Your qualifications (CV or personal profile)
- Business Plan (if available)
- Latest set of Accounts (if available)
- Up-to-date Management Accounts
- 3 Years Financial Projections (Profit & Loss, Cashflow)
- Certificate of Incorporation, CRO Number or Certificate of Registration of Business Name if available
- Evidence of the availability of matching funding from own resources, from an investor/s and or from loan finance
- Confirmation of grant aid sought from other agencies
- Tax Clearance Certificate
Please note: An Irish Language version of the application form is available on request to leo@dlrcoco.ie
After you submit your application
Your LEO representative will acknowledge your application, and may contact you for further information/clarification.
When we receive all the information we need, your application will be evaluated at the next available meeting of the LEO’s Evaluation and Approvals Committee. You will then be informed in writing of the decision. Please note that you cannot use your grant to pay for any expenditure incurred before you make the application.
Also note that your submission of an application or the official acknowledgement of your application is not an indication that the application is eligible or will be awarded grant aid.
The final decision on grant assistance is with the Evaluation and Approvals Committee of the Local Enterprise Office.
For more information on financial supports available from the Local Enterprise Office Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, please click here: https://www.localenterprise.ie/DLR/Financial-Supports/
What is the fund drawdown process?
If your application is approved, you will be required to have the new employee(s) on the payroll within three months of the date of your letter of offer. At this stage you can drawdown the 1st instalment. After six months of employment the 2nd instalment may be drawn down. Full details are provided in your letter of offer.
To claim any financial assistance approved, you must submit the following:
- a signed acceptance of offer
- accountant’s letter certifying new employee(s) name, address, PPS no. and confirmation that the deduction of appropriate taxes and PRSI are being made from wages and paid over to the Revenue Commissioners. The starting date of the employee, duties and gross annual rate of pay. (for salary support)
- Department of Social Protection clearance in respect of funded positions (for salary support)
- Payslips - to accompany your 2nd tranche salary claim (for salary support)
- Original invoices (for non-salary support)
- Evidence of payment (for non-salary support)
- Completed supplier EFT form to enable us pay directly into your bank account
- Evidence of Tax Compliance
- Completed bank branch-stamped standing order form
- Satisfaction of any funding conditions relevant to your claim
- any other documents as set out in the letter of offer
Please note that you cannot use your grant to pay for any expenditure incurred before you make the application.
What is ‘De Minimis’ aid?
Business Priming Grants are provided under the European Commission Regulation on ‘De Minimis’ aid. De Minimis aid is limited amounts of State aid – up to €300,000 in any three-year period to any one enterprise. De Minimis aid is regarded as too small to significantly affect trade or competition in the common market. The amounts of grants are regarded as falling outside the category of State aid which is banned by the EC Treaty and, therefore, they can be awarded without reference to the European Commission.
However, a Member State must track De Minimis aid and make sure that combined aid payments from all sources to one enterprise in any three-year period respect the €300,000 ceiling.
Therefore, you need to provide details of all other grant aid that has been awarded to you or your company within the past three years. Please note that a false declaration to show a figure under the threshold of €300,000 could later mean that you would have to pay back the grant aid with interest.
Eligibility
Priming Grant (Pre June 2023) : Application
Deadline
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