COVID-19 Restart Grant for Small Businesses

Fri, 22 May 2020 13:42:00 BST

Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Heather Humphreys, TD., has announced a Restart Grant, which will give direct grant aid to micro and small businesses to help them with the costs associated with reopening and re-employing workers or keeping a business operational and re-connecting with employees and customers following COVID-19 closures.

The Grant will be available to businesses with a turnover of less than €5m and employing 50 people or less, which were closed or impacted by at least a 25% reduction in turnover up to 30^th June 2020. The grants will be equivalent to the rates bill of the business in 2019, with a minimum payment of €2,000 and a maximum payment of €10,000.

Applications for the Restart Grant can be made online from Friday 22^nd May 2020.

To avail of the Restart Grant, a business must be in the Local Authorities Commercial Rates Payment System and:

1. Have an annual turnover of less than €5m and employ between 1 to 50 people;

2. Have closed and/or suffered a projected 25%+ loss in turnover to end June 2020;

3. Commit to remain open or to reopen if it was closed;

4. Declare the intention to retaining employees that are on the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS) and to re-employ staff on the Pandemic Unemployment Payment where applicable.

Further details on the Government’s Restart Grant, including Online Application Form and Frequently Asked Questions document will be available for download on Galway County Council’s Website http://www.galway.ie/RestartGrant from Friday 22^nd May 2020.

All Queries must be directed to: RestartGrant@galwaycoco.ie

Processing of applications and payment of the Restart Grant will depend on the initial surge of applications, but as far as is feasible, will be prioritised according to scheduled re-opening dates in the National Roadmap