Priming Grant 2025
Description
A Priming Grant is a business start-up grant, available to micro enterprises within the first 18 months of start-up.
Priming grants may be available for sole traders, partnerships or limited companies that fulfil the following criteria:
- Located and operating within the LEO’s geographic area
- A business which on growth will fit the Enterprise Ireland portfolio
- A business employing up to 10 employees
- A manufacturing or internationally traded services business
- A domestically traded service business with the potential to trade internationally
- Need for money and having regard to deadweight and displacement
Eligible clients may be awarded a Priming Grant within the first eighteen months of setting up the business.
The maximum Priming Grant payable shall be 50% of the investment or €150,000 whichever is the lesser.
Expenditure may be considered under the following headings:
- Capital items
- Salary costs
- Consultancy/Innovation/Marketing costs
- General overhead costs
All grants of a value greater than or equal to €50,000 or with a cumulative value of €100,000 over three years require Enterprise Ireland Approval. Grants over €80,000 and up to €150,000 shall be the exception and shall only apply in the case of projects that clearly demonstrate a potential to graduate to Enterprise Ireland. In all other cases, the maximum grant shall be 50% of the investment or €80,000 whichever is the lesser. Subject to the 50% limit, a maximum grant of €15,000 per full time job created shall apply in respect of any employment support granted.
Eligibility
LEOs can assist in the establishment and/or development of new and existing enterprises (limited company, individuals/sole trader, cooperatives and partnerships) provided that such enterprises/projects are capable of attaining commercial viability and subject to the following eligibility criteria:
- The enterprise must not employ more than 10 people;
- The enterprise must be established, registered and operate within the geographic location of the Local Enterprise Office;
- The enterprise must operate in the commercial sphere;
- The enterprise must demonstrate a market for the product/service;
- The enterprise must have potential for growth in domestic and/or export markets and also potential for new job creation.
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 those areas such as retail enterprises, personal services (eg hairdressers, gardeners, creches etc), professional services (accountants, solicitors etc), construction/local building services, as this is considered to give rise to unacceptable deadweight (where the project would have proceeded anyway) and/or displacement (where the projects imply to displace business from other players in the market).
- The sector of the economy in which an enterprise is operating or intends to operate
- The size or proposed size of the enterprise
- Any expenditure incurred, prior to receipt of application form, will not be eligible for grant support.
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