Keep up and running

KEEP helps micro, small and medium enterprises attract key employees by enabling the enterprise to offer employees share options with preferential tax treatment. Most trading activities are eligible for the scheme but certain professional services and financial activities are excluded.

You may be eligible if:

• Your company is an unquoted micro, small or medium enterprise
• You are carrying out a qualifying trade

The scheme is also available to companies that belong to larger group structures provided they are part of a qualifying group. Eligibility is subject to terms and conditions which can be found on the Revenue website: https://www.revenue.ie/en/additional-incomes/employment-related-shares/key-employee-engagement-programme-keep/index.aspx#:~:text=KEEP%20is%20available%20for%20qualifying%20share%20options%20granted%20between%2001

You may be eligible if:

• the company carries out qualifying R&D activities in Ireland, the European Economic Area (EEA) or the United Kingdom, and
• is within the charge of Corporation Tax in Ireland. A company may qualify for the R&D Corporation Tax Credit if its R&D activities meet the following criteria:
• involve systematic, investigative or experimental activities
• are in the field of science or technology;
• involve one, or more, of these categories of R&D: basic research, applied research, or experimental development;
• seek to achieve a scientific or technological advancement; and
• involve the resolution of scientific or technological uncertainty.

https://www.revenue.ie/en/companies-and-charities/reliefs-and-exemptions/research-and-development-rd-tax-credit/index.aspx

You might be eligible if: 

• You are setting up a business or are in operation for less than 18 months
• Your business has fewer than 10 full time employees
• Your business has an annual turnover of less than €2 million
• Your business has experienced difficulty in securing a loan from the banks
• Living in Ireland

You may be eligible if:

• You are an existing IDA client company operating shared or global business services that are exporting.

SICAP supports a range of disadvantaged and marginalised groups in society who are unable or unlikely to access mainstream supports. 

You might be eligible if:

•  you are an individual who is starting a business
• you are a business operating using a social enterprise model whereby your enterprise generates non-public funding by charging for goods and services delivered
• To be eligible for support, SEs supported under SICAP must provide services to one or more of the 12 named target groups, including provision of employment/training opportunities, and/or focus on addressing one or more of the programme’s eight thematic focus areas. 

The 12 Sicap target groups include: 

1. People living in disadvantaged communities
2. People impacted by educational disadvantage
3. People living in jobless households or households where the primary income source is low-paid and/or precarious
4. People who are long-term unemployed
5. People with a criminal history
6. Refugees
7. International Protection Applicants
8. Disabled People/People with Disabilities
9. Heads of One-parent Families
10. Travellers
11. Roma
12. Island residents

Local SEs should contact their nearest Programme Implementing (PI) organisation (available on the Pobal website) for further details and support.

You may be eligible if:

• You are an existing IDA client that is exporting

You may be eligible if: 

• your enterprise (including social enterprise) is located in a rural area - defined as 'all parts of Ireland with the exception of the areas within the boundaries of the five main cities of Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Waterford and Galway'
• In order for a project to be eligible for LEADER funding, it must be compatible with the actions outlined in the approved Local Development Strategy for the relevant LEADER area, and it must comply with the Operating Rules and EU Regulations in place for the programme

Companies looking to introduce new digital technologies to their business to boost efficiency, improve services and create a better customer experience.

You may be eligible if: 

• You are an Údarás Na Gaeltachta client

• You are an Irish owned business operating in the manufacturing/internationally traded services sectors employing 10 or more.

Eligibility is subject to terms and conditions.

You may be eligible if:

• You are an IDA client company that have a site-specific Climate Action Plan (CAP).

You may be eligible if:

• You are an existing Enterprise Ireland (EI) client

Businesses that are making their workplaces more accessible for people with disabilities. 

You may be eligible if:

• You are a private-sector, community, not-for-profit, or voluntary business in Ireland
• You have offered employment to a person with a disability and they will require workplace adaptations to undertake duties 
• You have an employee who developed an illness, condition or impairment (occupational or otherwise) that affects their ability to carry out their job
• You have a workforce that requires training in the area of Disability, Equality and Inclusion

Eligibility is subject to terms and conditions

You may be eligible if:

• You are part of a leadership team in established foreign direct investment (FDI) companies in Ireland. 

You may be eligible if: 

• You are an IDA company that can submit a talent development plan reflecting the upskilling and reskilling needs of their people to address strategic business challenges.

You may be eligible if:

• You are a senior or future senior leader of multi-nationals in Ireland.

You may be eligible if:

• You are an owner-manager of small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) in Ireland. While others can take it, the focus is on those who lead and manage a team of people within an SME.

You may be eligible if:

• The business is in the agricultural/farming and forestry sectors

You may be eligible if:

• You are part of a leadership team of an existing IDA client company.

You may be eligible if:

• You are private sector or commercial semi-state businesses that want to develop the skills needed to advance business competitiveness through national upskilling initiatives, or one or more of the 70 Skillnet Business Networks, which are clusters of private sector businesses that collaborate based on their sector, or region.

You may be eligible if:

• You are a private sector business based in Ireland with between 1 and 250 employees

You may be eligible if: 

Participants should include two team members of your companys senior executive team who are:  

• Familiar with your business strategy for the next 1-5 years. 
• Understand the entire business operation.   

Eligibility is subject to terms and conditions.