Financial Supports

County & City Enterprise Boards (CEB's) provide a range of financial supports designed to assist with the establishment and or growth of small scale businesses employing up to ten people. These include:

• Feasibility/Innovation Grants
• Priming Grants
• Business Expansion Grants
• Refundable Aid
• Equity Investment options.

These Financial supports are designed to provide a flexible suite of supports to CEB clients and potential clients.

How do I go about applying for financial assistance?
Our application process is straightforward and may be summarized as follows:

• Step 1: The project promoter arranges to meet with Acting CEO to discuss their project proposal in detail. If your business proposal is one that may qualify for financial assistance you will be requested to complete an application form and provide supplementary information/ documentation. The Acting CEO will explain what is required.
• Step 2: A completed application form, along with all of the necessary support documentation is then submitted by the project promoter for review by the Acting CEO.
• Step 3: Additional clarification / information may be sought by the Acting CEO.
• Step 4: Application is then submitted to the Evaluation Committee for appraisal. The Evaluation Committee comprises members of the business community, financial institutions and local authority and they normally meet every six weeks. All documents relating to the application are submitted to the Evaluation Committee one week in advance of their meeting for consideration.
• Step 5: The Evaluation Committee at their meeting makes a written recommendation to the Board and this is considered by the Board at their meeting before a final decision on the application is agreed. The Evaluation Committee and/or Board may deem it necessary to defer a decision pending receipt of additional information.
• Step 6: The Acting Chief Executive Officer informs the project promoter in writing of the Board's decision. In the case of grant approval, a formal letter of offer and terms and conditions attaching to grant-aid will also be issued.
• Step 7: In the event of your project being deemed ineligible and/or not obtaining financial assistance from the CEB, you can discuss the project application and evaluation with your local CEB regarding this unsuccessful application to obtain further feedback and/or advice regarding this application.  If you are not satisfied, you will be provided with written notification of the appeals process.

General Conditions
The General Conditions for grant Support are as follows:

• the sector of the economy in which an enterprise is operating or intends to operate
• the size or proposed size of the enterprise. CEBs can assist in the establishment, and/or development, of new and existing enterprises from individuals/sole traders, companies and community groups subject to the following eligibility criteria;
  - 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;
  - the enterprise must not employ more than 10 people.
• Any expendature incurred, prior to receipt by applicant of the letter of offer from the board, will
  not be eligible for grant support.

Eligible Costs
Financial Supports may cover business costs directly attributable to starting a new business or growing and developing a business, or for carrying out a Feasibility/Innovation study, save
payments to State Bodies.

Amount of Grant Aid
Overall the cumulative level of grants to a micro enterprise must not exceed €150,000 over a three year period. The payments of all grants will be subject to enterprises reaching agreed milestones as per their business plans and the Board's Letter of Offer.

Submitting your application form

• Application forms must be typed, hand written applications are not acceptable
• Application forms must be signed and dated
• There must be 7 hard copies of all documentation supplied (this is for the WCEB file and 6 Evaluation Committee members)
• 3 Written Quotes  for each expenditure must be supplied with the application form
• Each section completed in full - do not write, 'see Business Plan'
• Applications must be accompanied with the relevant documentation including a C.V.,  12 month projected cashflow, 3 year projected Profit and Loss A/c and for existing businesses the latest Accounts must be included
• The relevant Application Forms are available on the FORMS section of this website

Deadline for Applications for 2012
These dates are subject to change and depend on funding available.

5.00pm Friday 3rd February Deadline For Application 
Monday 20th February Evaluation Committee Meeting 
Monday 27th February Board Meeting

5.00pm Friday 30th March Deadline For Application 
Monday 16th April Evaluation Committee Meeting
Monday 23rd April Board Meeting

5.00pm Friday 25th May Deadline For Application
Monday 11th June Evaluation Committee Meeting
Monday 18th June Board Meeting

5.00pm Friday 24th August Deadline For Application 
Monday 10th September Evaluation Committee Meeting 
Monday 17th September Board Meeting

5.00pm Friday 26th October Deadline For Application 
Monday 12th November Evaluation Committee Meeting 
Monday 19th November Board Meeting

Please note we only accept a limited number of applications per round.  It is advisable not to wait until the deadline date to submit your application.  Any applications received after deadline date will be put forward at next round.

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