COVID-19 Credit Guarantee Scheme

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Overview of the scheme

  • COVID-19 Credit Guarantee Scheme will facilitate up to €2 billion in lending to eligible businesses;
  • The Scheme offers a partial Government guarantee (80%) to participating finance providers against losses on qualifying finance agreements to eligible SMEs, small Mid-Caps and primary producers;
  • Loans under the Scheme range from €10,000 to €1 million, for terms of up to five-and-a-half years;
  • Financing will be offered through a range of products, including term loans, working capital loans and overdrafts;
  • Loans of up to €250,000 under the Scheme are available unsecured;
  • It does not need an SBCI code;
  • This scheme is up and running. It will only be available to get sanctioned up to 31 December.
  • Loan to support
  • This Scheme is available to eligible SME and small Mid-Cap businesses, including primary producers (businesses engaged in farming and fishing), established in Ireland;
  • Your business must also have experienced an adverse impact of minimum 15% in actual or projected turnover or profit due to the impact of COVID-19.

If you would like to apply for this scheme, please contact us as soon as possible to get the application started as timing is critical.

COVID-19 Working Capital Loan Scheme

Overview of the scheme

  • €25,000 to €1.5m per enterprise, for 1 - 3 years;
  • Unsecured loans up to €500k;
  • Maximum interest rate of 4%;
  • Optional interest only repayments may be available at the start of the loans;
  • Loan amount and term is dependent on the loan purpose;
  • Enterprise Ireland Business Planning Grant can be used to support applications for funding.

Loan to support

  • Future working capital requirements;
  • To fund innovation, change or adaptation of the business to mitigate the impact of COVID-19;
  • Available to SMEs and Small MidCap enterprises that;
    • Have fewer than 500 employees;
    • Have a turnover of €50 million or less (or €43 million or less on their balance sheet);
    • Are independent and autonomous i.e. not part of a wider group of enterprises;
    • Have less than 25% of their capital held by public bodies;
    • Is established and operating in the Republic of Ireland;
    • Is a viable business;
  • The scheme is accessible through AIB, Bank of Ireland, Ulster Bank;
  • The loans cannot be used for:
    • Refinance if in financial difficulties;
    • Refinance of existing debt facilities.

For more information on the qualifying criteria for the COVID-19 Working Capital Loan Scheme, please click here.

Future Growth Loan Scheme

Loans of between €25,000 to €3 million are available at competitive rates for terms between 7 and 10 years. The scheme was recently extended with a further €500m of long-term loans being made available to help more SMEs, Farmers and the Fishery sector.

Overview of the scheme

  • Loans of €100,000 to €3m per applicant, for 8 – 10 years;
  • Unsecured loans up to €500k;
  • Initial interest rate of 4.5% for loans below €250k, 3.5% for loans above €250k (variable over the term);
  • Optional interest-only repayments min certain circumstances.

Loan to support

  • Loans can be used for long term investment such as:

    • Investment in Machinery or Equipment; Research and Development; Business Expansion; Facilities and Infrastructure Development; Personnel and Training

  • Available to companies that have:

    • Less than 500 employees;
    • Turnover of €50 million or less (or €43 million or less on their balance sheet);
    • Are independent and autonomous i.e. not part of a wider group of enterprises;
    • Have less than 25% of their capital held by public bodies;
    • Established and operating in the Republic of Ireland;
    • Is a viable business.

For more information on the qualifying criteria for the Future Growth Loan Scheme, please click here.

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Get in touch

If you require further information on the schemes highlighted, or should you require assistance with the application process, please do not hesitate to contact us.

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