A collation of online information sources summarising the supports for business in Ireland arising from the COVID 19 crisis. The corona virus is having a huge impact on enterprise both large business and sole traders across all sectors. This presentation provides a quick summary as of 16th March 2020 (4 days afer school closure) of applicable supports.

1. Summary of
COVID-19
(Coronavirus)
Supports for
Business in Ireland
March 2020
v.1 March 16th

2. Timeline
• First Case in Ireland February 29th 2020
• Schools Closed on Thursday 12th March
• Pubs Closed on Sunday 15th March
• LIDL announce priority shopping hours for the elderly
9-11am every day March 16th – Tesco similar.
• Version 1 of this presentation is published on Monday
16th March 2020 collated from publicly available online
information sources (personal choice as to details
included given relevance to small business). This is a
fast moving situation but all details are accurate at
time of publishing.
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3. Enterprise Ireland
Where to start : Local Enterprise Offices
Micro Finance Ireland – MFI
SBCI – Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland
Main Banks
Revenue
Peer Lending Platforms
STEPS TO TAKE – Donncha Hughes, Business Advisor
Government Strategy1
C
O
N
T
E
N
T
S
INTREO – Social Welfare [to include Self Employed]
Lay Off and Short Term Work
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4
5
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4. 1. Government Strategy
• Is set by Department of Business,
Enterprise and Innovation
• Acknowledge that COVID 19 crisis is
presenting immediate and severe
financial challenges for businesses.
• 7 Practical Steps
https://dbei.gov.ie/en/What-We-
Do/Supports-for-SMEs/COVID-19-
supports/Government-supports-to-
COVID-19-impacted-
businesses.html .. See next slides.
4
Implemented
by …
• LEO
• Revenue
• Enterprise
Ireland
• Micro
Finance
Ireland
• SBCI

5. #.1 Talk to your Bank … All the banks have
announced that they will offer flexibility to their
customers, and they may be able to provide
payment holidays or emergency working capital
facilities.
#.2 Take immediate steps to manage your cash flow.
Look for scope to:
• Lower variable costs
• Delay discretionary spend
• Extend your payables
• Expedite your receivables
• Explore supply chain financing options
5

6. #.3 Working Capital Government
Supports
• The Credit Guarantee Scheme supports loans up to €1 million for periods
of up to 7 years. Applications can be made to AIB, Bank of Ireland and
Ulster Bank. Eligibility criteria apply.
• Microenterprises, can access COVID-19 loans of up to €50,000 from
MicroFinance Ireland. Loans are available at an interest rate of between
6.8% and 7.8%. Businesses can apply through their Local Enterprise Office
or directly at microfinanceireland.ie. Eligibility criteria apply.
• The €200m SBCI Covid-19 Working Capital Scheme for eligible businesses
will be available within the next week. Maximum loan size will be €1.5
million (first €500,000 unsecured) and the maximum interest rate will be
4%. Applications can be made through the SBCI website at sbci.gov.ie .
Eligibility criteria apply.
• A €200m Package for Enterprise Supports including a Rescue and
Restructuring Scheme is available through Enterprise Ireland for
vulnerable but viable firms that need to restructure or transform their
business.
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7. 7
#.4 Get advice from your accountant or use the
advisory support available from your local LEO.
#.5 Check if your insurance policy covers you for
an interruption in your business, or a temporary
business closure, caused by Covid-19.
#.6 Speak to the Revenue Commissioners.
Revenue will engage with any viable business
that experiences temporary cash flow
difficulties, including difficulties arising from
exceptional circumstances such as the COVID-19
(Coronavirus) outbreak.

8. #.7 Other Government Supports
• Short Term Work Support for Employees.
• Assistance from the Enterprise Support Agencies.
• A Finance in Focus grant of €7,200 will be available to
Enterprise Ireland and Údarás na Gaeltachta clients
that want to access consultancy support to undertake
immediate finance reviews.
• In addition to their current range of business supports
to microenterprises, LEOs can also provide business
continuity vouchers from €2,500 to assist in preparing
any business continuity issues that arise in the current
challenging environment.
8

9. 2. Where to Start – LEO
• Your Local
Enterprise
Office
(LEO) is
the first-
stop for
enterprise
supports
in Ireland.
9
The Local Enterprise Office network stands ready to assist
businesses to address the critical challenges presented by the
COVID-19 virus pandemic.
www.localenterprise.ie/Discover-Business-Supports/Covid-19/

10. Business Planning
• Business Continuity Planning – COVID 19 Checklist
(via HSE)
• Business mentoring (online delivery) and Advisory
Clinics
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11. COVID-19: Lay-Off and Short-Time
Great article by
Holmes O’Malley
Sexton to inform
employers on the
process of
implementing a lay-
off or short-time
restructuring of
staff through a
selection of FAQs.
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www.homs.ie/publications/covid-19-lay-off-
and-short-time/
For more great HR advice follow Caroline McEnery, MD of HR Suite on LinkedIn
www.linkedin.com/in/carolinemcenery/ .. Great video updates.

12. Full range of current supports (cont)
12
• Minister Humphreys added on 10th March that
Local Enterprise Offices in every county will be
providing vouchers from €2,500 up to €10,000
(with 50:50 match funding) to support business
continuity preparedness, innovation and
productivity.
• This is probably based on the 2019 Productivity
Vouchers which was a competitive process with
200 vouchers of €2,500 to total of €500,000.
www.productivitychallenge.ie

13. 3. Enterprise Ireland
• Dated 11th
March. Via
LinkedIn on 14th
March ..
Discover some
potential steps
your business
can take to
prepare for the
challenges that
Covid-19
presents
13
Download the 16 page pdf direct from Enterprise
Ireland https://lnkd.in/gWS2RPK
Clients who have queries
email clientresponse@enterprise-ireland.com
or speak to your development advisor.

14. • Minister Humpreys added on 10th March,
“A €200m Package for Enterprise Supports
including a Rescue and Restructuring Scheme
available through Enterprise Ireland for
vulnerable but viable firms that need to
restructure or transform their business”.
• EI Guide explains that details of these
supports for viable but vulnerable firms that
need to restructure or transform their
businesses are being finalised.
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15. 4. Revenue
13th March -
Revenue
announce
measures to
assist SMEs
experiencing cash
flow difficulties
arising from
COVID-19
www.revenue.ie/en/corporate/press-
office/press-releases/2020/pr-130320-
revenue-announce-measures-to-assist-
smes-experiencing-cashflow-difficulties-
arising-from-covid-19.aspx
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SMEs
Tax Returns: businesses experiencing temporary cash
flow difficulties should continue to send in tax returns
on time.
Application of Interest: the application of interest on
late payments is suspended for January/February VAT
and both February and March PAYE (Employers)
liabilities.
Debt Enforcement: All debt enforcement activity is
suspended until further notice.
Tax Clearance: current tax clearance status will remain
in place for all businesses over the coming months.
Importing goods
Customs: critical pharmaceutical products and
medicines will be given a Customs ‘green routing’ to
facilitate uninterrupted importation and supply.

16. 5. Social Welfare
• Queries regarding income supports will
be handled by the Department of
Employment Affairs and Social
Protection at www.DEASP.ie
• Provide information to your employees
and also relevant to self employed
– Sick Pay scheme for those following
medical advice to self isolate.
– Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment
Payment is 6 week payment for
(Jobseekers) whose workplace has
closed and they have lost employment.
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Email a request for a
paper/PDF application
pack for all schemes to
info@welfare.ie
Phone 1890 800 024 or
01 2481398 and they
will send the relevant
pack
Apply using COVID-19
Unemployment Form
and FREEPOST PO
BOX 12896 Dublin 1.

17. For self employed
Within 6 weeks, self employed people who cease
trading can apply for Jobseekers using this form
• UP1B JBSE – Jobseeker’s Self Employed
Application Form
Self employed people qualify for the COVID-19
Pandemic Unemployment Payment (even if the
form specifically asks for Employer details with no
tick box for self employed - so presume confirm self
employment status on that line)
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18. 6. SBCI – Strategic Banking Corporation
of Ireland
As per Department press release of 10th of March, there will
be a €200m SBCI Covid-19 Working Capital Scheme for
eligible businesses. Maximum loan size will be €1.5 million
(first €500,000 unsecured) and the maximum interest rate will
be 4%. Applications can be made through the SBCI website at
sbci.gov.ie . Eligibility criteria apply.
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Full details to follow .. SBCI Website Not Updated as
per Screenshot 16th March 2020 of SBCI Website

19. • SBCI Website provides a superb worked
example of a Working Capital loan for a
‘building supply company in west Dublin’ of
€250,000 on its page explaining SBCI
Investment And Working Capital Loans
https://sbci.gov.ie/products/sbci-investment-
and-working-capital-loans#anchor4
• But ‘Loans to undertakings in difficulty’ is
included under Summary of Excluded
Activities.
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20. Brexit Loan Scheme
Could be a model for the Covid-19 response from SBCI.
• The SBCI Brexit Loan Scheme is offered in partnership with
the Department of Business Enterprise and Innovation, the
Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine and is
supported by the InnovFin SME Guarantee Facility, with the
financial backing of the European Union under Horizon
2020 Financial Instruments.
CRITERIA
• Loans cannot be used for ‘refinance of undertakings in
financial difficulties’ (excluding cash flow pressures caused
by Brexit impact)
• SMEs must satisfy one of the BREXIT and one of the
INNOVATION criteria (not sure how relevant this is to COVID
19) to include provision of an up to date business plan.
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21. SBCI - SME Credit Guarantee Scheme
• The SME Credit Guarente Scheme is operated on behalf of the
Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation (D/BEI) by the
Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland (SBCI) and is available from
the participating banks (AIB, Bank of Ireland and Ulster Bank) for
SMEs encountering one of these 3 barriers
– Inadequate collateral
– Novel business market, sector or technology which is perceived by
finance providers as higher risk under current credit risk evaluation
practices
– Need for refinancing caused by the exit of an SMEs lender from the
Irish market
• Key Features of the Scheme:
– Facilities of €10,000 up to €1m
– Terms of up to 7 years
– Term Loans, Demand Loans and Performance Bonds
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22. 7. Micro Finance Ireland
• Microenterprises, can access COVID-19 loans of
up to €50,000 from MicroFinance Ireland. An
existing support modified to help
microenterprises impacted by #COVID-19
• Loans are available at an interest rate of between
6.8% and 7.8%. Businesses can apply through
their Local Enterprise Office or directly at
microfinanceireland.ie.
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23. 8. Pillar Banks
The banks are advising that if you need to defer
repayments they will assist businesses but you must
contact your bank immediately.
Bank of Ireland:
https://www.bankofireland.com/coronavirus-update/
AIB:
https://aib.ie/covid19
Ulster Bank:
https://digital.ulsterbank.ie/personal/help-and-
support/struggling-financially.html
KBC:
https://www.kbc.ie/news-and-press/latest-news-and-
press-releases/covid-19-update-a-message-for-kbc-
customers 23

24. David McWilliams – Why Central Bank
must give everyone free money right now
In response to the
economic impact of
the virus, everyone
will naturally hoard
their cash resulting
in deeper economic
gloom. There is a
simple solution. The
Central bank can
print money i.e.
deposit money in
everyone’s bank
account to maintain
spending. This can
be done as inflation
is low. A great read!!
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www.davidmcwilliams.ie/why-central-bank-
must-give-everyone-free-money-right-now/

25. 9. Other Lending Platforms
• Watch this space … opportunity to provide
businesses with funds to meet immediate
working capital needs. Represents a good return
on investment given the underlying quality of the
businesses.
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26. 10. Planning - Steps to take
• Decide if reducing hours or going to close the business
(non essential services)
• Talk to your Banks re options to stop/postpone loan
repayments without penalty.
• Discuss options with landlord to cease rent payment (who
will then have to talk to their banking providers).
• Communicate with suppliers, logistics and customers about
continuity of supply.
• Speak to Insurance Companies [Statement Insurance
Ireland]
• Put staff on short term working or temporary lay-off … you
can’t just send them home without pay. Point to
information on how to claim social welfare entitlements.
• Facilitate Home Working where possible – IT and
communications systems most critical. 26

27. Irish Tourism Industry Confederation (ITIC)
In response to an
unprecedented
crisis in Irish
Tourism and
Hospitality,
ITIC has outlined a
3-step plan that
needs to be
adopted and
actioned by
Government.
#.1 Business
Survival
#.2 Liquidity
#.3 Demand
Stimulation
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March 15th … www.itic.ie/ezine/impact-covid-
19-immediate-supports-needed-irish-tourism-
hospitality-industry/

28. This presentation was uploaded by
Donncha Hughes, Business Advisor
March 16th 2020
donncha@startuphughes.com
www.startuphughes.com

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