Brexit Impact Loan Scheme

The Brexit Impact Loan Scheme (BILS) makes up to €330 million in lending available for terms of one to six years. This scheme is available to eligible businesses in Ireland, including those in the primary agriculture (farmers) and seafood sectors as they respond to the dual-impacts of Brexit and COVID-19. Finance provided under the scheme is competitively priced and offered at favourable terms.

Loans range from €25,000 to €1.5 million per eligible business, with loans up to €500,000 available unsecured.

The Brexit Impact Loan Scheme is supported by a guarantee through the European Guarantee Fund (EGF), which is being implemented by the European Investment Fund (EIF) on behalf of the European Commission. The scheme is operated by the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland (SBCI) through participating lenders.

Eligibility criteria

This scheme is available to Brexit-impacted SMEs and small mid-cap businesses, including those in the primary agriculture (farming) and seafood (fishing) sectors in Ireland, to support them as they respond to the new trading environment introduced by the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union.

Application process

The Brexit Impact Loan Scheme features a two-stage application process:

Applications for eligibility under the scheme will be made through the SBCI website. The SBCI will assess the applications and those successful will be issued an eligibility reference number.
Apply for a loan under the scheme with one of the participating finance providers using the eligibility reference number.

Eligibility reference number

Once issued, an eligibility reference number is active for six months. However, in order to manage demand for the scheme, applicants are encouraged to apply for loans as soon as practicable in the context of their business needs.

Loan features

Loans under the scheme:

range from €25,000 to €1.5 million
are available for terms of up to six years
are available without security where the loan amount is less than €500,000
typically feature a lower interest rate than other comparable lending in the market

Loan purposes supported

Loans can be used for:

liquidity/working capital
investment
100% refinancing of existing Brexit Loan Scheme loans
refinancing of 30% of new loans to cover refinancing of existing short-term credit, for example, as arising due to COVID-19 impacts

Refinancing

Loans under this scheme may be used for limited refinancing of existing lending. As noted above, this includes the refinancing of 100% of existing loans under the Brexit Loan Scheme, or 30% of new loans to cover refinancing of existing short-term credit (for example, as arising due to COVID-19 impacts).

State agency clients and non-clients

This scheme is open to all businesses that meet the eligibility criteria. Therefore, both State agency clients and businesses that are not in any way engaged with State agencies are encouraged to apply. State agencies include Enterprise Ireland, the Local Enterprise Office (LEOs) and Bord Bia for example.

Sectoral availability

The scheme is open to eligible SMEs and small mid-caps across almost all sectors, including those engaged in farming and fishing. There are a small number of excluded sectors/activities and these are described on the SBCI website.

Participating finance providers

This scheme will feature a range of bank and non-bank lenders, however the scheme will be made available through individual lenders at different times.

Full details of the providers currently accepting applications are available through the SBCI website.

State Aid

Loans under this scheme are currently subject to State Aid rules analogous to the terms of the State Aid Temporary Framework introduced in response to COVID-19 and will apply for the duration of the Brexit Impact Loan Scheme.

More information on the State Aid Temporary Framework (PDF, 255KB)

Loan applications declined under the scheme

Loans under the scheme are subject to the credit policies and procedures of the participating finance providers.

In the event that an applicant business has made a formal loan application to one of the participating finance providers and has been refused, the applicant may wish to make an appeal to the finance provider. If this internal appeal is unsuccessful, then an appeal may be made to the Credit Review Office (where the lender is a participating bank).

Alternatively, an applicant business may choose to pursue an application for lending with another participating lender. If so, the business may use the same eligibility reference number to apply with the second lender.

Data protection

The Data Protection Notice for the scheme is available here: Loan Schemes: Data Protection Statements

Scheme duration

This scheme is now closed to applications as of December 2022. Details on status of schemes can be found at SBCI.

Brexit Impact Loan Scheme (now closed)