The government provides a range of climate action supports and resources to help businesses on their journey to sustainability. Supports are also available to help mitigate the impact of energy price rises.
Retail businesses can also visit Retail sector in Ireland to find out more about retail supports.
Starting your energy efficiency journey
Climate Toolkit 4 Business
Climate Toolkit 4 Business allows SMEs to input some simple information to get an estimate of their carbon footprint. It will use this information to generate a personalised action plan and recommend those supports that are relevant to help each business reduce their carbon footprint and energy costs.
SEAI Energy Academy
The SEAI Energy Academy is a free, online, e-learning platform designed to help businesses increase their energy efficiency and reduce their energy related costs. The SEAI Energy Academy allows anyone to learn with short, interactive, animated modules. It is mobile friendly and offers flexible, self-paced learning with access available 24/7.
Energy audits
The Support Scheme for Energy Audits - SEAI offers a €2,000 voucher to SMEs to undertake a bespoke energy audit of their business. The SEAI energy audit is an important step for businesses that want to save money, save energy and enhance their brand.
Water conservation for business hub
Help protect Ireland's water supply and cut down on business costs. Learn how your business can make a difference by conserving water with the water conservation for business - Uisce Éireann.
EPA resources
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has a number of resources available for business such as greening resources for business, carbon footprint calculators and EPA tool for resource efficiency.
Steps to energy efficiency
Steps to energy efficiency - SEAI sets out five steps which your business can take to begin its energy efficiency journey.
Skills to Advance
The green skills programmes - SOLAS aims to boost awareness of the key environmental sustainability issues that affect employers and employees and to equip them with the skills to make a positive contribution to sustainability in the workplace.
Green for Business
Green for Business is open to enterprises with up to 50 employees. Qualifying businesses will access two days of intensive mentoring including a sustainability audit and action plan, designed to help 'green' their business. This programme offers free advice and technical support on resource efficiency, how to better understand their carbon footprint and how to implement an environmental management system to reduce costs and lower greenhouse gas emissions. The support is free of charge for eligible enterprises and represents the potential for increased efficiencies.
SEAI Large Industry Energy Network (LIEN)
The Large Industry Energy Network (LIEN) - SEAI members are companies with an annual energy spend of €1 million or more. SEAI work with these companies to improve their energy performance and assist them to lead on the transition, and inspire others to take action, by sharing their experience. Special working groups within the Network have developed best practice guides on how manage energy performance. LIEN members report annually on energy consumption and projects undertaken to help increase efficiency. Companies are eligible if they are either spending at least €1 million on energy annually, or are certified to or pursuing ISO 50001 certification.
Planning, preparation and training
Climate Ready Programme (Skillnet)
Climate Ready: Talent for Ireland's Green Economy - Skillnet Ireland offers leadership and skills support for enterprises who want to develop their operational and strategic sustainability.
Innovation Vouchers - Enterprise Emissions Reduction Investment Fund
Innovation Vouchers - Enterprise Ireland provide grant funding up to a maximum of €5,000 to explore a business opportunity or problem with a registered knowledge provider in the areas of sustainability and decarbonisation.
Climate Action Voucher - Climate Planning Fund for Business
The Climate Action Voucher is an €1,800 grant to engage consultants to develop an initial sustainability or circular economy action plan.
GreenPlus - Climate Planning Fund for Business
GreenPlus provides grant funding for 50% of training costs to align to international standards and frameworks and to develop a comprehensive climate change and sustainability plan.
Exploring Innovation Grant – Enterprise Emissions Reduction Investment Fund
The Exploring Innovation Grant provides grant funding up to a maximum of €35,000, based on a grant rate of 50% to enable better planning in the areas of sustainability and decarbonisation.
Strategic Consultancy Grant - Climate Planning Fund for Business
Strategic Consultancy Grant is a grant to assist large energy users develop a carbon reduction roadmap. This provides grant rates of up to 50-80% of eligible costs, with typical maximum support of €35,000.
GreenStart - Climate Planning Fund for Business
GreenStart - Enterprise Ireland offers up to €5,000 to introduce environmental best practice systems and structures and lay a foundation for future environmental improvement projects including energy and carbon management systems. If you are not a client of Enterprise Ireland and employ between one and nine employees, or between 10 and 50 employees in the manufacturing and internationally traded services sectors, you should contact your Local Enterprise Office.
Improving your business with funding
Ukraine Enterprise Crisis Scheme
The Ukraine Enterprise Crisis Scheme - Enterprise Ireland assists viable but vulnerable firms of all sizes in the manufacturing and internationally traded services sectors. There are two streams of funding under the Scheme: the first will assist firms suffering liquidity problems as a result of Russia’s war on Ukraine, and the second will also help those impacted by severe rises in energy costs.
Non-Domestic Microgen Scheme
The Non-Domestic Microgen Scheme from the SEAI has now been amended to extend supports, with new funding ranges from €2,700 to €162,600, to support an even wider range of businesses to switch to solar. The updated scheme provides tiered grant supports for Solar PV installation up to 1000 kWp (1MW) capacity. This scheme helps towards the installation of solar PV for your business, farm, school, community centres, or other non-profit organisation. Solar PV technology reduces commercial electricity costs and increases security of supply, while enhancing a positive sustainability image.
The increase capacity of Solar PV available under this grant ensures a wider range of businesses can now invest in renewable energy. The scale of installation grant funding is extended for installation sizes greater than 6 kWp up to 1000 kWp. The amended scheme will be available to businesses through SEAI from mid July 2023.
The updated grant for 6kWp will remain unchanged up to €2,400 but now includes an additional:
- €300/kWp for each extra kWp installed between 7kWp -20kWp
- €200/kWp for each extra kWp installed between 21kWp- 200kWp
- €150/kWp for each extra kWp installed between 201kWp-1000kWp
Energy Efficiency Loan Scheme
The Energy Efficiency Loan Scheme - SBCI supports eligible SMEs to invest in the energy efficiency of their enterprises. Loan amounts from €10,000 to a maximum of €150,000 per borrower, over terms of 1 year up to 10 years.
EXEED Grant Scheme
The EXEED Grant Scheme - SEAI is designed for organisations who are planning an energy investment project. Grant support of up to €1,000,000 per project is available.
Support Scheme for Renewable Heat
The Support Scheme for Renewable Heat - SEAI is open to commercial, industrial, agricultural, district heating, public sector and other non-domestic heat users. The scheme offers 30% of installation costs of selected renewable technologies as well a multi-annual payment, for a period of up to 15 years.
Community Grant
The Grants for Sustainable Community Projects - SEAI support energy efficiency community projects through capital funding, partnerships, and technical support with grant supports up to €5,000,000. The scheme empowers Businesses, Public Sector Organisations, Communities, Housing Associations and Local Authorities to lead deep energy efficient upgrades on the buildings. The SEAI advises that this scheme is particularly suitable for smaller businesses, who can avail of the support and expertise of the project coordinators.
Accelerated Capital Allowance
For businesses who want to reduce their tax bill and energy costs, the Accelerated Capital Allowance - SEAI is a tax incentive encouraging investment in energy saving technology. Companies, sole traders and farmers that operate and pay corporation tax in Ireland can avail of the ACA scheme. View a list of the technologies and products on the Triple E Products Register - SEAI.
Electric Vehicle Grants (SEAI) – co-funding
The Electric Vehicle Grants - SEAI provides grant supports towards the purchase of new N1 category electric vehicles for business and public entities. N1 category vehicles are typically small goods carrying vans with a technically permissible maximum mass not exceeding 3500kg. A maximum grant of €3,800 is available for qualifying N1 category BEVs when purchased commercially.
Energy Contracting Support Scheme
The Energy Contracting Support Scheme - SEAI provides financial assistance to implement energy efficiency and decarbonisation projects. The Scheme aims to support the direct external consultancy and/or specialist advisory costs related to project appraisal and procurement of pay-for-performance energy contracts. Find out more about Energy Contracting.
Energy Efficiency Grant
The Energy Efficiency Grant, available through the Local Enterprise Offices, will provide funding to small businesses to invest in more energy efficient technology. It supports the investment in technologies and equipment identified in a Green for Micro Report, GreenStart Report or a SEAI Energy Audit with 50% of eligible costs up to a maximum grant of €5,000. The aim of the scheme is to reduce the impact of enterprises on the environment thereby increasing the agility and resilience of these businesses.
Agile Innovation Fund - Enterprise Emissions Reduction Investment Fund
The Agile Innovation Fund - Enterprise Ireland provides grant support of up to 50% for the development of new or improved products, services or processes, in the areas of sustainability and decarbonisation.
Research, Development and Innovation (RD&I) Fund - Enterprise Emissions Reduction Investment Fund
The Research, Development and Innovation Fund - Enterprise Ireland supports the development of new or substantially improved products, services or processes in the areas of sustainability and decarbonisation, which will have a competitive advantage in a company’s target market and provide enhanced customer experience. It offers assistance to carry out explorative work assessing the resource requirements and the strengths, weaknesses and opportunities of potential R&D projects in the area of sustainability.
Capital investment for decarbonisation processes – Enterprise Emissions Reduction Investment Fund
Capital investment for decarbonisation processes supports investment in carbon reducing technologies in manufacturing combustion processes. This provides a maximum grant rate of 30-50%, dependent on company size, up to a maximum support of €1 million.
Energy Monitoring and Tracking Systems - Enterprise Emissions Reduction Investment Fund
Energy Monitoring and Tracking Systems (EM & T) incentivises companies to put in place monitoring and targeting systems to begin accounting for the carbon footprint of their activities.
Other general supports that may assist business at this time
Given the simultaneous impact of Brexit, COVID-19 and the Ukraine crisis on businesses, the State backed loan schemes will meet the needs of many SMEs seeking to respond to these economic shocks. The Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland (SBCI) and the finance providers participating in the State backed loan schemes can advise SMEs on their eligibility for these loans.
Growth and Sustainability Loan Scheme
The Growth and Sustainability Loan Scheme will make up to €500 million in longer-term lending available to SMEs, including farmers and fishers and small mid-caps. Loans of between €25,000 and €3 million, with terms of up to 10 years and attractive terms and conditions, will be made available through the scheme to eligible SMEs through participating finance providers, with loans of up to €500,000 available unsecured.
The scheme will target a minimum of 30% of the lending volume towards environmental sustainability purposes with the aim of encouraging SMEs to take positive actions in support of the climate change agenda. Up to 70% of lending will be for strategic investments with a view to increasing productivity and competitiveness and thus underpinning future business sustainability and growth.
Ukraine Credit Guarantee Scheme
The Ukraine Credit Guarantee Scheme facilitates up to €1.2 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 six years. Financing is 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 (except where this is a requirement of the product feature, as in the case of asset finance, invoice discount facilities, and so on).
The initial product supported for the scheme is a term loan. The scheme is operated by the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland (SBCI) through participating finance providers.
Microfinance Ireland loan packages
Microfinance Ireland (MFI) provide loans to help start-ups and established microenterprises (businesses with fewer than 10 employees and an annual turnover of less than €2 million) to get the finance they need for their business. MFI provides vital support to microenterprises by filling the lending gap in the market by lending to business that cannot obtain loans from other commercial lenders. Also, mentoring can be provided from an experienced business mentor in the Local Enterprise Office (LEO). Loans range from €5,000 to €25,000 for up to 5 years per eligible microenterprise business.
Lean for Business
The Lean for Business - Local Enterprise Office programme is available to all microenterprises, and small business with up to 50 employees who are not Enterprise Ireland/IDA clients. Lean for Business helps to build resilience within enterprises.
Under this programme, clients can avail of consultancy support with a LEAN Expert (a qualified practitioner), who will work with the company to introduce lean principles, undertake a specific cost savings project, and assist the company in benchmarking its performance.
The LEO Lean for Business programme helps to:
- identify issues and potential improvement areas
- provide support to implement
- achieve savings and improvements in capability and capacity to deliver
Energy Efficiency Obligation Scheme
Through the Energy Efficiency Obligation Scheme - SEAI, energy providers (gas, electricity and solid fuel) have an obligation to help customers decarbonise – contact any of these providers (known as Obligated Parties) to assess available support options.