Our role is to ensure that SMEs, including microenterprises, can access appropriate and affordable finance suitable to their stage of development. While it remains the responsibility of the banking system to provide credit to businesses, government, working with agencies, the banking sector and alternative finance providers offers additional targeted supports where there are market failures. A wide range of supports is now available for companies at all stages of their life-cycle – from start-ups and early stage companies to those seeking to scale and grow.
Access to finance schemes
Credit Review
Credit Review provides a simple and effective review process for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), sole traders and farm enterprises refused credit from Allied Irish Bank, Bank of Ireland, PTSB and Ulster Bank.
Credit Review seeks workable solutions for viable borrowers who are having difficulty in obtaining credit from all major Banks.
Credit Review
- helps all SMEs and farms on lending matters
- provides expert assistance and information
Important credit information sheets and updates on current credit issues affecting SMEs and farms are regularly published and available at creditreview.ie.
A call to Credit Review’s helpline on 1850 211 789 is all you need to get assistance.
State financial support for SMEs in Ireland
For information on supports available to SMEs in Ireland please see the Supporting SME tool at supportingSMEs.gov.ie which sets out the full range of government financial and other supports. There are over 170 different government supports for Irish start-ups and small businesses. The online tool is a cross-governmental initiative to help Irish start-ups and small businesses navigate the range of government supports to see which you could possibly apply for. By answering the questions in the online tool, a small business will, in one location be able to:
- find out which of the over 170 government business supports from 27 different government departments, agencies and initiatives are available to them
- obtain information on the range of government supports for accessing credit
- be told their nearest Local Enterprise Office to discuss the outcomes of the guide further
- be able to download all these filtered results into a document for further use