For detailed information please see the Employment Subsidy Scheme (Temporary) reference document
.
You can also see an example of the
application form
for reference.
Funding Available
This is a cash limited scheme. There is €65 million available to eligible enterprises. The maximum funding available per company/group is €500,000, but this is limited by the company or group's previous funding history. Details are given in the section called Maximum Funding Limits.
The objective of this scheme is to provide an employment subsidy to vulnerable but viable eligible enterprises employing 10 or more full time staff that can identify a number of full time/part time jobs at risk in their company, as a result of the economic downturn.
The employment subsidy is towards full time (working an average of 35 hours or more per week) or part time (working an average of between 21 or more, but less than 35 hours per week) employees. Persons not directly employed by an applicant such as agency or contract workers are not considered for this scheme.
Eligible Companies
Please review the eligibility criteria to see if your company qualifies.
Maximum Funding Limits
This is a cash limited scheme. The maximum subsidies for full and part time employees is broken down below.
| Max Amount Per Full Time Employment Subsidy Per Week | Number of Weeks | Max Amount of Subsidy Per Job (rounded) | Qualifying Period | Claim Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 52 | €9,100 | |||
| First Claim Period | €200 | 13 | €2,600 | Mon 2nd Nov 2009 - Sun 31st Jan 2010 | end of March |
| Second Claim Period | €200 | 13 | €2,600 | Mon 1st Feb 2010 - Sun 2nd May 2010 | 23rd May 2010 |
| Third Claim Period | €150 | 13 | €1,950 | Mon 3rd May 2010 - Sun 1st Aug 2010 | 22nd September 2010 |
| Final Claim Period | €150 | 13 | €1,950 | Mon 2nd Aug 2010 - Sun 31st Oct 2010 | 21st November 2010 |
| Max Amount Per Part Time Employment Subsidy Per Week* | Number of Weeks | Max Amount of Subsidy Per Job (rounded) | Qualifying Period | Claim Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 52 | €6, 370 | |||
| First Claim Period | €140 | 13 | €1,820 | Mon 2nd Nov 2009 - Sun 31st Jan 2010 | end of March |
| Second Claim Period | €140 | 13 | €1,820 | Mon 1st Feb 2010 - Sun 2nd May 2010 | 23rd May 2010 |
| Third Claim Period | €105 | 13 | €1,365 | Mon 3rd May 2010 - Sun 1st Aug 2010 | 22nd September 2010 |
| Final Claim Period | €105 | 13 | €1,365 | Mon 2nd Aug 2010 - Sun 31st Oct 2010 | 21st November 2010 |
*Employment Subsidies for part time workers are 70% of those for full time workers.
The maximum number of subsidies per company/group is €9,100 per full time employee or €6,370 per part time employee.
The maximum value is €500,000 per company/group. However if the company/group received funding under De Minimis
De Minimis Aid is small amounts of State Aid given to an enterprise which cannot exceed €200,000 (from 1st January 2007) over any three fiscal years to any company irrespective of size of location.
De Minimis Aid can come from any State body, agency or department and can be in the form of grant or equity.
If a Company is part of a group then the €200,000 limit applies to the group. Such amounts of De Minimis Aid are regarded as falling outside the category of State aid that is banned by the EC Treaty and can be awarded to an enterprise without notification to or clearance from the European Commission.
or the EU Temporary Aid Framework
The European Commission has adopted, under EC Treaty state aid rules, a temporary framework providing Member States with additional possibilities to tackle the effects of the current economic crisis.
The Temporary Aid Framework forms part of the measures announced by the Commission in its 26th November European Economic Recovery Plan. This plan introduces a number of temporary measures to allow Member States to address the exceptional difficulties of companies to obtain finance.
One of the elements of the temporary aid framework is to allow Member States grant without notification of individual cases, aid of up to €500,000. All measures are limited until the end of 2010 and are subject to conditions. The Enterprise StabilisationOne of the elements of the temporary aid
framework is to allow Member States grant without notification of individual
cases, aid of up to €500,000. All measures are limited until the end of 2010 and
are subject to conditions. The Enterprise Stabilisation Fund is funded under the
Temporary Aid Framework.
since January 1st, then these amounts are deducted from the €500,000
limit.
Application Form
You must complete the online form in one sitting as the form cannot be saved and re-opened. Twenty minutes should be allowed. Therefore it is essential to review the application process and prepare all the data required before you start to fill in the online application form.
The application consists of an online application form and three financial documents which must all be submitted on or before the call close date of 2pm, 23rd December 2009. The three financial documents must not be submitted in advance of receiving a confirmation email that your online application has been successfully submitted.
In the event of technical or other issues arising which cause the website to be unavailable (as determined by Enterprise Ireland) for use for a period of time, the call close date will be extended by that amount of time.
Application Assessment
Eligible applications will be assessed and scored out of 100 based on the criteria below and ranked in order of the highest score.
(1) Ratio of Supported Jobs to Additional Committed Jobs [Max score = 55 points]
"Supported Jobs" means the number of jobs (both full time and part time) in respect of which the applicant is seeking subsidy.
"Additional Committed Jobs" means the number of jobs (both full time and part time) that the applicant will maintain up to and until the end of November 2010 in addition to the "Supported Jobs".
"Total Committed Jobs" means the "Supported Jobs" together with the "Additional Committed Jobs".
A higher ratio of "Supported Jobs" to "Additional Committed Jobs" will result in a higher score being awarded to the applicant.
| Ratio | Score |
|---|---|
| 1:10 or greater | 55 |
| 1:8 or greater | 45 |
| 1:6 or greater | 35 |
| 1:4 or greater | 25 |
| 1:2 or greater | 15 |
| 1:1 or greater | 5 |
| Less than 1:1 | zero |
The number of subsidies applied for must be in the same proportion to the number of full time and part time jobs as the “Additional Committed Jobs” number.
Example
An enterprise with 100 total committed jobs (with 80 full time and 20 part time), who is successful in having 10 job subsidies approved, will only be entitled to 8 full time subsidies and 2 part time. If the enterprise subsequently brings all 100 workers up to full time, the number and type of subsidies it will receive will remain the same i.e. the enterprise will still only get 10 subsidies with 8 full time and 2 part time. Enterprise Ireland shall round up the number of part time subsidies and round down the number of full time subsidies as appropriate.
Note:
- The proportion and value of full time and part time subsidies approved cannot be changed and remain fixed for the duration of the scheme.
- An enterprise may not be granted a subsidy for a number of jobs greater than the number of jobs at risk in that enterprise (being the number set out on its application form).
(2) The credibility of the enterprise’s restructuring plan [Max score = 35 points]
The credibility of the enterprise’s restructuring plan to improve their competitive position and emerge from the current economic crisis with the agreed number of committed employees. The restructuring plan must include strategies to improve the enterprise’s competitiveness and productivity levels, and to position them for future growth.
- Factors that may be taken into account in assessing this restructuring plan could include plans to reduce costs and introduce new work processes, restructuring of the business functions etc, and should demonstrate a clear commitment to sustained competitiveness.
- Factors that may be taken into account in assessing the positioning of the enterprise for future growth could include the innovative and competitive nature of their products or services, the introduction of new marketing plans, the development of new products and services, specific plans to enter new markets with potential for sustainable sales growth and should show evidence that the enterprise could realistically return to a growth path. The long term future of the enterprise is also a factor to be taken into consideration as are the prospects for growth in the specific markets that the company is servicing.
(3) The viability of the enterprise in the medium term/potential for growth [Max score = 10 points]
An enterprise’s ability to continue to fund its operations up to the end of 2010 and beyond will be assessed. This assessment will also take into account the credibility of the enterprise’s growth plan and its capacity for growth over the next two years.
- Factors that may be taken into account in assessing the viability of the enterprise in the medium term include the credibility of the cash flow projections, the adequacy of the financing of the enterprise based on the financial information received, its financial track record to date, the cash flow available to the company, the facilities available to fund the company, and the alignment with the plan outlined in addressing criterion (2) above.
- Factors also to be taken into account include whether the applicant shows need for money, in the context of the enterprise's existing and/or projected resources and of the scale of the plan outlined at (2) above.
Limited Funding - Ranking of Enterprises
The funding for the scheme is limited. The available funds will be used to pay the subsidy to the enterprise with the highest score, and thereafter to the enterprise with the next highest score and so on until the funding runs out.
There may be insufficient funds to pay the subsidy to all enterprises on the same score after assessment. In such cases, the available funds will be used to pay the subsidy to the enterprise(s) with the higher/highest score under criterion (1) above and thereafter to the enterprise with the next highest score under that criterion and so on until the funding runs out.
If there are enterprises with the same overall score and the same score under criterion (1) above, such enterprises shall be ranked according to their score under criterion (2) above, with the available funding being paid to the higher/highest ranking and thereafter to the enterprise with the next highest ranking and so on until the funding runs out.
If there are enterprises with the same overall score and the same score under criterion (1) and criterion (2) above, such enterprises shall be ranked according to their score under criterion (3) above, with the available funding being paid to the higher/highest ranking and thereafter to the enterprise with the next highest ranking and so on until the funding runs out.
If there are enterprises with the same overall score and the same score under criterion (1), criterion (2) and criterion (3) above, such enterprises shall be ranked according to the total number of jobs the enterprise is committed to maintaining (i.e. Supported Jobs together with Additional Committed Jobs), with the available funding being paid to the higher/highest ranking and thereafter to the enterprise with the next highest ranking and so on until the funding runs out.
If after applying all of the above methods of ranking enterprises, there are still enterprises with the same score and ranking, the ranking shall be determined by lottery or some equivalent method, the form of such lottery or method to be decided by Enterprise Ireland. The available funding shall then be paid to the higher/highest ranking and thereafter to the enterprise with the next highest ranking and so on until the funding runs out.
Approval Process
Assessors from the development agencies, including Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, Shannon Development, Údarás na Gaeltachta and Fáilte Ireland will assess the projects. Alternatively, the assessment process may be outsourced in whole or in part.
Applications will be approved by the Employment Subsidy Committee – established by Enterprise Ireland, consisting of representatives from Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, Shannon Development and Údarás na Gaeltachta and other persons to be appointed by Enterprise Ireland in consultation with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.
Claiming for Employment Subsidies
Funding is in the form of an employment subsidy grant paid three months in arrears. To make a claim, companies must submit a valid tax clearance certificate and an accountants template which confirms that the company has maintained the committed number of employees over the 13 week claim period. Once the company has maintained the required number of full time and part time employees, the grant will be paid by electronic fund transfer. If the company fails to retain the committed number of full time and part time employees, then the company does not get paid for that claim period.
For example if the committed number of jobs is 35 but the company retains 34 jobs for any part of the claim period, it will not be paid any grant for that claim period. If the number rises to 35 or higher for a subsequent period it can be paid a grant for that subsequent period.
For example if a company applies for 20 full time subsidies and 20 part time subsidies, but then claims for 40 part time subsidies, then they do not get paid as there must be a minimum of 20 full time subsidies.
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