Energy Efficiency Grant

Energy Efficiency Grant

The aim of the Energy Efficiency Grant is to support businesses in their investment in technologies and equipment to support their sustainability journey as a follow on from the Green for Business or GreenStart or SEAI Energy Audit Reports.
The grant of 50% of eligible costs at a minimum of €1,000 to a maximum grant of €5,000 is intended for small enterprises (employing between 1 and 50) who are not currently clients of Enterprise Ireland or IDA.
This scheme prioritises the grant aid of energy efficiency expenditure associated with the operation of an enterprise thus reducing the impact of enterprises on the environment and in turn increase the agility and resilience of these businesses.

Eligible Businesses
  • Small enterprises (employing between 1 and 50).
  • who have undertaken a Green for Business, GreenStart or recent energy audit by a SEAI registered energy auditor and who are not currently clients of Enterprise Ireland or IDA.
  • who are established, registered, and operate within the area of the Local Enterprise Office.
  • who have a turnover in excess of €30,000 annually and the business is trading in excess of 6 months.
Ineligible Businesses
  • Are operating solely from a domestic/home based office.
  • Are operating in the coal or steel sector.
  • Are active in the primary agricultural, fishery or aquaculture sectors.
  • Are involved in activities that Local Enterprise Offices considers as ineligible or as involving an unacceptable reputational risk. Ineligible activities include activities relating to:
  • The gambling sector, including ‘gaming’ (as defined in the Gaming and Lotteries Act 1956).
  • Adult entertainment.
  • Tobacco and tobacco related products.
  • Cannabis-based products which are not authorised as medicines.
Note: This is not an exhaustive list and Enterprise Ireland has a dynamic policy position on several activities. Any queries in relation to the eligibility of an activity will be directed to the Enterprise Ireland Policy department who will assess the case.
Eligible Costs
  • Meters (e.g. electricity, gas, diesel, oil, water, steam & loggers), installation and commissioning costs.
  • Smart energy controls e.g., heating, cooling, lighting, automatic on/off systems, parasitic load controls.
  • Upgrade lighting to LED (only as part of a package of eligible cost measures).
  • Replacement/upgrade with more energy efficient system, e.g. Heat Pumps (including air, water, and ground source) for manufacturing heating processes.
  • Heat recovery.
  • Small wind turbine & hydro generator subject to feasibility assessment.
  • Equipment (>10 years) replacement/upgrade such as refrigeration unit, electric steam boiler, electric oven, industrial dishwasher, engineering equipment.
  • System components upgrades such as variable speed drives, pumps, fans, condensers, extraction systems, cold room doors.
*Products for which the investment is applied for should be registered as Triple E or equivalent.
Ineligible Costs
 
Funding
The Energy Efficiency Grant is a pilot funded from the Exchequer. There is a set amount of funding available under this scheme and therefore, it may not be possible to award aid to all eligible applications.
Funding will be in the form of a grant. The grant aid will be 50% of eligible costs from a minimum grant aid of €1,000 up to a maximum grant of €5,000 per application.
There is a limit of 1 grant approval per enterprise.
 The Scheme falls under De Minimis rules relating to previous state support.
Note: De Minimis Aid is small amounts of State Aid given to an enterprise which cannot exceed €300,000 over any three fiscal years to any company irrespective of size and location. De Minimis Aid can come from any State body, agency or department.