FAQs

The overall purpose of the Scheme is to help Republic of Ireland attraction and activity tourism operators to withstand the impact of COVID-19 by providing a direct financial support contributing to their sustainability until the end of 2021.

The following businesses can apply once they meet the eligibility criteria: 

• Business Category A: Attractions

• Business Category B: Outdoor Tourism Activity Providers

• Business Category C: Tourism Golf Courses

• Business Category D: Tourism Boat Tour Operators

Grants for successful applicants will be based on the following calculations: 

• The grant amount per applicant will be based on the annual eligible tourism turnover from 2019.  The grant payment is calculated as 5% of the 2019 eligible tourism turnover figure 

• The minimum grant amount per applicant is €2,500

• The maximum grant amount per applicant is €800,000

State Aid is a term that refers to forms of public assistance, using taxpayer-funded resources, given to undertakings on a discretionary basis, with the potential to distort competition and affect trade between member states of the European Union.

The scheme is being funded under the COVID-19 EU State Aid Temporary Framework. There is a threshold of funding a legal entity can receive under this framework and grants will be capped in accordance. Other sources of funding under the COVID-19 EU State Aid Temporary Framework must be declared upon application and will be taken into account when calculating a successful applicant's final grant amount. Applicants must declare if they received any of the following forms of State Aid: 

Yes, businesses in receipt of the Adaptation Grant may be eligible should they meet the full eligibility criteria set out in the Guidelines. They must declare whether they are in receipt of the Adaptation Fund along with any other funding under the COVID-19 EU State Aid Temporary Framework.

Any applicant business that operates independently on a ‘risk & reward’ basis and not on behalf of public entities are eligible under this Scheme, regardless of whether or not that applicant uses public land to operate. 

The turnover must relate to tourism business only for the purposes of this scheme. Please see the guidelines for further information on eligible/ineligible turnover.

Eligible applicants must have a minimum eligible tourism turnover threshold of €50,000 in 2019. Only turnover generated from the delivery or tourism related business activities within the Republic of Ireland will be eligible for inclusion in an applicant’s eligible tourism turnover figure. 

For tourism golf courses, eligible turnover relates to visitor green fees. Ineligible turnover would include membership fees, member competition revenue, lessons, driving range income, Pro Shop revenue and bar & restaurant revenue.

This relates to the calendar year, January to December 2019.

If your financial statements cover a period other than January – December 2019, please indicate on your application form the turnover relating to the January – December period, and upload the financial statements you have which end in 2019. If further financial information is required during the assessment, the evaluation team will be in contact with you.

Businesses maintain management reports to monitor financial performance. Management reports generally comprise a monthly or quarterly and year to date Profit & Loss Account and Balance Sheet.

Smaller sole trader businesses may only maintain an Income and Expenditure account (equivalent to a Profit and Loss account) to track the income generated and the costs and expenses arising for their business during the year. That is what we are looking for from these businesses for the period identified in the Application Form.

The grant will be paid by electronic transfer to the business account detailed on the application form.

The scheme opened for applications on Thursday August 5th, 2021. 

The closing date for the submission of applications is 12 Noon on Friday September 17th, 2021. 

Evaluations for this Scheme will not begin until after the Scheme has closed for all applicants on this date.

Due to the anticipated high volume of applications, Fáilte Ireland will endeavour to process applications as quickly as possible. However, applicants should be aware that during peaks in applications this may be a matter of weeks. We will keep all applicants informed throughout the application process of anticipated timeliness for completion.

Only fully completed forms will be processed, and the onus is on the applicant to ensure that applications are completed correctly and fully, in order to expedite the procedure. 

Fáilte Ireland will contact applicants with any queries on applications and regarding the status of the application. 

Successful applicants must confirm payment received will be used for the defrayment of fixed costs. Any monies granted by Fáilte Ireland under the Scheme will be used solely by eligible beneficiaries in accordance with the purposes of and objective of the Scheme i.e., to support the continuity of tourism businesses.

The revenue detailed in your financial statements, is used to determine if your business’ eligible revenue is down 75% from 2019 to the defined period in the guidelines.

Applications are to be made per business who meet the eligibility criteria. Applications should be submitted based on their legal entity regardless if the business activity occurs in more than one location. 

If you have more than one business/affiliate company that meets the eligibility criteria and are established as separate legal entities, applications are to be submitted per legal entity. 

Payment of grants will be issued per legal entity taking into account State Aid rules per Applicant. The maximum funding level under the “Temporary Framework for State Aid Measures to Support the Economy in the Current Covid-19 Outbreak” will be considered per Applicant for all affiliate businesses. 

The Applicant will be asked to declare all applications being submitted for affiliated businesses when submitting the application forms.

Golf clubs produce financial statements and applicants are required to submit these as part of the application. If further financial information is required during the assessment, the evaluation team will be in contact with you.

For Tourism Golf Clubs, green fee revenue is the revenue deemed eligible for this Scheme. Please see the guidelines for further information on eligible/ineligible turnover.

Yes, you can and the monies will not be deducted.