Is your business eligible?
Applicants should read the eligibility criteria set out below to ensure they meet the criteria and qualify for the Scheme before applying.
Eligibility does not mean an entitlement to funding, which is at the sole discretion of Fáilte Ireland, rather it means eligibility to make an application for grant funding.
A Qualifying Applicant must meet all the following criteria:
1. Business Type:
Applicants must satisfy the conditions of one of the below categories of tourism businesses that have been identified for support under the Scheme. It is important that all applicants check the definition and eligibility criteria specified for each category of business before applying. For this Scheme, applicants must:
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Operate as a Republic of Ireland Based Inbound Agent (IBIA), DMC or PCO who package, sell, and market Ireland’s tourism product overseas; and
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Be a member of, or meets the criteria to become a member of, any of the following - as defined in either Appendix I or Appendix II:
i. Incoming Tour Operator Association (ITOA)
ii. Association of Irish Professional Conference Organisers (AIPCO)
iii. Irish Golf Tour Operator Association (IGTOA)
iv. Fáilte Ireland approved Destination Management Company (DMC)
v. Fáilte Ireland approved Professional Conference Organiser (PCO)
or
The applicant has participated in a minimum of two international sales platforms between the years 2018 and 2020 via the Fáilte Ireland portal.
2. Downturn in Eligible Tourism Turnover due to COVID-19:
Eligible applicants must demonstrate that they have experienced a 50% downturn in eligible tourism turnover when comparing total average eligible monthly tourism turnover in 2019 compared with average eligible monthly tourism turnover between January 2021 and December 2021 inclusive. Applicants must exclude funding from Government supports in 2021 when calculating their eligible tourism turnover.
3. Minimum Eligible Tourism Turnover:
Have a minimum eligible tourism turnover of €50,000 in 2019.
4. Existing Operator:
Have been in existence and trading prior to January 1st, 2020.
5. Continuation/Resumption of Trade:
Intend to continue trading in 2022 or when it is safe to do so in line with Government guidance.
6. Tax:
Registered for Tax, and tax cleared in the Republic of Ireland.
Ineligible Applicants
Applicants who meet one or more of the below criteria are ineligible to apply for the Scheme:
Undertakings in Difficulty: Applicants who were considered an “undertaking in difficulty” for the purposes of State Aid law as at 31 December 2019, save that aid may be granted to a micro or small enterprise that was already in difficulty as at 31 December 2019 provided that they are not subject to collective insolvency procedure under national law, and that they have not received rescue aid or restructuring aid.
Public Ownership: Fáilte Ireland reserve the right to refuse to grant funding under this Scheme if it determines that a tourism business is publicly owned or is supported by State funding.
Note: Commercial semi-state bodies or the commercial subsidiary of a semi-state body or any applicant business that operates independently on a ‘risk and reward’ basis, and not on behalf of any public entity are eligible under this Scheme, regardless of whether or not the applicant uses public property to operate.