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. 

An applicant must meet all the following criteria:

1. Registered or Approved (or in application) under Fáilte Ireland’s National Quality Assurance Framework (NQAF) as of March 8th 2022: In order to be eligible, the following businesses must be registered with Fáilte Ireland as Statutory Accommodation Providers:

• Hotels
• Guest houses
• Holiday Hostels
• Youth Hostels
• Caravan & Camping Parks
• Self-Catering (registered under a prescribed term)
• Holiday Camps

In order to be eligible, the following businesses must be approved by Fáilte Ireland as Non-Statutory Accommodation Providers:

• B&Bs
• Historic Houses
• Self-Catering (individual properties)
• Fáilte Ireland’s Welcome Standard* 

*With the exception of (i) Welcome Standard Approved Marinas and (ii) Welcome Standard Approved Campus Accommodation, which are not eligible for funding under this scheme.

All applicants must be included on the Fáilte Ireland Register of Statutory Accommodation or, the Fáilte Ireland Non-Statutory Approved Accommodation Listing. For the purposes of these Guidelines, hereafter both documents together will be referred to as the "NQAF Listings".

Accommodation providers not included on, or who have not applied to, Fáilte Ireland’s National Quality Assurance Framework as at March 8th 2022 are ineligible to apply under this scheme.

2. Downturn in Turnover: Must demonstrate that they have experienced a 50% downturn in eligible tourism turnover when comparing total eligible tourism turnover in 2019 compared with eligible tourism turnover between January 2021 and December 2021 inclusive.

3. Minimum Turnover: Have a minimum turnover from the delivery of eligible tourism business activities within the Republic of Ireland of €50,000 in 2019.

4. Existing Operator: Have been in existence and trading prior to January 1st, 2020.

5. Continuation/Resumption of Trade: Have resumed/or intend to resume trading in 2022, and in line with government guidance.

6. Tax: Be established and 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:

1. National Quality Assurance Framework: Accommodation providers not included on, or who have not applied to, Fáilte Ireland’s National Quality Assurance Framework by 8th March 2022 are ineligible to apply under this scheme.

2. Previous Schemes: Applicants who were successful in either Strategic Tourism Transport Business Continuity Scheme 2022 or Strategic Ireland Based Inbound Agents Scheme 2022 are not eligible to apply for this scheme.

3. 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.

4. Marinas: Infrastructure, such as moorings and berthage approved under the Welcome Standard, are not eligible.

5. Campus Accommodation and Student Accommodation: On the basis that this accommodation is not primarily available for tourist use, this accommodation category is ineligible.

6. Public Bodies: Any business that is owned and operated by, or in receipt of funding from, the following public bodies is ineligible to apply: 

a. Office of Public Works
b. National Parks and Wildlife Service
c. Local Authorities/County Councils and their subsidiaries
d. National Museum
e.Waterways Ireland
f. Coillte 

Commercial semi-state bodies or the subsidiary of a public sector body 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 land to operate.

7. Property Marketing Companies, Groups or Organisations