Financial Supports

Kerry County Enterprise Board offers a range of financial support packages to qualifying small businesses. Eligible enterprises include those employing 10 or less full-time employees and satisfy the criteria set out below.

Eligibility Criteria for Financial Supports

• Projects in niche manufacturing or niche internationally traded services, which in time can graduate to the Enterprise Ireland Portfolio.
• Other worthwhile commercial ventures promoted by long term unemployed or those made redundant, which will contribute to national competitiveness and local development but will avoid job displacement.
• Tourism enterprises aimed predominantly at overseas visitors.
• Other worthwhile commercial ventures promoted by long term unemployed,those made redundant and females, which will contribute to national competitiveness and local development but will avoid job displacement and deadweight
• Projects must be in the commercial sphere, demonstrate a market for the product/service, have a capacity for growth and job creation.
• Promising projects emerging from work in second or third level colleges.

Ineligible projects

• Retail enterprises, restaurants, cafes, mobile food outlets, wholesale enterprises, personal services (e.g. gardeners, hairdressers etc), professional services (e.g. accountants, solicitors), construction and primary agriculture. 
• Projects in the local service sector which give rise to deadweight and displacement.

Synopsis of Financial Supports

• Priming Grant (Refundable Capital) – Priming Grants may be approved covering up to 50% of qualifying capital costs up to a maximum of €150,000 within the first eighteen months of operation. Grants in excess of €80,000 shall be the exception and shall only apply in the case of projects that clearly demonstrate a potential to export or graduate to Enterprise Ireland. Eligible costs include capital costs, salary for 1st yeay of employment, renatl accomodation, utility costs, marketing costs, consultancy costs and business specific training.
• Business Expansion Grant – Business Expansions Grants of up to 50% of qualifying costs to a maximum of €150,000. Grants in excess of €80,000 shall be the exception unless export potential and potential graduation to Enterprise Ireland proven. A business which availed of a priming grant shall be ineligible for a Business Expansion Grant for an 18 month period. Eligible costs include capital costs, salary for 1st yeay of employment, renatl accomodation, utility costs, marketing costs, consultancy costs and business specific training.
• Feasibility Study Grant – for the purpose of assessing market demand for a proposed new product or service. Up to 50% of eligible expenditure to a maximum of of €20,000 for eligible projects. Eligible costs include innovation, research, own labour and miscellaneous costs (must not exceed 20% of overall grant level. payments to state bodies are not deemed eligible costs.