Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 22 February 2023
55. Deputy Louise O'Reilly asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the amount of funding allocated for the business continuity voucher and the micro enterprise assistance fund under the Supplementary Estimate for 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9130/23]
View answerBoth the Business Continuity Voucher and the Micro Enterprise Assistance Fund were introduced as temporary emergency supports in 2020 to help businesses in the immediate aftermath of COVID-19 and therefore only received a budget allocation in 2020.
The primary aim of the Business Continuity Voucher scheme was to support companies to make informed decisions on the immediate measures needed to continue trading during the COVID lockdown while securing the safety of all employees and future business viability through identification of remedial actions.
The Micro-Enterprise Assistance Fund was open to enterprises with fewer than 10 employees which were ineligible for existing grants. It offered a voucher of up to €1,000 to help them adapt and invest to rebuild their business. The grant was a contribution towards the cost of re-opening or keeping a business operational and re-connecting with employees and customers.
The LEOs continue to support small businesses through: grant aid for clients with export potential; entrepreneurship programmes; and training, advisory and consultancy programmes that focus on improving the competitiveness and productivity of clients through programmes such as Lean, Digital Start and Green for Micro.
