Access to Finance hub

Our role is to ensure that SMEs, including microenterprises, can access appropriate and affordable finance suitable to their stage of development. While it remains the responsibility of the banking system to provide credit to businesses, government, working with agencies, the banking sector and alternative finance providers offers additional targeted supports where there are market failures. A wide range of supports is now available for companies at all stages of their life-cycle – from start-ups and early stage companies to those seeking to scale and grow.

Access to finance schemes

• Microenterprise Loan Fund
• Growth and Sustainability Loan Scheme

Credit Review provides a simple and effective review process for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), sole traders and farm enterprises refused credit from Allied Irish Bank, Bank of Ireland, PTSB and Ulster Bank.

Credit Review seeks workable solutions for viable borrowers who are having difficulty in obtaining credit from all major Banks.

Credit Review:

• helps all SMEs and farms on lending matters
• provides expert assistance and information

Important credit information sheets and updates on current credit issues affecting SMEs and farms are regularly published and available at creditreview.ie

A call to Credit Review’s helpline on 1850 211 789 is all you need to get assistance.

For information on supports available to SMEs in Ireland please see the National Enterprise Hub which sets out the full range of government financial and other supports.

Growth and Sustainability Loan Scheme quarterly reports

Local Enterprise Offices

The Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) are the first-stop shop for providing advice and guidance in relation to a range of business issues, including financial matters, to the micro and small business sector. They also provide soft supports in the form of training and mentoring to anyone wishing to start or grow a business and financial assistance to micro-enterprises that meet certain criteria. Among their range of services, the LEOs:

• provide focused training courses on a range of topics, including on financial issues such as financial planning (pricing, costing) book-keeping and taxation, and more intensive Start Your Own Business and management development programmes, which also incorporate financial elements
• arrange mentoring supports tailored to meet the specific needs of your business, for example, financial planning, business strategy
• can offer direct grant aid to microenterprises (10 employees or fewer) in the manufacturing and internationally traded services sector
• operate a signposting service in relation to all relevant State supports available through agencies such as Microfinance Ireland and the Credit Review Office

Details of the full range of LEO supports and the location of your local office are available on localenterprise.ie.

InterTradeIreland

InterTradeIreland, the cross-border trade and business development body funded by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and the Department for the Economy, offers a Funding Advisory Service.

Microfinance Ireland

Microfinance Ireland's Advice Centre offers expert advice on cash flow management for small business and funding your own Irish start-up.

National Enterprise Hub

For information on supports available to SMEs in Ireland please see the National Enterprise Hub which sets out the full range of government financial and other supports.