Brexit Funding Grants Announced

The Irish Government has announced a new programme to support businesses in Ireland who trade with the UK, in the same week that the Welsh Government has confirmed its own Brexit grant scheme has provided £2.5 million to businesses in Wales.

The newly announced Irish initiative seeks to support Irish businesses "develop the capacity to deal with the additional customs requirements due to the UK’s departure from the EU, notably under No Deal." Commenting on the initiative, Minister for Finance, Paschal Donohoe T.D., told companies in Ireland "If you trade with the UK, Brexit will most definitely impact your business. This targeted measure is aimed at supporting and incentivising capacity building in the customs agent sector. This is complementary to the Government’s overall efforts to support and facilitate smooth and efficient trade flows. You should make necessary preparations now to minimise disruption to your business come 31 October – register for an EORI number, work out how you are going to make your customs declarations and if you will require a customs agent to assist you."

The announcement from the Welsh Government also highlighted the importance for planning ahead, explaining that its grant scheme has approved almost £2.5 million in grants "to help Welsh businesses adjust to the challenges of Brexit since the Welsh Government’s Brexit Business Resilience Programme was launched last year." Confirming the grants, Economy Minister Ken Skates said "The threat of a no deal Brexit continues to cause deep uncertainty in our economy, threatening jobs and people’s livelihoods ... Many businesses have engaged with the Brexit Resilience Grant Fund we established to help future-proof our economy and work with the business sector to prepare for the challenges ahead ... It is clear that this support is helping companies across Wales to navigate immediate Brexit burdens and uncertainties and to develop new collaborations and innovations. I would urge any Welsh company to find out how Business Wales can help them manage and prepare for the ongoing uncertainties of Brexit."

As well as schemes in Ireland and Wales, programmes of funding have been made available in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Support for firms in England is expected to be announced soon, with funding of circa £60 million available from early September. In Northern Ireland, the Brexit preparation grant is described as "a specific product which provides financial assistance to our customers to prepare for the changes and challenges presented by Brexit", whilst Scotland's Brexit Support Grant is aimed at supporting Scottish businesses with their Brexit preparations.

For more details on national programmes of support, check out the below links:

Scotland's Brexit Support Grant

Northern Ireland's Brexit Preparation Grant

Wales' Brexit Business Resilience Grant Fund

Ireland's Government Initiative

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