Green Start

Every business is now working toward a greener future by incorporating sustainable practices into their day to day operations. With Access Advice: GreenStart, we’re helping businesses to improve their environmental performance through greater resource efficiency, driving competitive advantage and reducing costs.

What can it be used for?

Projects may include:

  • Implementing a structured environmental management and reporting system
  • Developing a decarbonisation strategy and action plan,
  • Aligning environmental practices to global/Irish sustainability reporting initiatives.

What is provided?

  • Fund the cost of hiring a sustainability consultant to introduce best practice sustainable systems and structures to the business
  • Maximum grant funding available is €5,000.

Who is it for?

  • Businesses seeking to introduce environmental best practice systems to achieve cost and resource reduction.

Eligibility & Application

How do I apply?

  1. Read the eligibility requirements.
  2. Contact your Client Advisor to discuss further
  3. If you do not have a Client Advisor, please contact eolas@udaras.ie.

When you have discussed the application with your advisor and you are ready to apply, an application form can be sent to you. 


Further Application Information

  • Companies will be required to provide their organisational carbon footprint as part of the application process either through completion of the Climate Toolkit 4 Business Carbon Calculator, GHG Protocol Corporate Standard, ISO 14064-1 Standard or similar
  • If the business has already initiated a GreenStart assignment before submitting an application to Údarás na Gaeltachta, the application and associated expenditure will not be accepted.

Eligibility Information

Who is eligible?

  • HPSUs, SMEs (employing 10 or more) and large companies that are Údarás na Gaeltachta clients.
  • Non-clients that employ one to 50 employees in the manufacturing and internationally traded services sectors should contact Údarás na Gaeltachta on eolas@udaras.ie.
  • All projects supported under the Climate Planning Fund for Business must comply with relevant EU and national environmental legislation and in particular with the ‘Do no significant harm’ Technical Guidance (2021/C58/01)

GreenStart is funded under the Climate Planning Fund for Business, which is operating under the Green Transition Fund. The overall objective of which is to accelerate the decarbonisation of Irish enterprise, as part of Ireland’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan, funded by the European Union.


What costs are eligible and what is the maximum funding available?

The typical cost of undertaking a GreenStart assignment is €6,300.

Successful applicants may be awarded funding support up to a maximum of 80% of eligible costs capped at €5,000.

The maximum daily fee payable to a consultant/trainer is €900 inclusive of travel and subsistence and all out-of-pocket expenses. Note the actual costs to the company are based on market rates and may be higher.

The maximum daily fee payable to a consultant/trainer is €900 inclusive of travel and subsistence and all out-of-pocket expenses. Note the actual costs to the company are based on market rates and may be higher.

For more information on eligible activities, download GreenStart Assignment Guidelines (.docx)

Note: Receipt of other grants from Údarás na Gaeltachta may impact on your eligibility for support under this initiative.

Legislation

Ireland’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) (2021-2026)

Under Ireland’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) (2021-2026), projects supporting the digital and climate transition of enterprise are being funded through the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility. This covers projects that will facilitate emissions reductions as part of a decarbonisation plan.

Environmental Compliance and Do No Significant Harm

All projects supported under the Climate Planning Fund for Business must comply with relevant EU and national environmental legislation and in particular with the ‘Do no significant harm’ Technical Guidance (2021/C58/01). Specifically, the following projects are not eligible:

  • activities related to fossil fuels, including downstream use1;
  • activities under the EU Emission Trading System (ETS) achieving projected greenhouse gas emissions that are not lower than the relevant benchmarks2;
  • activities related to waste landfills, incinerators3 and mechanical biological treatment plants4; and
  • activities where the long-term disposal of waste may cause harm to the environment.

 

Except projects under this measure in power and/or heat generation, as well as related transmission and distribution infrastructure, using natural gas, that are compliant with the conditions set out in Annex III of the ‘Do no significant harm’ Technical Guidance (2021/C58/01).

2 Where the activity supported achieves projected greenhouse gas emissions that are not substantially lower than the relevant benchmarks an explanation of the reasons why this is not possible should be provided. Benchmarks established for free allocation for activities falling within the scope of the Emissions Trading System, as set out in the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/447.

This exclusion does not apply to actions under this measure in plants exclusively dedicated to treating non-recyclable hazardous waste, and to existing plants, where the actions under this measure are for the purpose of increasing energy efficiency, capturing exhaust gases for storage or use or recovering materials from incineration ashes, provided such actions under this measure do not result in an increase of the plants’ waste processing capacity or in an extension of the lifetime of the plants; for which evidence is provided at plant level.

This exclusion does not apply to actions under this measure in existing mechanical biological treatment plants, where the actions under this measure are for the purpose of increasing energy efficiency or retrofitting to recycling operations of separated waste to compost bio-waste and anaerobic digestion of bio-waste, provided such actions under this measure do not result in an increase of the plants’ waste processing capacity or in an extension of the lifetime of the plants; for which evidence is provided at plant level.


Additional Information

Where can I find a suitable service provider?

A listing of services providers is published by Enterprise Ireland here Green Service Providers Directory (.xlsx).

A company may select a service provider who is on this Directory or it may select a service provider not on the Directory, in either case, sufficient information must be provided to Údarás na Gaeltachta/Enterprise Ireland to show that the proposed service provider is qualified and has successfully completed similar assignments previously.

Any provider delivering services under this scheme must not be a direct or indirect employee or director of the recipient company.

Údarás na Gaeltachta/Enterprise Ireland makes no guarantees, either explicit or implied, about the qualifications or suitability of individuals on the list of service providers. Údarás na Gaeltachta/Enterprise Ireland will not be responsible for any losses or damages resulting from a company’s choice to hire such a service provider.


Ineligible Projects

Ineligible costs include;

  • General Consultancy including Market research, IT implementation, financial review and planning, HR consulting or Health and Safety training.
  • Consultancy for design, installation or commissioning.
  • Capital equipment, materials or travel and subsistence costs.
  • Energy audits legally mandated under the European Energy Efficiency Directive.

Note: SMEs with an energy spend >€10,000/annum that are not already mandated to get an audit are potentially eligible for €2000 voucher towards an SEAI Energy Audit