Ireland’s small businesses are under pressure — higher energy costs, rent, and rates make it tough to stay competitive. That’s why the government introduced the Power Up Grant, a one-time €4,000 payment for eligible retail, hospitality, and beauty businesses. It’s designed to ease financial strain and help local enterprises grow — whether that means refreshing your premises or collaborating with an online marketing agency in Dublin to expand your customer base.
What is the Power Up Grant?
The Power Up Grant is a financial support measure introduced by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE) for eligible businesses operating in the hospitality, retail and beauty sectors in Ireland. The scheme carries a budget of around €170 million, and the grant amount for each qualifying business is €4,000.
The purpose of the funding is to offset cost-pressures — for example commercial rates, energy, rent, supply chain inflation — and to provide a direct cash-injection ahead of key trading periods.
Who is eligible?
While this isn’t a universal business grant, the eligibility criteria are quite clear:
- Your business must be in the hospitality, retail or beauty sector.
- You must have received the second payment under the earlier Increased Cost of Business (ICOB) scheme (for the aforementioned sectors) and still meet ICOB criteria.
- Your business must have paid commercial rates in 2023 (or be able to satisfy rate-compliance), be tax-compliant, trading from a commercially-rateable property, and intend to continue trading for at least three months from your submission date.
- For businesses that did not have a 2023 commercial rates bill but were trading from a rateable premises in 2023 in that sector, there is some provision for eligibility — subject to local-authority discretion.
In short: if you run a café, a retail store, a salon or spa, or similar in that taxonomy, and you previously accessed ICOB, you are very likely eligible — but don’t assume eligibility without checking.
Why is this relevant to your digital strategy?
Even though the grant is aimed at traditional bricks-and-mortar businesses, its arrival offers a useful opportunity for businesses looking to amplify their online footprint. Whether you engage an agency to optimise your website, ramp up social media, or launch local search campaigns, those activities are part of broader business resilience. A partnership with an online marketing agency (for example, Brand Nova Digital) could dovetail neatly with your investment in the Power Up Grant.
What’s more, if your business is also thinking forward about other forms of funding or investment, the grant may free up budget elsewhere – meaning you can allocate funds previously earmarked for costs into digital growth or marketing innovation.
How to apply and what to watch out for
- Applications are administered by your local authority via the portal at mycoco.ie/powerup.
- You will typically receive an email from your local authority if you meet the initial trigger criteria (for example having had the second ICOB payment) — check your inbox and spam folders.
- The registration portal has a deadline; for many local authorities the closing date was extended to 22 November 2024.
- Even if you have previously accessed ICOB, ensure your business remains compliant: up-to-date rates, eligible property, and continuing trading status all matter.
- Note that the grant is intended as revenue-support rather than capital-investment. Accordingly, there are rules under the EU “de minimis” state aid regime.
Key benefits & potential limitations
Benefits
- A flat payment of €4,000 is sizeable for small or micro businesses, offering liquidity and flexibility.
- Simple eligibility if you qualified under ICOB; many of the procedural burdens are already addressed.
- Administered via existing local-authority channels — the same body that handles your commercial rates account — which helps speed processing.
Limitations
- It is restricted to specific sectors (hospitality, retail, beauty) – so other business types may not qualify.
- Deadline is strictly enforced — missing the portal registration date means you lose the opportunity.
- It may be taxable (i.e., treated as revenue) so you should check tax-treatment with your accountant.
- Businesses that started trading in 2024 or later may not be eligible, since trading activity in 2023 is required.
Next steps for your business
- Check whether your business received the second ICOB payment and meets the sector-classification and compliance criteria.
- Log into the MyCoCo portal (mycoco.ie/powerup) and follow through with the registration process — ideally sooner rather than later.
- Inform your accountant or financial advisor that you intend to claim the grant, so that tax-treatment is reviewed and your books remain in order.
- With the grant secured, consider how best to leverage it: perhaps by engaging a specialist partner such as Brand Nova Digital to elevate your online brand presence, local search visibility, or customer acquisition strategy.
- Retain supporting documentation (proof of trading, rates bill, tax compliance) in case the local authority or DETE carry out verification or audit.
Getting your business powered up means acting now.
The Power Up Grant offers a timely injection of support for eligible businesses in Ireland’s retail, hospitality and beauty sectors — but only if you check your eligibility, register via your local authority portal, and plan how best to deploy the funds.