Green Transition Fund
| 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 |  |
As part of Ireland’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan and funded by the European Union, the Green Transition Fund will accelerate the decarbonisation of Irish enterprise.
It comprises two separate streams of funding, to support the different aspects of the decarbonisation journey for Irish enterprises. These are:
- Climate Planning Fund for Business – building company capability to develop plans for lower-carbon products, processes, and business models.
- Enterprise Emissions Reduction Investment Fund– supporting capital investment and Research, Development & Innovation in decarbonisation
Climate Planning Fund for Business
The Climate Planning Fund for Business (CPFB) is targeted at companies of different sizes and at different stages of engagement in their decarbonisation journey. It comprises a range of offers to reflect the different levels of engagement and preparedness of companies. The offers being provided under the CPFB will support companies to accelerate their awareness of decarbonisation opportunities, build capability and put in place sustainability plans.
| Grant Offer | Support Available |
Climate Action Voucher: Consultancy support to develop an initial sustainability/ decarbonisation/circular economy strategy and action plan. | €1,800 grant |
| GreenStart: Consultancy grant to support companies to introduce environmental best practice systems and structures, achieve cost and resource reduction targets and lay a foundation for future environmental improvement projects | Grant rate of up to 80% of eligible costs up to a maximum grant of €5000 |
| GreenPlus: Support for training projects to develop a high level of environmental management capability, drive environmental efficiencies and achieve improved sustainability. | Grant rate of up to 50% of eligible costs up to a maximum grant of €50,000 |
| Strategic Consultancy: Consultancy grant to assist large energy users develop a carbon reduction roadmap | Grant rates of up to 50% of eligible costs. Typical maximum support of €35k |
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Eligible companies for the Climate Planning Fund for Business are clients of Enterprise Ireland and Údarás na Gaeltachta. Specific eligibility criteria for each of the offers is available on the individual offer main webpages.
In addition funding support for climate planning is available through the Local Enterprise Offices.
Enterprise Emissions Reduction Investment Fund
Companies are at different stages of awareness, engagement and planning for the investments required to transform the sustainability performance of their business through decarbonisation. The Enterprise Emissions Reduction Investment Fund is targeted at companies of different sizes and stages of engagement in their decarbonisation journey: to put in place energy monitoring systems, thereby establishing the carbon footprint of their enterprise; to make investments in decarbonising their manufacturing processes; and to support Research, Development and Innovation (RD&I) in low carbon products and processes.
| Grant Offer | Support Available |
Capital investment for Energy Monitoring & Tracking (EM & T) Systems: Supporting companies to put in place monitoring and targeting systems to begin accounting for the carbon footprint of their activities
| Grant rate of up to 50% of eligible costs, up to a maximum support of €50,000 |
| Capital investment for decarbonisation processes: Supporting investment in carbon reducing technologies in manufacturing combustion processes |
Max. grant rate of 30-50%, dependent on company size, up to a maximum support of €1m |
| Innovation Vouchers: Providing assistance to SMEs to explore a business opportunity or problem with a registered knowledge provider in the areas of sustainability and decarbonisation | €5,000 per company |
| Exploring Innovation: Grant to support planning of research, development or innovation projects in the areas of sustainability and decarbonisation | Grant rate of up to 50% of eligible costs. Typical maximum support of €35k |
| Research & Development: Supporting the development of new or substantially improved products, services or processes, in the areas of sustainability and decarbonisation | Grant rates depend on project type and company size |
| Agile Innovation: Supporting the development of new or substantially improved products, services or processes, in the areas of sustainability and decarbonisation | Grant rate of up to 50% of eligible costs.
Typical maximum support of €150k |
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Eligible companies for the Enterprise Emissions Reduction Investment Fund are manufacturing companies that are clients of Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland and Údarás na Gaeltachta. Specific eligibility criteria for each of the offers is available on the individual offer main webpages.
Note: Eligible companies for Innovation Vouchers are all SMEs.
Environmental Compliance and Do No Significant Harm
All projects supported under the Green Transition fund 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.
1 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.
3 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.
4 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.
Key contacts/more information
For more information, please contact your Enterprise Ireland Adviser.
If you are not a client, please contact your nearest Enterprise Ireland Regional Office.
For general enquiries about the Green Transition Fund, please email green@enterprise-ireland.com
Clients of Udaras na Gaeltachta and IDA Ireland should contact their relevant agency.
