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Enterprise Ireland

31 schemes tracked

Access Advice: GreenStart

This Enterprise Ireland grant funds the cost of hiring a sustainability consultant to help a business introduce environmental best-practice systems and structures, improving environmental performance through greater resource efficiency, competitive advantage and cost reduction. It provides funding support of up to 80% of eligible costs to a maximum grant of €5,000, against a typical assignment cost of €6,300.

Grant range
Up to €5,000
Funding level
80%
Support type
Grant
Last checked
4 Sept 2026
Start this application on Enterprise Ireland's website (opens in a new tab)

About this scheme

Access Advice: GreenStart helps businesses improve their environmental performance through greater resource efficiency, driving competitive advantage and reducing costs. It funds up to 7 days of consultancy with a sustainability consultant to introduce best-practice sustainable systems and structures, for projects such as implementing a structured environmental management and reporting system, developing a decarbonisation strategy and action plan, or aligning environmental practices to global/Irish sustainability reporting initiatives. It is available to Enterprise Ireland clients: HPSUs, SMEs employing 10 or more staff, and large companies; non-clients with 1-50 employees in the manufacturing/internationally traded services sectors should instead approach their Local Enterprise Office. Funding support covers up to 80% of eligible costs to a maximum grant of €5,000, against a typical assignment cost of €6,300. GreenStart is funded under the Climate Planning Fund for Business, part of the Green Transition Fund under Ireland's National Recovery and Resilience Plan, funded by the European Union, aimed at accelerating the decarbonisation of Irish enterprise.

Who can apply

  • Must be an Enterprise Ireland client: a High Potential Startup (HPSU), an SME employing 10 or more staff, or a large company
  • Businesses that are not Enterprise Ireland clients and employ 1 to 50 employees in the manufacturing or internationally traded services sectors are not eligible here and should instead contact their Local Enterprise Office
  • Company must provide its organisational carbon footprint as part of the application (via the Climate Toolkit 4 Business Carbon Calculator, GHG Protocol Corporate Standard, ISO 14064-1 Standard, or similar)
  • Application and associated expenditure will not be accepted if the company has already initiated a GreenStart assignment before submitting its application
  • Support covers a maximum of 7 consultancy days with an external sustainability consultant/trainer, typically delivered over 8-10 weeks; maximum daily fee payable is €900, inclusive of travel, subsistence and all out-of-pocket expenses (actual market-rate costs to the company may be higher)
  • All supported projects must comply with relevant EU and national environmental legislation, including the 'Do No Significant Harm' Technical Guidance (2021/C58/01)
  • Receipt of other Enterprise Ireland grants may impact eligibility for this support
  • Any service provider must not be a direct or indirect employee or director of the recipient company
  • Ineligible costs: general consultancy (PR, market research, IT implementation, financial review and planning, legal, HR consulting, or health & safety training); consultancy for design, installation or commissioning; capital equipment, materials, or travel and subsistence costs; and activities that are already legally required (e.g. energy audits legally mandated under the European Energy Efficiency Directive)

How to apply

  1. Read the GreenStart eligibility requirements
  2. Contact your Enterprise Ireland Client Advisor to discuss the assignment further; if you do not have a Client Advisor, you must first become an Enterprise Ireland client
  3. Once ready to apply, submit an application through the online application system under the Access Advice grant, selecting the GreenStart project option; first-time applicants must register to apply, and the online application forms provide a step-by-step guide for each tab
  4. As part of the application, provide the company's organisational carbon footprint (via the Climate Toolkit 4 Business Carbon Calculator, GHG Protocol Corporate Standard, ISO 14064-1 Standard, or similar)
  5. If approved, receive a Letter of Offer confirming the grant title, Project Number, approved expenditure and Final Claim Date, then engage a sustainability consultant (selected from Enterprise Ireland's Green Service Providers Directory or otherwise, provided the provider's qualifications are demonstrated to Enterprise Ireland) to carry out the GreenStart assignment
  6. Download and complete the Access Advice Claim Form, Checklist and Director Statement (one Excel workbook), plus a Progress Report (Word document)
  7. Email the completed claim (with signed/PDF Director Statement) to IndustryGrantClaims@enterprise-ireland.com, including Company Name and Project Number in the subject line, with files encrypted using the company's CES ID
  8. A Payment Officer reviews the claim; if information is missing they suspend the claim and request it, or return it as invalid if the Final Claim Date has passed or documentation is significantly incomplete; if complete, the claimed expenditure and supporting documentation are desk inspected, the Payment Officer authorises the claim and submits a payment request to Finance, and payment follows to the company's bank account