Cyber Security Review Grant

About this scheme

As all Irish companies rely on digital tools, Enterprise Ireland, with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), offers the Cyber Security Review Grant to help companies review their cyber security measures, particularly as recent AI advancements have made smaller businesses more attractive targets for malicious actors. It funds engagement of a cyber security expert to independently evaluate a company's cyber security policies, procedures and systems, covering three elements: a review based on a detailed checklist designed with the NCSC; a structured report with a prioritised action plan; and a training workshop with materials. Focus areas can include technical evaluation of network/system/application/endpoint security, security controls, key asset protection, business continuity and disaster recovery, security awareness training, incident management, and the security of AI systems. It provides an 80% grant for a clearly defined, fixed project cost of €3,000 (covering all costs including consultant time, travel and other expenses), giving a maximum grant of €2,400. It is offered under the Digital Transition Fund and aimed at Enterprise Ireland client companies with an assigned Client Advisor.

Who can apply

• Must be an Enterprise Ireland client company with an assigned Client Advisor (companies without one must first become an Enterprise Ireland client)
• Only one Cyber Security Review Grant may be approved per company in any 12-month period
• Activities carried out before the application was approved are not eligible for grant support
• Cyber security expert engaged must be solution agnostic (no assessments from technology platform or software providers)
• Not a general consultancy grant; cannot be used for: routine/business-as-usual digital system upgrades (e.g. software patches); general management consultancy (business strategy, market research, product development, financial review and planning, sales & marketing, HR planning or health & safety training, IT training for existing systems, routine consultancy audits); scoping or sourcing equipment purchases or planning for other grant applications; or projects focused on physical security (e.g. manned guarding of sites or protection of key personnel)

How to apply

1. 1Read the eligibility requirements
2. 2Contact your Enterprise Ireland Client Advisor to discuss the engagement
3. 3Find a suitable, solution-agnostic cyber security consultant
4. 4Find your company's CRO (Companies Registration Office) number
5. 5Apply on Enterprise Ireland's online Client Portal and select the Cyber Security Review project option
6. 6If approved, receive a Letter of Offer, then engage the cyber security expert to carry out the review (technical evaluation, security controls assessment, and cyber security training workshop), producing a structured report with a prioritised action plan
7. 7Company pays the consultant and submits the claim to Enterprise Ireland, using its client number (CES ID) to encrypt files, which can be found in "Schedule A" of the Letter of Offer
8. 8The claim is assigned to a Grant Payment Officer, who reviews the details and seeks clarification if necessary; if in order, it is passed to the Cyber Security Review Grant Manager, who reviews the submission and instructs the Grant Payment Officer to pay or disallow the claim; the Grant Payment Officer then authorises the claim and submits a payment request to Finance