Upskill SME Training Grant

About this scheme

The Upskill SME Training Grant is a Skillnet Ireland initiative funded as De Minimis aid, designed to help Irish SMEs across all business sectors reclaim employee salary costs for participating in AI-related training. Eligible SMEs can claim a flat CSO-linked daily rate per employee for contact time spent on approved AI training during contracted working hours, with annual grant amounts capped by SME size. Companies must be Republic of Ireland-registered, tax compliant, trading over 12 months, and within De Minimis aid limits. Public bodies, charities, non-ROI companies, and sole traders are excluded. Eligible training must be AI-focused (covering themes such as AI readiness, leadership for AI, data skills, building AI solutions, AI governance, or using AI in business), delivered by an approved external provider (Skillnet networks, HEIs, or ETBs), run in Ireland, and completed by employees to at least 80% attendance. The five-stage process runs from portal registration, through an eligibility check, application submission, evaluation, and payment. Support launches with a customer helpdesk from mid-September 2026.

Who can apply

• Company must be registered in the Republic of Ireland with the Companies Registration Office (CRO) and operating in Ireland for more than 12 months
• Company must be tax compliant and classed as an SME (headcount under 250, and either turnover ≤€50m or balance sheet value ≤€43m)
• Annual grant amount is capped by SME size: €5,000 for micro enterprises (under 10 staff), €15,000 for small enterprises (under 50 staff), and €25,000 for medium enterprises (under 250 staff), each also subject to turnover/balance-sheet thresholds
• Company must remain within De Minimis aid thresholds (€300,000 general aid over a rolling 3-year period; €50,000 for Primary Agriculture; €40,000 for Fisheries/Aquaculture, all cumulative toward the €300,000 cap)
• Ineligible companies include public sector bodies, charities/not-for-profits, companies based outside the Republic of Ireland, and sole traders
• Training must be on the approved programme list, have AI skills/readiness as its primary learning outcome (not a minor component), and be delivered by an approved external provider (Skillnet Ireland Business Networks/National Initiatives, Higher Education Institutions, or Education and Training Boards)
• Training must take place in the Republic of Ireland, during the employee's contracted working hours, have a minimum of 1 day (6 hours of contact time), and be funded by the employer
• Participants must be direct employees (not contractors, sole traders, or self-employed individuals) who complete at least 80% of the required training time
• Only the flat-rate daily reimbursement can be claimed (€204.30 per day, based on Q2 2025 CSO figures, updated annually); course/tuition fees, training provider costs, and employee-funded training are ineligible, as are costs already reimbursed under another public grant or subsidy

How to apply

1. 1Register the company on the Skillnet Ireland Grant Management Application Portal, providing CRO number, registered name and address, establishment date, business description, NACE codes, and primary contact details
2. 2The Upskill SME Training Grant Management Assessment Team assesses SME eligibility, checking SME classification, tax compliance, and De Minimis aid thresholds
3. 3Arrange and complete training with an approved provider from the published programme catalogue
4. 4Download and submit the Training Completion Form, signed by both the employer (or appointed representative) and the training provider/network manager
5. 5Submit the Application for Cost Recovery via the portal, including training programme details (dates, mode, delivery partner, location, invoice/proof of payment), employee details (name, job title, occupation, redacted PPSN), an up-to-date Tax Clearance Certificate, bank details, and a declaration of De Minimis aid received in the last 3 years
6. 6The Assessment Team evaluates the application for compliance and checks costs against the applicable SME size threshold
7. 7Approved grants are paid into the validated bank account provided at registration; payments are made on a first-come, first-served basis and may be deferred if available funding is exhausted