Fáilte Ireland has announced a new fund to help Irish tourism businesses adapt to Covid-19.
The €26million Adaptation Fund, launching today, will make grants of up to €15,000 available to tourism and hospitality businesses.
The support is intended to offset the costs businesses had in adapting premises or operations and implementing Fáilte Ireland’s Guidelines for Re-opening. Those new costs include installing barriers and screens, developing outdoor areas, implementing new technology, PPE and sanitiser.
Grant amounts will range from between €500 and €15,000, depending on the size of each businesses and the type of costs they incurred.
Fine Gael TD for Sligo, Leitrim, South Donegal and North Roscommon Frank Feighan is encouraging businesses in the north west to apply for the support. Prior to Covid-19, it was estimated that the tourism industry supports in excess of 29,000 jobs in the north west region.
Businesses must tick a number of boxes in order to be eligible to apply, Deputy Feighan explained:
“For example, businesses wishing to draw down funding must be open at the time of application in order to be eligible for the fund. Businesses must have implemented the reopening guidelines issued by Fáilte Ireland and it must have obtained the Fáilte Ireland safety charter, which is a way to communicate to your customers that you have implemented all the required Fáilte Ireland Covid-19 safety measures.”
The National Tourism Development Authority estimates that there are approximately 12,000 businesses that will be eligible to apply for funding, making it the largest fund in terms of the number of businesses, ever administered by Fáilte Ireland.
Eligible businesses can apply for the COVID-19 Adaptation Fund from 18th August to the 8th October 2020.
For more information on Fáilte Ireland’s COVID-19 Adaptation Fund, visit www.failteireland.ie/
