Please note this scheme has now closed for applications.

The Business Overheads Grant operates as part of the Coronavirus Recovery Scheme which provides financial assistance in the form of a grant payment to support the costs of adapting a business and/or to provide support towards essential ongoing operating costs.

Financial assistance towards Business Overheads is available exclusively for businesses operating in the tourism and travel related sectors.

The Department for Enterprise’s Coronavirus Recovery Scheme is made under the Coronavirus Business Support Scheme) Scheme 2020 (“the Scheme”) came into force on 25th December 2020 to replace Appendices 9 and 10 of the Financial Assistance Scheme.

Please note: the assistance under this package of support is available until 31st March 2022.

What does the Scheme offer

Financial assistance is offered by way of a grant towards the demonstrated short term (i.e. 6 months) forecasted cash flow requirements for eligible costs which includes salaries and overheads on a case by case basis.

Eligible Expenditure

Eligible expenditure includes the following:

• Salary costs*;
• Rent on essential premises (to be paid to independent third parties only);
• Premises operating costs including rates, utilities, insurance, cleaning;
• Audit & accountancy fees**;
• IT operating costs including licenses;
• Leasing costs (to be paid to independent third parties only);
• Routine bank charges; and
• Other reasonable costs as agreed by the Department on a case by case basis***.

* 50% of residual salaries (i.e. 50% of the remaining salary costs after taking into account the Salary Support Scheme payment) and capped at £280 per employee, per week for periods 12 – 13 (4th Jan – 28th Feb 2021) and £310 per employee, per week from period 14 (1st March 2021) onwards.

** In cases where the total grant assistance requested is less than £10,000 per 3 month period or £3,333 per month, an additional grant of up to £500 per 3 month period or up to £167 per month is available to cover the cost of certification by an external accountant. The accountant must operate in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles or practice which means accounting standards and practices recommend by:-

• The International Accounting Standards Board (International Financial Reporting Standards);
• The Accounting Standards Board (United Kingdom Accounting Standards), (UK GAAP);
• The Financial Accounting Standards Board, the Government Accounting Standards Board or the Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board (US GAAP).

***The following costs are specifically excluded:

• Payments to related entities (with the exception of payments in respect of shared costs within a group structure and subject to the Department’s discretion);
• Capital or interest repayments (or lease purchase arrangements);
• Directors fees;
• Capital expenditure of any kind (vehicles, IT, premises etc.).

More information & How to apply

Applicants must read the full Scheme Guidelines before submitting an application to the Department.

All applicants are encouraged to carefully review their eligibility status before submitting the application form (available to download under 'Downloadable Resources').

Potential applicants who are unsure of their eligibility can complete a brief online enquiry form and a member of the Enterprise Support team will be in touch. The online enquiry form can be found here.

The Coronavirus Recovery Scheme operates in two parts and provides grant assistance to eligible businesses which have been negatively affected by the restrictions resulting from the ongoing pandemic. The two parts of the Scheme are as follows:

• Support towards business adaptation – this option for support is open to a wide range of sectors other than those excluded, details of which can be found on page 10; and
• Assistance towards essential business overheads – this option is only open to businesses in the tourism and travel related sectors.