Energy Efficiency Grant: 75% of the cost of energy-saving equipment, up to €10,000

What it pays

The grant is 75% of what the equipment costs, including installation. The smallest grant is €750 and the largest is €10,000. So a €1,000 project gets €750, and the grant reaches its €10,000 ceiling on a project of about €13,300.

A business with more than one premises can apply for a project in each, within the overall limit for the business.

In 2025, 715 businesses were approved. That is more than for any other Local Enterprise Office cash grant.

The official page does not set out how the grant is paid. Other Local Enterprise Office grants are paid only after you have paid the supplier, so ask the office before you order.

Who can apply

Companies, self-employed people and partnerships can all apply. The business must:

• have between 1 and 50 paid employees
• be established and trading for at least 6 months, in the area of the office it applies to
• have a Green for Business report, a GreenStart report or an SEAI energy audit, with the project following its recommendations
• have a fixed premises that is commercially rateable, shown by a rates bill, or be approved under Fáilte Ireland's National Quality Assurance Framework
• own the premises, or hold a lease with at least 12 months left or an agreed option to renew
• be solvent and have current tax clearance
• not be a client of Enterprise Ireland or IDA Ireland

If your rates are paid by a landlord and built into your rent, you can still apply. So can a business whose premises is rateable but has not been rated yet, with a letter from the council saying so.

The office must also be satisfied that the project would not have gone ahead without the grant.

Who cannot apply

• a business run only from a home office
• farming, fishing and fish farming
• coal and steel
• gambling, adult entertainment, tobacco, and cannabis products that are not authorised medicines
• trade associations, chambers of commerce and other non-commercial bodies

What it covers, and what it does not

The grant is for equipment used in running the business. Covered:

• replacing equipment with a more efficient model, such as a fridge or freezer unit, an electric oven, an electric steam boiler or an industrial dishwasher. The old equipment must be more than 5 years old
• meters for electricity, gas, oil, water or steam, and the cost of fitting them
• smart controls for heating, cooling and lighting
• heat pumps and heat recovery for manufacturing processes
• LED lighting, but only as part of a wider package
• food waste, water management, circular economy and sustainable packaging systems. For most of these the office wants an outline of the project before you apply
• a small wind turbine or hydro generator, with planning permission

The equipment has to cost more than its installation and commissioning.

Not covered:

• solar panels
• insulation and other upgrades to the building
• heat pumps for heating rooms, and air conditioning
• biomass and biogas boilers, and anything that runs on fossil fuel
• mobile assets such as electric forklifts and air compressors
• waste treatment that a regulation requires you to have

For the building itself, the offices are told to point you to the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland. Solar panels and energy audits come under SEAI's own grants for businesses.

The report you need first

You cannot apply without one of three reports, and the grant is for carrying out what the report recommends.

Green for Business is the usual route for a small local business. It is free. A green consultant spends up to two days with the business and writes a report. It is open to businesses with 1 to 50 employees in almost any sector, with turnover over €30,000 and more than six months of trading. In 2025, 1,094 businesses were approved for it.

An SEAI energy audit also counts. SEAI gives a €2,000 voucher towards one, but only to a business that spends at least €10,000 a year on energy at the site. SEAI's eligibility rules change on 11 October 2026.

GreenStart is a longer consultancy project of up to seven days. It is limited to manufacturing and internationally traded services.

How to apply, step by step

1. Contact the Local Enterprise Office where your premises is. Every application has to be discussed with the office.
2. Apply for Green for Business, unless you already have a qualifying report or audit.
3. Pick the measures from the report and get prices from suppliers.
4. Send the application before you commit to anything. Have ready a rates bill, proof that you own the premises or have at least 12 months left on the lease, financial statements, and your tax clearance details.
5. Wait for the office's decision. Then buy, install and claim.

The digital side works the same way: a free consultant's report first, then the matching voucher for business software.

Common questions