Eligibility Criteria
The Upskill SME Training Grant is designed to support established SMEs based in the Republic of Ireland. To qualify, companies must meet the full eligibility criteria of the Scheme.
Eligible Companies
- SMEs based in the Republic of Ireland employing between 2 and 250 employees, and SME turnover parameters per company size. For further details, please see FAQ.
- SMEs that are at least 12 months in operation and registered with the Companies Registration Office (CRO).
- Ownership and Control: Companies that are part of a wider corporate group may need to include the employee numbers and financial data of partner or parent organisations when determining SME eligibility under the EU SME definition. For further details, please see FAQ.
Ineligible Companies
- Large private companies with over 250 employees.
- Small or Medium sized businesses that do not meet the EU Criteria for SMEs.
- Public sector organisations.
- Charity or not-for-profit organisations.
- Businesses based outside the Republic of Ireland.
Eligible Training Programmes
- Applicants can only apply for cost recovery of training completed from the eligible training programme list. In 2026, training that focuses on AI is eligible for cost recovery under the Upskill SME Training Grant. For a list of eligible training programmes, please see the Available Training Programmes.
- Training must be delivered within the Republic of Ireland.
- Training must be at least 1 day in duration and take place during the employee’s contracted working hours.
- Training must be funded by the employer.
- Grant applicants must provide satisfactory evidence of training participation and completion.
Ineligible Training Programmes
- Statutory or mandatory training programmes are not eligible for this scheme.
- Training programmes which take place during the employee's own time, outside working hours.
- Self-directed e-learning only programmes.
- Any training that is funded by the employee.
Eligible Employer Costs
- Staff salary costs, or a portion of those costs for training participation days.
- Staff salary costs are calculated based on the Central Statistics Office (CSO) Earnings and Labour Costs 2025 Q2 report of €204.30 per day.
Ineligible Employer Costs
- Training fees are not eligible for the Upskill SME Training Grant.
- Employer salary and travel and subsistence costs for training that exceed the maximum grant. Maximum grants are dependent on company size.
Where the application does not meet the required eligibility criteria, it will not be approved.
Click the button below to download the Upskill SME Training Grant’s full eligibility criteria and supporting documentation required to support grant claims from applicants.