Tipperary hospitality businesses invited to avail of €26m Covid-19 fund for adapting their businesses

The Minister for Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht Catherine Martin has today announced a new €26million COVID-19 Adaptation Fund to help tourism and hospitality businesses offset some of the costs incurred in adapting their premises or operations for re-opening.

Costs including those for barriers and protective screens, the development of outdoor areas, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and sanitiser will be covered. The Fund is being administered by Fáilte Ireland and applications are now open until October 8. 

Minister Martin secured funding for the COVID-19 Adaptation Fund as part of the Government’s July Jobs Stimulus Package.  

The National Tourism Development Authority estimates 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.  

Announcing the launch of the COVID-19 Adaptation Fund, Minister Martin said:  “This investment of €26million is another key action the Government has taken to support and sustain the tourism sector at this critical time. The Fund will help eligible businesses to offset some of the costs required in adapting premises and operations in line with Fáilte Ireland re-opening guidelines and applications are now open.” 

Fáilte Ireland has been working with the tourism industry throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to help businesses to navigate the crisis. In-line with the Government’s Roadmap for the Reopening of Business and Society, Fáilte Ireland has taken a three-step approach to supporting tourism and hospitality businesses to re-open safely.  

Fáilte Ireland developed sector specific operational guidelines for re-opening to help businesses meet the Government's public health advice and keep their employees and customers safe.  

Fáilte Ireland then developed the COVID-19 Safety Charter as a Government backed initiative to reassure consumers that the tourism and hospitality businesses that they visit have committed to adhere to the correct safety measures and hygiene protocols set out in Fáilte Ireland’s Guidelines for Re-opening.  

The COVID-19 Adaptation Fund is the third step in Fáilte Ireland’s approach to re-opening to provide a financial contribution towards the costs incurred by tourism businesses as they implement Fáilte Ireland’s Guidelines for Re-opening.  

Paul Kelly, CEO of Fáilte Ireland said: “We have taken this three-step approach to give tourism and hospitality businesses the guidance and support they need to re-open and reassure their customers that it is safe to visit their businesses.

“The tourism industry is at the core of our economy, supporting regional development and job creation in communities across the country.

“The €26m COVID-19 Adaptation Fund, available from today through Fáilte Ireland, provides financial support to help eligible businesses with the costs of adapting their premises or operations. 

”Following an independent assessment of the potential costs of implementing Fáilte Ireland’s Guidelines for Re-opening, a sliding scale was developed to ensure a proportionate grant amount was allocated to different types of businesses. We estimate that 12,000 businesses will be eligible to apply making it the largest ever fund that we have administered to date. Our focus is on sustaining and supporting the tourism sector through this crisis,” he added. 

Eligible businesses can apply for the COVID-19 Adaptation Fund from August 18 to October 8.  

For more information on Fáilte Ireland’s COVID-19 Adaptation Fund, visit www.failteireland.ie/covid-19-adaptation-fund.