Small firms leave more than €80m in grants unclaimed

Deadline was extended for Increased Cost of Business grant but only 5,000 more companies applied

The low level of take-up could make it politically difficult for business lobby groups to make a case for extra support in the future. Photo: Gerry Mooney

John Burns

Only an extra 5,000 firms applied for the Increased Cost of Business (ICOB) grant after the Government reopened the scheme for two weeks.

It means only about two-thirds of all eligible firms, which the Government estimates as being 120,531, have asked for the assistance. The scheme is targeted at firms paying commercial rates of up to €30,000.