Waterford SMEs received €12 million from Government cost-of-living grants
Wexford (€15.5 million) and Tipperary (€14.7 million) were the two counties in the South East that received more than Waterford
Figures from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment show Waterford SMEs ranked middle of the road for uptake in two Government schemes designed to combat the rising cost of living.
2,273 Waterford businesses received €7,369,376.64 from the Increased Cost of Business (ICOB) scheme, a programme launched by the Department of Enterprise in 2024.
Under the scheme, businesses with a 2023 commercial rates bill of less than €10,000 would receive a grant equal to half their rates figure, while those with a rates bill above €10,000 would receive €5,000.
Businesses with a 2023 rates bill of more than €30,000 were excluded from the scheme.
Waterford’s total ICOB share equated to 3.02% of the €243.88 million distributed nationwide. Out of Ireland’s 31 local authorities, Waterford City and County Council ranked 15th in uptake.
Waterford ranked 17th out of the local authorities for uptake in the Power Up grant, a €4,000 payment introduced in budget 2025 dedicated to assisting businesses in the hospitality, retail and beauty sectors.
1,173 Waterford businesses received the grant out of 1,186 applicants.
