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Previous SBCI Loan Schemes

This page outlines previous SBCI loan schemes which are now closed.

The €150m Agriculture Cashflow Support Loan Scheme (ACSLS) was launched in January 2017 to support Irish farmers experiencing short-term financial pressure due to price and income volatility. Developed in conjunction with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the Scheme was available through, AIB, Bank of Ireland and Ulster Bank. The ACSLS scheme was fully allocated and consequently closed in March 2017.

The €300m Brexit Loan Scheme (BLS) was launched in March 2018 to enable eligible Irish businesses to implement necessary changes to address the challenges posed by Brexit. Offered in partnership with the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (now Enterprise, Trade and Employment), the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and supported by the InnovFin SME Guarantee Facility, with the financial backing of the European Union under Horizon 2020 Financial Instruments, the Scheme was available through AIB, Bank of Ireland and Ulster Bank. The BLS scheme was closed for new applications for eligibility codes in July 2021 and was replaced by the new Brexit Impact Loan Scheme (BILS) in October 2021.

The €200m Covid-19 Working Capital Loan Scheme (Covid-19 WCLS) was launched in March 2020 as an immediate emergency response to the outbreak of the pandemic in Ireland. The Scheme aimed to provide funding support to enable eligible Irish businesses to implement necessary changes to address the challenges posed by Covid-19. Offered in partnership with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and supported by the InnovFin SME Guarantee Facility, with the financial backing of the European Union under Horizon 2020 Financial Instruments, the Scheme was available through AIB, Bank of Ireland and Ulster Bank. The Covid-19 WCLS scheme was closed for new eligibility applications in July 2021.

The Government of Ireland provided the €2 billion Covid-19 Credit Guarantee Scheme (CCGS) to facilitate lending to Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises, and Small Mid-Caps adversely impacted by Covid-19. The Scheme was launched in September 2020 and was available through AIB, Bank of Ireland, Bibby Financial Services, Blanchardstown Credit Union, Capital Credit Union, Capitalflow, Cara Credit Union, Carrickmacross Credit Union, Castlecomer Credit Union, Clonmel Credit Union, Connect Credit Union, Credit Union Plus, Dundalk Credit Union, Finance Ireland, Invoice Fair, Limerick Credit Union, Linked Finance, Mallow Credit Union, People First Credit Union, Progressive Credit Union, St. Canice’s Credit Union, Synergy Credit Union, Tower Credit Union, Ulster Bank, and Westport Credit Union. The Covid-19 Credit Guarantee Scheme was extended in March 2021 and January 2022. The scheme closed in June 2022.

The Brexit Impact Loan Scheme (BILS) was launched in October 2021 to replace the existing Brexit Loan Scheme (BLS). The BILS was designed to address the impact of Brexit on SMEs and Small Midcaps and was offered in partnership with the Department of Enterprise, Trade, and Employment (DETE), the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), and the European Investment Fund (EIF). The scheme was available through Access Credit Union, AIB, Bank of Ireland, Cara Credit Union, Permanent TSB, Savvi Credit Union, St. Canice's Credit Union, and St. Francis Credit Union. The Brexit Impact Loan Scheme closed for new applications in December 2022.

The COVID-19 Loan Scheme (CLS) was developed in response to the required closure of the COVID-19 Credit Guarantee Scheme (CCGS) at the end of June 2022. Offered in partnership with the Department of Enterprise, Trade, and Employment (DETE), the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine (DAFM), and the European Investment Fund (EIF). The COVID-19 Loan scheme was launched in July 2022. The CLS was designed to support qualifying viable Irish businesses, including farmers and fishers, that the COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted. The scheme was available through Access Credit Union, AIB, Bank of Ireland, Cara Credit Union, Permanent TSB, Savvi Credit Union, St. Canice's Credit Union, and St. Francis Credit Union. The COVID-19 Loan scheme closed for new applications in December 2022.

The SBCI launched the €300m Future Growth Loan Scheme (FGLS) in June 2019 to fund capital expenditure and promote business investment through low-cost loans.

The Scheme was offered in partnership with the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (now Enterprise, Trade and Employment), the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and provided low-cost loans from €25,000 to €3,000,000, unsecured up to €250,000, with repayment terms from 7 to 10 years.

On 30th July 2020, the capacity of FGLS was expanded by an additional €500m. The Scheme was provided by AIB, Bank of Ireland, Close Brothers, KBC Bank, Permanent TSB and Ulster Bank and closed on 31st March 2023.

In July 2022, the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland (SBCI) launched the Energy Efficiency Loan Scheme (EELS) worth €150 million. The scheme was aimed at helping small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and farmers reduce their energy bills and carbon emissions by investing in energy-saving measures.

EELS was supported by COSME and the European Fund for Strategic Investment (EFSI) established under the Investment Plan for Europe. The main objective of EFSI is to provide financial support for productive investments in the European Union and to ensure increased access to funding.

Loans ranging from €10,000 to €150,000 were available with repayment terms varying from 1 to 10 years. These loans were specifically designed to help businesses upgrade their energy efficiency.

The scheme was offered through AIB, Bank of Ireland, Capitalflow, Fexco Asset Finance and Finance Ireland and closed on 31 December 2023.