🇮🇪 Ireland start-up support for jobseekers: figures 2026
Starting a business from a jobseeker payment in Ireland: the official figures, 2026
16 official figures for starting a business from a jobseeker payment in Ireland, each quoted word for word from the page that states it, read on 26 September 2026.
The sentences as published
- Jobseeker’s Allowance while you prepare: Full weekly rate, 25 and over:
If you have no means, are aged 25 or over, and you are single, you will get the full weekly payment of €254.
(26 September 2026, sha 45b2d047c7f01685) - Jobseeker’s Allowance while you prepare: Weekly rate, 18 to 24:
Jobseeker's Allowance Rates - Under 25 Rate Full personal payment (18 to 24) €163.70
(26 September 2026, sha 45b2d047c7f01685) - Back to Work Enterprise Allowance: Duration:
If you take part in the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance scheme you can keep a percentage of your social welfare payment for up to 2 years.
(26 September 2026, sha 03cbdbf72e2e09ab) - Back to Work Enterprise Allowance: Share of payment kept:
100% for the first year 75% for the second year
(26 September 2026, sha 03cbdbf72e2e09ab) - Back to Work Enterprise Allowance: Qualifying period:
Getting Jobseeker's Allowance, Jobseeker's Transitional Payment or One-Parent Family Payment continuously for at least 9 months (234 days).
(26 September 2026, sha 03cbdbf72e2e09ab) - Short-Term Enterprise Allowance: Duration:
The Short-Term Enterprise Allowance is paid instead of your Jobseeker’s Benefit/Jobseeker’s Pay-Related Benefit / Jobseekers Benefit Self-Employed for a maximum of 9 months.
(26 September 2026, sha fca62b56d31ed5ed) - Back to Work Family Dividend: Year 1 weekly rates:
Year 1 €58.00 a week for each child to a maximum of €232.00 (four children) €78.00 a week for each child to a maximum of €312.00 (four children)
(26 September 2026, sha 78c0ca3d9bed8f5c) - Back to Work Family Dividend: Duration:
Back to Work Family Dividend is paid every week for up to two years.
(26 September 2026, sha 78c0ca3d9bed8f5c) - Enterprise Support Grant: Maximum on BTWEA:
The maximum amount payable is €2,500 for the 24 month period of the BTWEA claim.
(26 September 2026, sha 9369a4fc2599c2d0) - Enterprise Support Grant: Maximum on STEA:
A maximum of €1,000 can be paid to people on a 9-month STEA and a maximum of €625 to people on a 6-month STEA.
(26 September 2026, sha 9369a4fc2599c2d0) - Enterprise Support Grant: Your contribution:
they are able to make a matching contribution of at least 20% to access the level of grant support available.
(26 September 2026, sha 9369a4fc2599c2d0) - Microfinance Ireland Start-Up Loan: Amount and rate:
Loans from €5,000 – €50,000 6.5% interest rate – lower rate of 5.5% if you apply via Local Enterprise Office
(26 September 2026, sha ab39dfc6c63be65b) - Microfinance Ireland Start-Up Loan: Maximum term:
3 year max term
(26 September 2026, sha ab39dfc6c63be65b) - Local Enterprise Office supports: Priming Grant maximum:
In all other cases, the maximum grant shall be 50% of the investment or €80,000 whichever is the lesser.
(26 September 2026, sha 151da9dc77aaf041) - Local Enterprise Office supports: Priming Grant window:
Eligible clients may be awarded a Priming Grant within the first eighteen months of setting up the business.
(26 September 2026, sha 151da9dc77aaf041) - Local Enterprise Office supports: Offices:
There are 31 Local Enterprise offices located in Ireland.
(26 September 2026, sha b9d37fa745497991)
Methodology
Every row is a sentence quoted word for word from the named official page, read on the date shown and pinned to a hash of the page text we read. 16 of the 16 sources we could read state the figure. Each row is one figure from one scheme, taken only from the primary official page that states it (government, benefit agency, programme operator or legislation), and checked against what our own guides say.
Cite this data
Cite as: "Ireland start-up support for jobseekers: figures 2026", Pontia, https://pontia.xyz/ie/datasets/ie-startup-support/ (Read 26 September 2026)
Embed
<figure style="margin:0;padding:16px;border:1px solid #d0d4da;border-radius:12px;background:#ffffff;color:#0b0c0e;font:14px/1.5 system-ui,sans-serif"><p style="margin:0 0 6px;font-weight:600;background:#ffffff">Ireland start-up support for jobseekers: figures 2026</p><p style="margin:0;background:#ffffff">16 official figures for starting a business from a jobseeker payment in Ireland, each quoted word for word from the page that states it, read on 26 September 2026.</p><figcaption style="margin-top:8px;font-size:12px;background:#ffffff">Source: <a href="https://pontia.xyz/ie/datasets/ie-startup-support/" style="color:#0b0c0e">Pontia</a></figcaption></figure>Cite this page
"Ireland start-up support for jobseekers: figures 2026", Pontia, https://pontia.xyz/ie/datasets/ie-startup-support/ (updated 25 September 2026)
Related guides and tools
- Start your business and keep your payment
- Genuinely seeking work, made simple
- Back to Work Enterprise Allowance calculator
- Your idea. Your call. Real backing to start it.
- Months of benefit while starting up: Ireland vs 8 countries
- Jobseeker’s Allowance while you prepare vs Back to Work Enterprise Allowance
- Jobseeker’s Allowance while you prepare vs Short-Term Enterprise Allowance
- Jobseeker’s Allowance while you prepare
- Back to Work Enterprise Allowance