What is Funded
Project Type 1 – Eligible Activities
Capital investment projects from entities operating in or seeking to enter the blue economy and that promote entrepreneurial initiatives such as value adding or increasing employment opportunities in coastal areas. These are categorised under blue economy areas as follows:
- Small Non-Commercial Harbour/Pier Activities
- Facilities that will increase economic activity e.g. ticketing offices; waiting area/reception; facilities, etc
- Website trading platform or booking portal
- Boat Building and Repair
- Runways to improve manufacturing/mending capabilities
- Website trading platform or booking portal
- Capital items that will enable boat building and repair business to increase economic activity e.g. cradle, crane, ship lift, etc
- Coastal Tourism
- Capital items for marine education initiatives e.g. Commercial education/experiential vehicle; aquarium; museum; interpretative centre
- Upgrade of marine education initiative capital items e.g. Exhibit display cases; interpretative devices; furniture; minor building works
- New visitor centre e.g. Tasting centre; interpretive centre for a blue economy business; new visitor centre attaching to a seafood business
- Visitor centre upgrade e.g. Exhibit display cases; interpretative devices; furniture; minor building works
- Seafood tourism projects e.g. New experiential seafood visitor initiatives
- Website trading platform or booking portal
- Glamping and campsite facilities upgrade e.g. Upgrade of communal areas; toilets; showers; reception; other facilities
- Glamping and campsite accommodation e.g. Tents or other accommodation units
- Purchase of new non-fishing vessel e.g. Whale watching vessel; coastal sightseeing tour vessel
- Qualifying vessel fit out or re-fit for non-fishing activities
- Audio interpretation for coastal cruises e.g. Multi-language/pre-recorded interpretation
- Marine Leisure and Sport
- Angling vessel e.g. charter vessel for paying angling guests; must not be a sea fishing registered vessel
- Marine tourism vessel e.g. dive vessel
- Qualifying vessel fit out e.g. holder for tanks
- Rigid Inflatable Boat e.g. safety vessel; dive vessel; tourism vessel; coastal sightseeing tour vessel
- Marine sport and leisure equipment e.g. surf boards; dinghies; kayaks; SUP’s
- Marine sport and leisure accessories e.g. Dive equipment; tanks; wetsuits; paddles; buoyancy aids
- Marine sport or leisure facilities upgrade e.g. changing rooms
- Seaweed leisure facilities e.g. mobile seaweed baths; upgrade of seaweed baths
- Gangways that can be stowed on a vessel
- Website trading platform or booking portal
- Aquapark e.g. new, upgrade or additions to an existing aquapark
- Seafood
- Seafood food truck – must be predominantly seafood (>50% of menu) with a seafood theme
- Seafood retail trailer e.g. mobile fishmonger
- Non-passenger vehicle for marketing of seafood e.g. commercial refrigerated van
- Seafood retail facilities fit-out or upgrade e.g. counter; display units; signage; seating
- Website trading platform or booking portal
- Seafood live holding equipment to develop markets for retail/ wholesale
- Restaurant Fish Display e.g. fish counter
- Shellfish live holding facility e.g. live shellfish display tank in restaurant/shop
- Capital items for seaweed processing e.g. dryer; processing equipment
- Seafood food truck furniture e.g. tables, chairs, awning
- Aquaculture service vessels
- Capital equipment for aquaculture service vessels e.g. hydrolicer; thermolicer; net washer
- Seafood retail furniture e.g. tables, seats, awnings for fishmongers
- Third party aquaculture service vessels
- Capital equipment for third party aquaculture service vessels e.g. hydrolicer; thermolicer; net washer
- Renewable Energy Initiatives supporting the Blue Economy
- Hybrid/electric engines for qualifying non fishing vessels
- Solar photovoltaic panels
- Solar thermal collector
- Wind turbine
- Combined heat and power plant
- Biomass system with a combined heat and power plant
- Geothermal and ground source heat pumps
- Lighting retrofit
- Lighting controls upgrade
- Heating set point regulation and controls upgrade
- Refrigeration temperature control upgrade
- Refrigeration pipe insulation
- Free cooling ventilation and air conditioning
- Variable speed drives (VSD) in electrical motors, drives and pumps
- Wind farm service vessel
- Capital equipment for windfarm service vessels
- Energy efficient compressed air replacement
- Projects must be completed by 30th September 2023.
Project Type 1 – Ineligible Activities
- Value added tax
- Operational costs including the direct employment of staff and overheads etc.
- Expenditure for the purchase of land and/or buildings and related expenditure.
- Intangible costs (such as cost of pre-financing and of arranging loans and interest, administrative costs, patents, invitations to tender and costs relating to the purchase of a concession to operate fish farming).
- Second-hand buildings, plant, machinery, equipment, boats, etc. and any associated installation costs.
- Cost of Housing.
- Repair and maintenance work
- The like for like replacement of existing equipment and machinery, except where the replacement involves a demonstrably substantial enhancement in terms of efficiency, productivity, or environmental performance.
- Provisional work not directly linked to the implementation of a project except where it makes possible a reduction in overall project cost.
- Landscaping, other embellishment works, except those specifically required as a condition of planning and recreational equipment costs.
- Purchase of vehicles for passenger transport is ineligible as are vehicles required for market distribution.
- Office equipment and furniture.
- The purchase of material which is normally written off within a year.
- Goods purchased under Hire Purchase agreements.
- Goods purchased under leasing agreements.
- Consultancy costs not directly related to the planning, preparation, and execution of the project, including costs of management consultancy.
- Statutory fees and charges
- Commissioning costs for the above equipment up to maximum of 15% of the equipment costs by the equipment supplier or their approved agents.
- Specific ineligible activities for Small Non-Commercial Harbour/Pier Activities
- Purchase or lease of warehousing
- Harbour Infrastructure
- Purchase or lease of a building
- Purchase or lease of land
- Electricity grid connection cost
- Services (e.g., water or electricity)
- Specific ineligible activities for Boat Building and Repair
- Purchase or rental of fishing vessels
- Fishing nets
- Fishing tackle
- Fishing gear
- Repair and maintenance of vessels
- Fit out of fishing vessels
- Safety equipment
- Vessel painting
- Equipment for installation on individual vessels
- Second-hand vessels
- Specific ineligible activities for Coastal Tourism
- Festivals
- Noncapital items such as consumables; menu’s; guidebooks or maps
- Purchase or lease of warehousing
- Purchase or lease of a building
- Purchase or lease of land
- Landscaping
- Passenger vehicles
- Office equipment and furniture
- Quad Bikes
- Jet Skis
- Segway’s/Bicycles/Mopeds/Scooters
- Aquarium animals
- Non-Campsite Accommodation Capital Projects
- Hotel, guesthouse, and B&B non-accommodation projects
- Specific ineligible activities for Marine Leisure and Sport
- Fishing vessel
- Passenger vehicles
- Office equipment and furniture
- Safety equipment for qualifying vessels
- Shop fit-out; shop furniture
- Hotel, guesthouse and B&B leisure activities or facilities
- Outboard engines
- Specific ineligible activities for Seafood
- Purchase of vehicles for passenger transport
- Office equipment and furniture
- Purchase or lease of a building
- Specific ineligible activities for Renewable Energy Initiatives supporting the Blue Economy
- Accommodation with the exception of glamping and camping sites
- Equipment grant aided by SEAI or other sources
- Equipment required to meet building regulation
- Electric charging points for vehicles
- Fishing Vessels
Project Type 2 – Eligible Activities
Participation in recognised business mentoring (consultancy) and capacity building that meets the eligibility criteria with maximum eligible grant aid of €10,000 or 50% of the cost, whichever is lower.
- Projects must be completed by 30th September 2023.
- Business mentoring includes services in any of the following categories:
— product/process development
— business model development
— service delivery and customer experience improvement
— new service development
— business planning or strategy development
— financial planning
— marketing & promotion
— mentoring in respect of website planning
— export and distribution
Project Type 2 – Ineligible Activities
- Value added Tax
- Statutory fees and charges
- Training courses
- Software purchases and software development
- Design and production of advertising material or branding
- Sales activities
- The physical development of a website or its content
- Market research and market surveys
- Digital marketing activities
- Legal or taxation advice
- Travel and subsistence
- Operations identified as ineligible under article 11 of Regulation 505/2014.
Project Type 3 – Eligible Activities
- Participation in formal, accredited training that will enable participants to seek employment, upskill or develop a career in the blue economy with maximum eligible grant aid of €10,000 or 50% of the cost, whichever is lower.
- Projects must not have commenced before submission of an application for support and its acknowledgment by BIM.
- Courses must be completed by 30th September 2023.
- Accredited training to develop or enhance the applicant’s skills in one of the blue economy sectors:
- Small Non-Commercial Harbour/Pier Activities
- Boat building and Repair
- Coastal Tourism
- Marine Leisure and Sport
- Seafood
- Renewable Energy Initiatives supporting the Blue Economy
- Accredited courses can include business skills, technical skills or digital literacy
- Funding under Type 3 will be prioritised for former crew, skippers and owners of decommissioned fishing vessels.
Project Type 3 – Ineligible Activities
- Value added Tax
- Informal or non-accredited training
- Training not relevant to the blue economy
- Statutory fees and charges
- Travel and Subsistence
- Operations identified as ineligible under article 11 of Regulation 505/2014
Who is Eligible 
Amounts Granted 
How to Apply 
