Who is eligible?

Back for Business is for returned emigrants who have lived abroad for at least a year and have returned to Ireland in the last three years, or for emigrants currently living abroad who are planning to return to Ireland in the near future. These will be men and women of different ages and experience who have lived in different parts of the world and are returning to Ireland for different reasons.

Their experience of living and working abroad will often bring significant advantages for starting a business, such as having a strong network of international contacts, fluency in foreign languages and greater cultural understanding of foreign markets.

Suitable applicants will be (i) those who have recently started a new business in Ireland, either on their own or with another business partner; (ii) are at an advanced stage of setting up a business and expect to generate sales in the next 12 months; or (iii) are becoming/have become entrepreneurs through the acquisition of an existing business. If the business is newly established, it will not have generated sales before 2022. If acquired, it will not have been acquired before this date.

In respect of the business whether new or acquired, they will be a major shareholder and key decision maker in the venture. Furthermore, they will have the ambition and expectation of becoming an employer of others within three years.  There is no restriction on the sector in which the business is focused.

If you have any questions, please phone us on (+353) 1 8450770 or email us on info@backforbusiness.com.