Applications have opened for the Business Resumption Support Scheme (BRSS) – with a number of rural companies and enterprises eligible to make a submission.

According to agricultural professional services provider Ifac, the BRSS is a state scheme designed to support the cost of reopening for the self employed and other qualifying businesses hit by Covid-19.

To do so, the scheme provides a one-off payment of up to €15,000 to eligible firms.

Some charities and sports bodies will also qualify, Ifac notes.

Announced in June, the BRSS is now open for applications via the Revenue Online System (ROS) through its e-registration facility.

For those interested in looking into the scheme, registration must be done first. Then, eligible businesses can make a claim at any time up to November 30, 2021, through ROS, the agri services advisory firm adds.

The scheme is available to businesses that were actively trading on September 1, 2021 and intend to remain open.

In terms of eligibility criteria, to qualify under the scheme, a business must be able to demonstrate that the turnover from its trade in the period from September 1, 2020 to August 31, 2021 is no more than 25% of what’s described as a ‘reference turnover amount’, generally based on its 2019 numbers.

The BRSS single payment will be calculated on the basis of three weeks at 10% of the first €1 million in turnover per week and 5% thereafter, based on average VAT exclusive turnover for 2019, and will be subject to a maximum payment of €15,000, Ifac says.

Where a qualifying person carries on more than one trade, a claim in respect of each trade can be made, subject to each one meeting the conditions of the scheme.

Other eligibility criteria for the scheme include having tax clearance, and being able to provide or verify certain information in relation to the business trading activity and its turnover, the company concludes.