A Micro Enterprise

It is simply a small business (including a self-employed person) with fewer than 10 employees and an annual turnover of less than €2 million. We help these businesses by providing unsecured business loans of €2,000 to €50,000 for commercially viable proposals. Sole Traders, Partnerships & Limited Companies are all eligible to apply.

Struggling to secure finance

We can consider applications from businesses that may have been declined a loan from their Bank. We look at each application and base our decision on the viability of the business and your ability to repay the loan. We work closely with all our partners, including Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs), the Irish Local Development Network, as well as all the major Banks to provide viable businesses with the support they need.

Partnering with Local Enterprise Offices

The LEOs can help you to prepare the documents you need to apply for a loan from us. You also get a 1% reduction in the interest rate when you submit your application through them, so it is worth talking to them if you need some help with your application.

Additional funding

If you have already received loan funding (a grant, Bank loan, etc.) but require additional funding to meet a funding shortfall, we can also consider an application for co-funding provided you do not exceed the maximum loan threshold of €50,000 from Microfinance Ireland*.

Access to Free Mentoring

Once your loan is approved, we can also provide you with mentoring support from an experienced business mentor on the LEO Mentor Panel. Mentoring is a vital extra support tool to help our customers establish and grow their business in the longer term. The mentoring service is free, provided at no additional cost for you.

Click here to view our customer stories.

*Loans are provided and underwritten by Microfinance Ireland and are repayable according to the terms and conditions laid out by Microfinance Ireland.

Get our Information Pack

To get started, download our information pack where you will get an overview of the loan application process.

Get info pack

Join a webinar

We run monthly webinars to help you through the application process. Pick a date and time that suits you, sign up, and we will email you with the details.

Apply for a Loan here

Register your details with us and we will email you the Application Guidelines together with the documents for your business loan application.

Apply here

What our customers say about us?

"I would recommend Microfinance Ireland to people like my self who could not get a loan through no fault of their own. Microfinance Ireland was very understanding."

"I feel it really helped my business at a time when I needed finances to grow and expand. I am grateful for the mentorship I received from my LEO afterwards with cash flow and accounts."

"A very straight forward process. They were prepared to listen and ask questions to understand different situations and not just go off to do the paperwork."

"Anybody that I spoke to from start to finish, where very helpful and encouraging. Therefore I am very grateful for the loan and assistance from all involved with Microfinance Ireland."

"The process was extremely smooth. The Microfinance staff I spoke with were extremely helpful."

"I would recommend you 100%. l got lots of help from your side and no pressure at any time. All staff were very good to me."

"I found Microfinance Ireland so supportive and understanding and helped me out when I needed it the most."

"It's very reassuring to know that there is a safe lender who is willing to at least talk with businesses who don't always fit the norm."

"If we didn’t have MFI, we would not have been able to go forward with our business. Banks declined us because of the previous tenants background. The help and support we got through LEO and MFI throughout the process was amazing."

"The process was quite straightforward, with good feedback with any issues. There was a good understanding of our needs and it felt like our business had an ally in the process."

"Excellent experience with MFI staff, highly responsive, timely and very helpful."

"I have found Microfinance Ireland to be excellent to deal with. The team has been transparent, supportive and helpful at all times. A truly good experience."

"If you're turned down by your own bank, it dents your confidence. Applying to Microfinance Ireland was so easy and staff are so helpful, professional and non judgmental. You know they want to help."

"We are a new start up business and needed funding in order for our business to develop. Unfortunately, our own bank and credit union were unwilling to assist us as we did not have two years of accounts. You were the open door we needed.

"Much easier to get a business loan than from banks or other lenders especially for being self employed like myself."

"Nice to deal with. Especially when I was making the jump into the world of self employment. I would not of been able to make the transition with out the aid of Microfinance Ireland."

"The application process is quick and easy. Communication and advice from the loan assessor was excellent and extremely helpful. They understood and researched my business from a growth perspective which was refreshing."