This week, we attended the Funding Advisory Service Workshop hosted by InterTradeIreland and delivered by Grant Thornton Ireland, and came away energised by the evolving funding landscape for Irish SMEs.

Held in Dublin and packed with founders, advisors, and funders, the event offered insight into the growing number of traditional and alternative financing routes now open to Irish businesses seeking to grow.

Key Highlights:

1. Entrepreneurial Resilience: Peaches Kemp’s Fireside Chat
Peaches Kemp, co-founder of the itsa..Group, shared her journey — from importing 80,000 bagels in a container back in the early 2000s to building one of Ireland’s best-known hospitality groups. Her key message: focus on profit over turnover, lean on mentors, and make decisions fast using reliable financial data.

2. Getting Funding-Ready
A panel of funders from Enterprise Ireland, Microfinance Ireland, the SBCI, and Grant Thornton stressed that SME founders need to be prepared:

Keep financials up to date and accessible
Use your Local Enterprise Office (LEO) to strengthen applications
Explore new green lending channels via SBCI
Plan ahead to take advantage of Ireland’s new Angel Investor Relief, active since March 2025

3. The Rise of Non-Bank Lending
It was striking to see only one traditional bank lender on the final panel. Alongside AIB were Linked Finance, Beach Point Capital, and GRID Finance — all of whom are actively lending and bullish on SME growth.

Takeaway? Irish SMEs have more funding options than ever — but success depends on being well-prepared, building relationships, and thinking long-term.

Thanks to InterTradeIreland and Grant Thornton for organising such a practical, founder-focused event. If you're growing a business in Ireland, don’t overlook the wealth of advice and funding out there.

📌 Need help navigating the options? Reach out to us at BusinessLoans.ie — we help Irish SMEs find fast, flexible funding every day.