PRESS RELEASE - May 18th
Facebook and County Meath Chamber Connect to Support Small & Medium Businesses in County Meath
Covid-19 Support Fund for Meath SMB’s
“As the economy and society begin to reopen, it has never been more critical or more important that we shop local and support local businesses”. This is the key message from Paula McCaul CEO of County Meath Chamber as she announced their partnership with Facebook today. Facebook is donating €250,000 to County Meath Chamber so that the Chamber can make funding available to small and medium businesses across Meath as they adapt and change in response to the pandemic.
The Covid-19 Support Fund for Meath SMB’s is now open for applications. Small and medium businesses registered in Meath can apply to County Meath Chamber for a support grant of up to €3,500. Businesses do not have to be members of the Chamber to apply. Applicants who meet the criteria will be assessed based on their ability to adapt their business model and develop innovative work solutions to strengthen their business as they emerge from the current crisis. Applications must be made online via www.countymeathchamber.ie. The window for applications remains open for a two-week period from Monday 18th May to Monday 1st June 2020.
“County Meath Chamber’s primary objective and raison d’etre is to connect and support business in Meath and we are committed to doing so throughout this challenging time. Our recent business survey identified the need for a support fund of this type and we were delighted when our Corporate Partners Facebook agreed to help. The Covid-19 Support Fund for Meath SMB’s represents a unique partnership for which we are truly grateful.
Facebook Clonee Data Centre has been part of the Meath community since 2016 when they broke ground on the data centre. Since then, Facebook has invested in County Meath and its residents through a number of initiatives such as the Community Action Grants, support of the Meath Library service, Solstice Arts Centre, Kells Resource Centre and other community resources.
Commenting on the new funding for SMBs in Meath, Mark Hunter, Site Manager at Facebook’s Clonee Data Centre said; “SMBs are the backbone of the economy and they sit at the heart of the local community in Meath. We know that running a business during the Covid-19 crisis is far from ‘business as usual’ causing many SMBs to think innovatively to survive these challenging times. As part of the community, we, along with County Meath Chamber, hope that the new funding launching today will help support initiatives to get small businesses back up and running as restrictions start to lift.”
Chamber President John Farrelly welcomed the fund. ”The decision by Facebook to make €250,000 available is a vote of confidence in the business community in Meath and demonstrates a very clear commitment by Facebook to support small and medium businesses in our county. I encourage businesses to engage with the fund.”
Notes to Editor
- The maximum grant available is €3,500 per business.
- All small businesses in Meath can apply for the funding, a membership of the chamber is not a pre-requisite.
- The deadline for applications is Monday 1st June at 6pm, after which a panel of independent assessors will decide which initiatives will receive funding and to what value.
For further details on eligibility criteria and application process please visit www.countymeathchamber.ie