# Upskill SME Training Grant > Skillnet Ireland's Upskill SME Training Grant helps SMEs recover staff salary costs for days spent in AI training, at €204.30 per training day per employee, subject to eligibility criteria. Training fees are not eligible. Who qualifies, what it excludes and how to apply. Skillnet Upskill SME Training Grant and AI training. The Upskill SME Training Grant from Skillnet Ireland helps a business "recover the salary costs of employees for the days they spend participating in AI training". The available grant is €204.30 per training day per employee, subject to eligibility criteria. The maximum grant per year depends on company size: €5,000 for a micro firm, €15,000 for a small firm and €25,000 for a medium firm. Eligible training must be at least one day, a day being six hours. The scheme is a pilot for 2026. Its funding window runs from 1 September 2026 to 31 December 2026. Claims may be submitted up to 15 January 2027 for eligible training completed on or before 31 December 2026. Training fees are not eligible, and the training must come from an approved provider. Wisdom Engineers is not one, and we are not listed with a Skillnet Business Network, so there is no funded route through us. Our AI Literacy Workshop costs €950 for a half day and €1,650 for a full day, excluding VAT. ## Who qualifies Check these before you plan around the grant. Skillnet Ireland's eligibility page says: "The Upskill SME Training Grant is designed to support established SMEs based in the Republic of Ireland. To qualify, companies must meet the full eligibility criteria of the Scheme." It lists these as eligible companies: - "SMEs based in the Republic of Ireland employing between 2 and 250 employees, and SME turnover parameters per company size." - "SMEs that are at least 12 months in operation and registered with the Companies Registration Office (CRO)." - "Ownership and Control: Companies that are part of a wider corporate group may need to include the employee numbers and financial data of partner or parent organisations when determining SME eligibility under the EU SME definition." The FAQs word the headcount differently: "Private sector SME’s with less than 250 employees. The SME must be based in and registered within the Republic of Ireland." They set the size categories by staff headcount, and turnover or balance sheet total: - Micro: headcount "\<10", turnover "≤ €2 m", balance sheet total "≤ €2 m". - Small: headcount "\<50", turnover "≤ €10 m", balance sheet total "≤ €10 m". - Medium: headcount "\<250", turnover "≤ €50 m", balance sheet total "≤ €43 m". The FAQs add: "all applicants to the scheme must meet all criteria and will follow the same process for eligibility checks as part of the Scheme Registration." On sectors: "Yes, eligible private sector SMEs in every sector are eligible." The eligibility page lists these as ineligible companies: - "Large private companies with over 250 employees." - "Small or Medium sized businesses that do not meet the EU Criteria for SMEs." - "Public sector organisations." - "Charity or not-for-profit organisations." - "Businesses based outside the Republic of Ireland." The FAQs also say: "No, sole traders are not currently eligible under the scheme at this time." Individuals cannot claim either: "No, individuals cannot claim under the Upskill SME Training Grant. This Scheme is eligible for SME companies." The scheme is funded under De Minimis rules. The FAQs say: "Any SME that has reached its De Minimis Threshold over the three years prior to Application for the Grant will not be eligible to apply." If you are unsure whether your business qualifies, Skillnet Ireland's guidelines say: "From pre-registration queries to technical help with the application portal, the dedicated support team is on hand to provide guidance, resolve issues, and ensure applications progress smoothly." ### The agency decides Skillnet Ireland decides eligibility. Its guidelines say the eligibility stage "determines if the SME is eligible for the scheme". The "Upskill SME Training Grant Management Assessment Team" carries it out. This page is information, not advice, and we never promise approval. ## What it pays What the grant covers. The scheme page says: "The available grant is €204.30 per training day per employee, subject to eligibility criteria." It helps a business "recover the salary costs of employees for the days they spend participating in AI training". The eligibility page lists the eligible cost as "Staff salary costs, or a portion of those costs for training participation days." It says: "Staff salary costs are calculated based on the Central Statistics Office (CSO) Earnings and Labour Costs 2025 Q2 report of €204.30 per day." The guidelines say "the maximum grant available per annum is capped based on the size classification": - Micro: €5,000 - Small: €15,000 - Medium: €25,000 The FAQs set the length of a training day: eligible programmes must "Be at least one day in duration (a "day" being defined as six hours)." The money is limited. The FAQs say: "The Upskill SME Training Grant Scheme is a pilot initiative for 2026 and operates within a fixed funding allocation. Eligible applications will be approved on a first-approved, first-funded basis until the available funding has been fully committed." Applying is not approval. The guidelines say: "Submission of an application to the Upskill SME Training Grant does not constitute approval of funding." ## What it excludes What the scheme does not pay for. The eligibility page says: "Training fees are not eligible for the Upskill SME Training Grant." It also excludes "Employer salary and travel and subsistence costs for training that exceed the maximum grant." It lists these as ineligible training programmes: - "Statutory or mandatory training programmes are not eligible for this scheme." - "Training programmes which take place during the employee's own time, outside working hours." - "Self-directed e-learning only programmes." - "Any training that is funded by the employee." The FAQs add that the programme must "Develop skills for AI readiness or new business capabilities in AI as its primary outcome. Programmes where AI forms only part of a programme content are not eligible." Training by your own staff does not count. The FAQs say: "Training delivered by in-house employees is not eligible, including induction and mandatory training." Their list of ineligible programmes also includes "Induction training", "Product-specific sales training" and "Vendor demonstrations". The training provider must be approved. The guidelines say: "Training programmes must be delivered by an approved provider from one of the categories below." The categories are "Skillnet Ireland Business Networks and National Initiatives", "Higher Education Institutions (HEIs)" and "Education and Training Boards (ETBs)". ## How to apply The agency's process, step by step. The FAQs give two windows: - "Funding Window: 1st Sep 2026 to 31 December 2026" - "Application Window: 1st Sep 2026 to 15 January 2027." They add: "Claims may be submitted up to 15 January 2027 for eligible training completed on or before 31 December 2026." The training must be on Skillnet Ireland's programme list. The FAQs say eligible programmes must "Be on the approved programme list." The scheme page lists AI training programmes by category and says: "To book a course, please contact the course provider directly." The guidelines say: "Programme eligibility is reviewed and approved at quarterly governance meetings between Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (DFHERIS) and Skillnet Ireland before inclusion in the Scheme." The scheme page sets out three steps to apply: 1. Register. "To complete registration, the applicant must be authorised to apply for the grant and must provide verification that the business is a registered entity, operating in Ireland for at least 12 months." 2. Complete the training. "Once the training has been completed, download and submit the Training Completion Form." 3. Claim. "Complete and submit the Application for Cost Recovery to claim. The application must include all required documentation." Because funding is first-approved, first-funded, the FAQs say: "Companies are therefore encouraged to register and submit applications as early as possible." ## Which packages fit Our packages that match this scheme. The grant does not pay for any of our packages. "Training fees are not eligible for the Upskill SME Training Grant." It pays towards your staff's salary cost for the training days, and only for training from an approved provider. Wisdom Engineers is not in any of the approved provider categories, and we are not listed with a Skillnet Business Network. So there is no funded route through us. A funded route for outside training goes through a Skillnet Business Network or another approved provider. The FAQs say: "In-company training is eligible in cases where an external trainer delivers the training, and this training takes place via a Skillnet Business Network, Skillnet National Initiative, ETB or HEI. The programme must be listed on the programme list." Under that rule, two of our packages could only ever count as in-company training delivered via one of those four routes. The programme would also have to be on the programme list. Neither is delivered that way: - [AI Literacy Workshop](https://wisdomengineers.ie/services/ai-training/). Half day, 3 hours: €950. Full day, 6 hours: €1,650. Only the full day meets the one-day rule of six hours. - [Education Track](https://wisdomengineers.ie/services/ai-training/). From €3,200 per programme. Even then, the grant would cover your staff's time, never our fee. Prices exclude VAT; training may be VAT-exempt, which we are still confirming. **The AI Act position.** Article 4 of the EU AI Act has applied since 2 February 2025. National market surveillance authorities supervise and enforce it from 2 August 2026. [Regulation (EU) 2026/1744](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2026/1744/oj/eng) of 8 July 2026 replaced its wording. The new wording says: "Providers and deployers of AI systems shall take measures to support the development of AI literacy of their staff and other persons dealing with the operation and use of AI systems on their behalf". The new wording adds: "This obligation does not require providers or deployers to guarantee any specific level of AI literacy of any individual." The European Commission's [AI literacy questions and answers](https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/faqs/ai-literacy-questions-answers) say "no strict requirements or mandatory trainings are imposed". They also confirm that a company whose staff use ChatGPT for work is in scope. We do not sell training as a legal requirement. We sell the workshop on what it does for your team: fewer mistakes, safer data handling, and staff who use the tools well. ## Get help with Upskill SME Training Grant Two ways in. Pick whichever suits you. ### Talk to a founder. Tell us what you want funded. You get an honest answer on whether we can help. [Book a free 30-minute call (opens Google Calendar)](https://calendar.app.google/68i8SZpvW5XfCv2n6) ### Read about the service. See what the service includes and what it costs before you talk to anyone. [See AI Training and AI Literacy](https://wisdomengineers.ie/services/ai-training/) References (Checked 10 October 2026) 1. 2. 3. 4.