Co. Limerick
Business loans in Limerick for limited companies
Business loans in Limerick for limited companies supplying the Mid-West’s technology, biopharma and aviation employers, arranged remotely with specialist lenders.
- Population
- 102,287 (Limerick city and suburbs)
- County
- Co. Limerick
- Local Enterprise Office
- LEO Limerick
- Our fee
- €0 to you
- The lender pays us commission
Quick eligibility check
See what your company could borrow
Step 1 of 3 · about 60 seconds
About 60 seconds · no credit search · not recorded on the Central Credit Register
Prefer to talk? +353 1 536 9910- Population
- 102,287 (Limerick city and suburbs)
- County
- Co. Limerick
- Local Enterprise Office
- LEO Limerick
- Our fee
- €0 to you
- The lender pays us commission
- Irish limited companies
- Several lenders, one request
- No fees for your company
- No obligation
At a glance
Funding for Limerick companies in three steps
- 1
Tell us what you need
Three taps: purpose, amount, business type. About 60 seconds, no credit search and not recorded on the Central Credit Register.
- 2
We match you to lenders
We check your profile against lender criteria and approach only those likely to consider it. One request, only to lenders likely to consider it.
- 3
Compare any offers
See the rate, fees, security and any personal guarantee side by side before you decide anything.
Overview
Doing business in Limerick
Companies seeking business loans in Limerick are part of one of the fastest-growing regional economies in Ireland. The Irish Examiner reported in September 2026 that 158 IDA client companies directly employ 28,125 people across Limerick, Clare and Tipperary, and that CSO figures now put Limerick second of all counties for disposable income per person. That growth brings opportunity and strain.
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Suppliers to Raheen, Shannon and the National Technology Park take on staff and stock ahead of large contracts, while city-centre retailers compete for footfall during years of regeneration. We work with Limerick limited companies by phone and online; there is no Welcome Finance office in Limerick.
Lenders we work with
We are a broker, not a lender. Lender names and logos are trademarks of their owners and are shown with permission. Their inclusion does not mean the lender endorses Welcome Finance. Finance is subject to each lender’s own approval, which is not guaranteed.
Key industries in Limerick
- Semiconductors and technology
- Biopharma
- Aviation and the Shannon cluster
- Advanced manufacturing
- Construction
- Port and logistics around Foynes
Finance in Limerick
Business finance for Limerick companies
Popular finance for Limerick businesses
Who are Limerick’s largest employers?
Analog Devices has operated at Raheen since the 1970s, and a planned €630 million expansion is expected to take its Limerick workforce past 2,000. Eli Lilly is expanding its biotech manufacturing campus in the same business park. IDA-backed employment in the Mid-West grew 18% over five years, and the region also has around seventy Irish-owned businesses of scale.
Limerick Chamber has warned that the region relies heavily on a small number of multinationals and has called for more support for local infrastructure and SMEs. For a small engineering or services company, a single large customer can be both the most valuable and the riskiest part of the order book.
What do Shannon Foynes and the universities add?
Shannon Foynes, on the Shannon Estuary in west Limerick, handled 9.2 million tonnes in 2025, the third-largest total in the State (CSO). The University of Limerick and the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) supply engineers and graduates to local employers. The Irish Examiner also noted that Limerick is on track to nearly double in size by 2040 under National Planning Framework targets, which points to steady demand for construction, housing and local services.
How can rates schemes ease the cost of business loans in Limerick?
Limerick City and County Council’s SME Support Scheme 2026 refunds 17.5% of a rates bill, up to €1,500, where total rates are €32,000 or less; the council enclosed details with about 6,500 rate demands. A separate Vacant Business Premises Rates Incentive Scheme pays back up to 100% of first-year rates, capped at €12,000, for new businesses in vacant units in the city’s core retail area and eligible county town centres. Lower fixed costs can reduce how much a company needs to borrow.
Local support
Business support in Limerick
Local Enterprise Office Limerick
Based in the ENGINE building on Upper Cecil Street, it offers priming, feasibility and expansion grants, free drop-in clinics, mentoring and lean, green and digital consultancy.
SME Support Scheme 2026
A council refund of 17.5% of 2026 commercial rates, up to €1,500, for occupiers whose total rates are €32,000 or less. Applications close on 31 December 2026.
Vacant Business Premises Rates Incentive Scheme
Grants of 100%, 75%, 50% and 25% of rates over four years, capped from €12,000 down to €3,000, for new businesses in units vacant for six months.
Enterprise Ireland Mid West
Enterprise Ireland’s Mid West office at Westpark, Shannon works with Limerick manufacturers and internationally traded services companies that export or plan to.
Limerick Chamber
Represents Limerick businesses and campaigns for regional infrastructure and stronger support for small and medium-sized companies alongside the multinational base.
Microfinance Ireland
Unsecured loans of €2,000 to €50,000 for Limerick micro-businesses with fewer than 10 employees; going through LEO Limerick reduces the rate by 1%.
National schemes
State-backed supports
SBCI Growth and Sustainability Loan Scheme
€25,000 to €3m over 7 to 10 years, open until 30 June 2029. Get an eligibility code from the SBCI, then apply directly to a participating lender.
About SBCI loansCredit Review Service
Reviews refusals by AIB, Bank of Ireland or PTSB of €1,000 to €3m. Apply within 30 days of the bank’s final decision.
SEAI business energy grants
Grants towards solar PV and energy upgrades for businesses.
Estimate your monthly repayments
Estimated monthly repayment
€3,179.97
- Total interest
- €14,479
- Total repayable
- €114,479
- Equivalent APR (effective)
- 9.38%
- Factor rate
- 1.1448
- Equivalent flat rate (per year)
- 4.83%
Illustrative only. Actual rates, fees and terms depend on your circumstances and the lender. This is not an offer of finance.
How we work
Business loans in Limerick: FAQs
What is the Limerick SME Support Scheme 2026?
It is a refund from Limerick City and County Council of 17.5% of your 2026 commercial rates bill, up to a maximum of €1,500. It is open to occupiers of commercial property whose total rates bill for 2026 is €32,000 or less. You apply online through the council’s SME support page, and applications close on 31 December 2026.
Is there rates relief for opening in a vacant Limerick premises?
Yes. Under the council’s Vacant Business Premises Rates Incentive Scheme 2026, a new business can get a grant of 100% of rates in year one (up to €12,000), then 75%, 50% and 25% over the next three years. The unit must have been vacant for at least six months. You pay the rates in full first, and need tax clearance to claim.
Which Limerick towns qualify for the vacant premises rates grant?
In 2026 the scheme covers new businesses in Limerick city centre’s core retail area, as a pilot, and in the town centres of the Adare-Rathkeale, Cappamore-Kilmallock and Newcastle West municipal districts. The business must be trading and the property must be rated. All awards are at the council’s discretion, so ask the council to confirm your unit before you sign a lease.
What help does the Local Enterprise Office in Limerick offer?
LEO Limerick, in the ENGINE building on Upper Cecil Street, offers priming, feasibility and business expansion grants, Start Your Own Business training, mentoring and free drop-in advice clinics. It also funds specialist consultancy in lean processes, green business and digitisation. It is the place to start for a Microfinance Ireland application, which gets 1% off the rate.
Which Enterprise Ireland office covers Limerick?
The Mid West office at 4500 Atlantic Avenue, Westpark, Shannon, Co. Clare. It works with manufacturing and internationally traded services companies that are growing exports, including suppliers to the semiconductor, biopharma and aviation employers in the region. Smaller companies normally start with LEO Limerick, which can refer you to Enterprise Ireland when your company is ready.
Can a Limerick supplier to a multinational get funding to scale up?
It may. A large new contract often means hiring and buying materials before the first payment. Our panel can consider working capital loans, unsecured loans and supplier-payment finance for trading Irish limited companies. Lenders will look at the contract, your bank statements and how dependent you are on one customer, which Limerick Chamber has flagged as a regional risk.
Check in 60 seconds
Check your eligibility in 60 seconds
No credit search and nothing recorded on the Central Credit Register. No obligation.
- No credit search, not recorded on the Central Credit Register
- One request, several lenders: we’re a broker, not a lender
- For limited companies registered in Ireland
- No fees for your company: we’re paid commission by the lender
Step 1 of 3 · about 60 seconds
Sources: Irish Examiner, Alan Healy: Limerick is now beating Cork where it really counts (11 Sep 2026) (checked 22 Oct 2026); Limerick City and County Council, Small and Medium Business Support Scheme 2026 (checked 22 Oct 2026); Limerick City and County Council, Vacant Business Premises Rates Incentive Scheme 2026 (checked 22 Oct 2026); Limerick City and County Council, Local Enterprise Office Limerick (checked 22 Oct 2026); CSO, Statistics of Port Traffic Quarter 4 and Year 2025 (25 Mar 2026) (checked 22 Oct 2026); Enterprise Ireland, Connect with us: regional offices (checked 22 Oct 2026); Microfinance Ireland, What we do (checked 22 Oct 2026).