Back to Work Enterprise Allowance

The Back to Work Enterprise Allowance Scheme

If you are in receipt of a social welfare payment and meet the criteria you, may be entitled to retain social welfare payments for up to two years while you are setting up your enterprise. The Tolka Area Partnership aids clients in the application and approval of the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance scheme on behalf of the Department of Social Protection. In order to apply for the Back to Enterprise Allowance Scheme with the Tolka Area Partnership, you must meet the following criteria:

• Have an underlying entitlement to the BTWEA scheme; to check eligibility please contact the Jobs Facilitator at your local social welfare office, or check www.welfare.ie or click here to download the BTWEA criteria.  
• Reside in, or wish to establish the enterprise in the Tolka Area Partnership catchment area; click here to see the TAP catchment area.

If you are considering applying for the BTWEA, please download and complete the BTWEA Application Form and the Business Plan Workbook in advance of meeting with one of the Tolka Area Partnership enterprise officers:

Note: You must not commence trading until your application has been approved by the Tolka Area Partnership, and the Jobs Facilitator at your Local Social Welfare Office.  

Steps in the Application Process for the BTWEA

Step 1:
The Applicant makes an appointment with the Enterprise Development officer, either after being referred from Social Welfare, or as a self referral

Step 2:           
At the first meeting the Enterprise Development Officer examines the client’s business idea, and assess eligibility for the scheme.
This often involves us contacting social welfare on behalf of the client to make sure that they have an underlying entitlement to the scheme;

Upon confirmation from the Department of Social Protection on the clients underlying entitlement to the BTWEA scheme, the client is given the BTWEA application form and business plan workbook to fill out. Both of these forms need to be filled out before an applicant can be assessed for the BTWEA scheme.

Note: The Enterprise Development Department can assist if a more detailed business plan is required for funding.

At this stage, the Enterprise Officer assesses what other services the partnership can offer the client. 

Step 3:
The BTWEA application form and Business Plan Workbook are sent to the Tolka Area Partnership Enterprise Committee for approval.

Step 4:
Once approval occurs the applicant is contacted for another appointment with the Enterprise Officer. It is at this stage that the client is aided in company, tax or VAT registration if required.

Step 5:
The BTWEA application form and business plan workbook, and a copy or proof of tax registration must then be brought to the Jobs Facilitator at the local social welfare office.

The Department of Social Protection have final approval of the applicant’s eligibility to the scheme. The payment is generally a weekly standing order in to the applicant’s bank account. Application procedures vary from location to location.

Note:  If you have a signing day at anytime from the beginning of the application process to the approval stage by the Jobs Facilitator, please continue as usual until the Department of Social Protection informs you otherwise.

Pre Start Up Business Information Workshops

As of the 1st of August 2012, it will be a condition of approval for the BTWEA, that all applicants must first participate in a one day basic business workshop faciliated by Tolka Area Partnership. These one day workshops will cover key business areas such as taxation and book keeping for the SME, Business Structures, Business Management and Marketing. For more information on these workshops, contact Orla Mattingley at 01 8361666 or simply download the information sheet provided below.

Pre Start Up Workshop Information Sheet