Pre-Seed Start Fund
Up to €100,000 through a convertible loan note for early-stage companies — reach technical and commercial milestones with WestBIC’s one-to-one support across the West, North West, and Midlands.
The fund
Pre-Seed Start Fund (PSSF)
Securing the right funding at the right time is critical for start-up success. Enterprise Ireland's Pre-Seed Start Fund (PSSF) delivers up to €100,000 through a convertible loan note, designed specifically to help early-stage companies reach key technical and commercial milestones — from building their founding team to proving their product works in real market conditions.
WestBIC has established a strong track record supporting start-ups across the West, North West, and Midland regions, helping companies secure PSSF investment as they start their journey. Through dedicated one-to-one support, we work alongside founders to critically assess and strengthen their applications, ensuring they present a compelling proposal to Enterprise Ireland's evaluation panel.
Fit
Who is it for?
The Pre-Seed Start Fund is aimed at early-stage companies who have moved beyond the concept stage and are ready to scale. Final eligibility is always determined by Enterprise Ireland — read the official criteria in full.
- Ideally you would have a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) or be live in beta with demonstrable early customer validation.
- The proposition should demonstrate evidence of innovation, internationalisation potential, and employment capacity, and should have some level of validation of the customer proposition.
- You must have ambition and a clear path for your start-up to scale to a minimum of 10 jobs in Ireland and €1M in revenue (inclusive of exports) within 3 years.
Jobs ambition
10+
Minimum in Ireland (3-year horizon)
Revenue
€1M
Including exports within 3 years
Funding
€100k
Convertible loan note (EI terms apply)
Figures here summarise what founders typically discuss with WestBIC. Enterprise Ireland remains the authority on eligibility, panels, and legal terms — please read the criteria in full on their site.
Read eligibility criteria on Enterprise Ireland (opens in a new tab)
Advisory
WestBIC's PSSF support
WestBIC works alongside founders from the earliest stages of PSSF preparation, helping you determine if the fund is the right fit for where you are in your start-up journey. Through our free one-to-one support model, we guide you through building a robust application that addresses every aspect of Enterprise Ireland's evaluation criteria. Our consultants work directly with you to sharpen your articulation of the problem you're solving, strengthen the evidence supporting your market opportunity, and ensure your execution plan demonstrates clear, achievable milestones.
From refining your pitch video to ensuring your financial projections stack up under scrutiny, WestBIC's role is to prepare you properly.
After PSSF, many teams continue with structured programmes such as PreSeed+ — see investor readiness for the full funded programmes we deliver with Enterprise Ireland and the Irish BICs.
Workshops
Monthly PSSF webinars
WestBIC, the Irish BICs, and Enterprise Ireland run free monthly PSSF online workshops where you can learn more about the fund, the application process, and the supports available. Browse Enterprise Ireland's events for upcoming dates.
Outcomes
PSSF success stories
We are gathering video and written testimonials from recent WestBIC PSSF clients — explore founders we have supported and get in touch if you would like to share your story.
Next step
Want to learn more? Ready to apply?
WestBIC region
If you are based in Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Longford, Mayo, Roscommon, Sligo, or Westmeath, reach out through our contact form — we will help you assess fit and strengthen your application.
WestBIC contact formElsewhere in Ireland
If you are outside our region, visit the Irish BICs network to find your local centre and the right contact for your county.
Irish BICs network