Unlock Up to €3M in Energy Grants with SEAI EXEED Grant Scheme

The SEAI EXEED grant scheme is designed for organisations undertaking energy investment projects. It offers funding to support the additional professional services and capital costs associated with implementing and certifying a project to the EXEED standard. This includes feasibility assessments, energy audits, design reviews, commissioning, and performance verification. Projects can receive up to €3,000,000 in grant support, making it one of the most generous schemes available for energy efficiency and decarbonisation in Ireland.

By supporting organisations in adopting best practices from the design stage, EXEED helps embed long-term energy savings and emissions reductions into every phase of a project.

The Excellence in Energy Efficiency Design (EXEED)

Who Can Apply to EXEED?

The EXEED grant is open to all sectors and organisations that are planning to invest in energy efficiency or sustainability upgrades. Eligible applicants include private businesses, public bodies, voluntary organisations, and large energy users. Projects can range in scale from targeted retrofit upgrades to full new builds and redesigns. Specifically, EXEED supports:

New builds or major construction projects that aim to maximise energy performance from the start.
Major renovations or refurbishments, including the replacement or upgrade of systems such as lighting, heating, ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC), and industrial processes.
Energy upgrades to existing infrastructure, where significant improvements in energy consumption, carbon output, and operational efficiency can be demonstrated.

Importantly, applicants do not need to be energy experts themselves. By partnering with experienced consultants, they can meet technical and procedural requirements with confidence.

Grant Assessment and Value-for-Money Criteria

As part of the funding approval process, SEAI applies strict eligibility and value-for-money assessments to ensure impactful use of public funds. These include:

For grants of €500,000 or more, funding is capped at €850 per tonne of CO₂ saved annually.
For grants between €50,000 and €500,000, the cap increases to €1,000 per tonne of CO₂ saved.
For grants under €50,000, there is no additional value-for-money assessment required.

In addition, SEAI may choose to award less than the maximum potential grant based on factors such as:

Whether the applicant is a Small or Medium-sized Enterprise (SME).
The extent to which the grant acts as a genuine financial incentive to proceed with the project.
The project’s replicability, scalability, and level of innovation.
Results of a detailed technical and financial assessment conducted during the application process.

Visit SEAI EXEED Certified Grant Scheme for more information.
Click here for additional funding options.

How Lawler Sustainability Helps

At Lawler Sustainability, we specialise in helping businesses and organisations access SEAI funding with confidence. Our team takes the complexity out of the application process, guiding you through the technical, procedural, and financial requirements to ensure that your submission is both complete and compelling. We’ve helped clients across sectors—including logistics, leisure, hospitality, and manufacturing—secure substantial EXEED funding to reduce energy use and emissions.

Our process begins with a comprehensive Energy Audit, where we analyse your building or facility to identify energy inefficiencies, emissions hotspots, and areas for immediate improvement. These audits form the foundation of a strong funding application by providing verifiable baseline data and outlining projected energy savings.

We then create Energy Models to simulate proposed upgrades and design strategies. This allows us to forecast long-term performance improvements and return on investment, helping you make smarter decisions—and helping SEAI see the measurable value of your project.

Finally, we align our findings and recommendations with SEAI requirements, ensuring that your project proposal is presented in a format that meets both technical standards and funding criteria.

Whether you’re planning a new facility, upgrading existing systems, or developing a multi-site decarbonisation strategy, we’ll help you maximise grant opportunities while delivering lasting energy and carbon savings.

Get in touch with our expert today to discuss your project and begin your application with confidence.