New or Re-Designed Website
up to 50% funded
(€2,500 or 50% whichever is the lesser)
Under the Government’s National Digital Strategy, the expanded Trading Online Voucher Scheme helps small businesses with up to 10 employees to trade more online, boost sales and reach new markets. There is up to €2,500 available through the Local Enterprise Offices with co-funding of 50% from the business*.
Step 1
Contact your Local Enterprise Office to express your interest
Step 2
Your LEO will arrange a call with your mentor to advise you
Step 3
You will need to get 3 quotations from service providers
Step 4
Fill in the application form as advised by your mentor
Local Enterprise Offices
helping small businesses
Under the Government’s National Digital Strategy, the expanded Trading Online Voucher Scheme helps small businesses with up to 10 employees to trade more online, boost sales and reach new markets. There is up to €2,500 available through the Local Enterprise Offices with co-funding of 50% from the business*.
Training and further business supports are also provided by Local Enterprise Offices,and businesses that have already received a Trading Online Voucher can now apply for a second voucher, where upgrades are required.
Funding can be used towards adding payment facilities or booking systems to your website or developing new apps for your customers. The voucher can also be used towards subscriptions to low cost online retail platform solutions, to help companies quickly establish a retailing presence online.
*Further eligibility, terms and conditions apply. See below.
Trading Online Voucher Scheme
With the trend ever increasing towards online spending it is estimated that only 23% of small Irish businesses are engaged in any meaningful way in eCommerce sales. For businesses employing less than ten people this percentage could be even lower. It is now believed that, of online purchases made in Ireland, up to 70% of these are done in overseas markets.
There is now an urgency to ensure that businesses recognise that this is happening and that they are encouraged and supported to correctly respond to this digital reality. In order to support this goal, the National Digital Strategy aims to get more businesses trading online. To this end, the Department of Communications, Climate Action & Environment (DCCAE) launched a Trading Online Voucher Scheme and teamed up with the Local Enterprise Offices (LEO) to deliver this to Irish business. A limited number of vouchers are now available to eligible businesses
What is a Trading Online Voucher?
The voucher is a financial incentive to small businesses to develop or enhance their ability to trade online.
Under the scheme a qualifying business may apply for funding to a maximum value of €2,500 or 50% of eligible expenditure (exclusive of VAT), whichever is the lesser.
Following approval of their application, a successful applicant can engage suppliers and upon completion of the work, submit a request for payment to the LEO in line with the terms and conditions of their voucher.
Information seminars will be made available online or by conference call to prospective applicants to support them in their application process and it will be a condition of applying for the vouchers that applicants participate in one of these seminars. At each seminar attendees will be informed of the purpose of the scheme and how best to use and get value from the application of the voucher.
The application process for the vouchers will be a competitive process.
What are the eligibility criteria?
The vouchers are targeted at businesses with the following profile:
• Limited or no e-commerce presence;
• 10 or less employees;
• Turnover less than €2m;
• Applicant business must be trading for at least 6 months;
• Business must be located in the area covered by the LEO to whom they make their application i.e. LEOs cannot accept applications from businesses located outside their jurisdiction.
Previous voucher recipients may apply for a second voucher
*applicant business must provide clear proof of trading for a minimum of 6 months to their Local Enterprise Office
What can the vouchers be used for?
• IT consultation;
• Development or upgrade of an e-commerce website;
• Implementing Online payments or booking systems;
• Purchase of Internet related software;
• Developing an app (or multiplatform webpages);
• Development of a digital marketing strategy;
• Implementing a digital marketing strategy;
• Training/skills development specifically to establish and manage an online trading activity.
• Subscriptions (excluding transaction costs) to low cost online retail platform solutions, which would allow applicants to quickly establish a retailing presence online.
• Purchase of online advertising (this purchase cannot make up any more than 30% of all other approved Voucher costs and can only be drawn down in one payment phase);
• Purchase of Professional Photography (this expenditure cannot make up any more than 80%of all other approved voucher costs and can only be drawn down in one payment phase)
What are the things the vouchers cannot be used for?
• Development of brochure websites*;
• Purchase of non-internet related software;
• Anything other than e-commerce trading related activity.
* A brochure website is digital version of a printed brochure. They show the products or services your company provides, however, unlike an e-commerce website, they do not sell the product or service online or have an interactive booking function. With a brochure website, the goods and services are only displayed, so customers will have to contact the company to place an order.
What else do I need to know about vouchers?
• Voucher approval must be gained prior to incurring any expense;
• Third party costs only will be considered. Own labour is not an eligible expense (labour of spouse
or children also considered own labour);
• Claims can be made in either one or two instalments, and only made in respect of actual
work completed (i.e. in respect of the components of the project works completed at the time the
claim is being made). Expenditure on the various project components can only be claimed once.
• All third party/supplier invoices must contain proper business details (e.g. tax or business
registration details or proof that the supplier is a registered business in the territory in which the
supplier is located).
• Applications must be accompanied by written/ emailed quotes for project works from three suppliers.
a Sample Offering
- Professional eCommerce Website Design
- Suitable for Both Mobile & Desktop
- Up to 50 Products Added
- 3 Shop Banners Designed
- Social Media Integration
- Best Practice SEO
- Payment Gateway Configured
- Delivery Settings Configured
- Vat Setting Configured
- SSL Security Certificate
- Daily Onsite Backups
- Google Analytics
- 3 Months Support & Maintenance
- 3 Months eCommerce Grade Hosting
- 3 Months Website Security Monitoring
- 3 Months Cloud Backups
- 3 Months Software Updates Done For You
You will need 3 quotes for you application and we will be happy to provide you with a quote. We will also share any information from our experience of helping clients submit applications in the past
We can provide you with a Free Quote & Consultation.
At the moment our team can have you online ready to sell within 14 days (for a basic online store and if you have content ready). As demand rises this could change to a longer delivery time. Get Your Guide Today!