50% grant

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.

If you have received a Trading Online Voucher previously you are eligible to make ONE further application.

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.

The vouchers are targeted at businesses with the following profile:

1. Limited or no e-commerce presence
2. Ten or less full time employees (2 part time equals 1 full time)
3. Turnover less than €2m
4. Applicant business must be trading for at least 6 months
5. 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.  Note that businesses within the Gaeltacht should contact Údarás na Gaeltachta as Údarás for their range of supports and not apply for this scheme via the LEO
6. Previous voucher recipients may apply for a second voucher
7. If voucher used for a website it must include a booking function or direct selling
8. 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
9. Any Expenditure prior to date of approval is not eligible, grant aid cannot be retrospective
10. Eligibility does not guarantee approval

• 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)