Trading Online Voucher – Available From Your Local Enterprise Offices (LEO)

Apply for a Trading Online Voucher up to €2,500 (updated for 2020)

The Trading Online Voucher is an incentive that was rolled out in 2015 with great success and is now running again for 2020. It’s aim is to support small Irish businesses to enhance their online trading presence.

To this end, the Department of Communications, Climate Action & Environment (DCCAE) launched a Trading Online Voucher Scheme and have teamed up with the Local Enterprise Offices (LEO) to deliver this to Irish businesses. It offers financial assistance of up to €2,500 with co-funding of 10% from the business* to help your business trade online. Cutting the cost of developing your online trading capacity by up to 90% can make this investment very affordable for many small businesses out there.*

With the trend ever increasing towards online spending it is essential that small Irish businesses are engaged in a meaningful way in eCommerce sales. Previous voucher recipients may apply for a second voucher.

*For applications received from April 7th 2020 until September 30th 2020. Further eligibility, terms and conditions apply.

**The applicant business must provide clear proof of trading for a minimum of 6 months to their Local Enterprise Office.

Applications are now being accepted. Vouchers will be available to a maximum value of €2,500 or 90% of eligible expenditure (exclusive of VAT), whichever is the lesser.

→ Trading Online Voucher Scheme Application PDF
→ Contact Mary Ryan | Senior Enterprise Development Officer | Phone 0761 066573 | Email [email protected].

Who is Eligible?

Businesses that have a limited or no e-commerce presence
Businesses with 10 or less employees
Businesses with a turnover of less than €2 million
Applicants must be registered and trading for minimum of 6 months
Applicants must be located in the area covered by the LEO to whom they make their application

Ineligible Projects/Businesses?

Projects with employees in excess of 10 people
Companies with charitable status, commercial semi-state companies, trade associations and company representation bodies such as Chambers of Commerce are not eligible to participate in the scheme
“Not for Profit” and social entrepreneurship applicants unless they operate in a commercial domain
Professional services specialising in IT type services who are already capable of trading online using existing in-house systems
Conferences and Seminars
Projects which are contrary to public policy
Duplication of support for projects which would be eligible for assistance from other State Agencies of EU funded Operational Programmes
Projects deemed to be capable of proceeding in any event without scheme assistance i.e. deadweight
Projects essentially comprising importation and distribution

Vouchers Can 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)

Vouchers Cannot Be Used For:

Development of brochure websites*
Purchase of non-internet related software
Anything other than online 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.