What is the Trading Online Voucher Scheme?
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 90% of eligible expenditure (exclusive of VAT), whichever is the lesser.
(information provided is accurate as of 27/04/2020 and is subject to change. Please check with your Local Enterprise Office for the latest updates.)
What’s it about?
Even though there is currently an increasing trend in online spending it is estimated that only 23% of small Irish businesses use eCommerce in any meaningful way. It is estimated that of all online purchases made in Ireland 70% is 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 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 and Environment (DCCAE) launched a Trading Online Voucher Scheme and teamed up with Local Enterprise Offices to deliver this to Irish Business.
A limited number of vouchers are now available to eligible businesses.
The Trading Online Voucher Scheme offers small businesses the opportunity to develop their website or digital marketing strategy by availing of vouchers of up to €2,500 or 90% of eligible expenditure.
Who’s eligible?
- Vouchers will be available to a maximum value of €2,500 or 90% of eligible expenditure (Exclusive of VAT), whichever is the lesser
- Voucher approval must be gained prior to incurring any expense
- Own labour is not an eligible expense
- Third-party costs only will be considered
- All third party/supplier invoices must contain proper business details (e.g. Tax and Business Registration details).
Eligible projects.
- Limited or no e-commerce presence
- 10 or less employees
- Turnover less than €2m
- Applicant Business must be registered and trading for a least 6 months
- Business must be located in the area covered by the LEO to whom they make their application
- Previous voucher recipients may apply for a second voucher
Grow your business online.
What can the voucher 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)
- 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 applications 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)
How do I apply?
Information Seminar
Attendance at a training session is compulsory for all prospective applicants and a representative of your business must attend.
Information seminars are scheduled at regular intervals throughout the year. The next Trading Online Voucher Scheme Information Seminar date will be advertised shortly on your Local Enterprise Office website.
If you wish to be contacted with details of future Trading Online Voucher Scheme information session dates please email your Local Enterprise Office
Programme Objective
The objective of the information session is to ensure that participants understand how to get the best out of an e-commerce website and how to make the most of the Trading Online Voucher Scheme application process
Information seminars are free of charge and only one person from each eligible business can attend.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Please note that your application form for a Trading Online Voucher can only be progressed after you attend a preliminary training course provided by the Local Enterprise Office.
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