The Grow Digital Voucher Grant from the Local Enterprise Office and how it can benefit your business
What is the Grow Digital Grant or Grow Digital Voucher?
At its heart, the Grow Digital Grant is designed to support small and medium-sized businesses (SME’s) as they take on a new digital project, by easing the financial burden involved.
Some examples of how the grant could help you to grow your business:
- Upgrade your website
- Introduce e-commerce (setting up an online shop)
- Invest in digital marketing (eg. SEO, social media advertisements etc.)
- Simplify your operations/automate everyday tasks eg. start using accounting software for your bookkeeping and/or avail of professional advice for installation/training
Why has this grant been introduced?
Small businesses are the backbone of the Irish economy and the Irish Government has recognised that some small Irish businesses have struggled to adopt digital technology solutions quickly enough to remain competitive.
With assistance from the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) and local authorities, the government have launched this grant to help make digital transformation easier for businesses.
How can the Grow Digital Grant benefit your business?
1. Financial support
Up to 50% of eligible costs is available (capped at €5,000) towards your digital project.
2. Efficiency
The efficiency of your business could be increased by simplifying operations and/or enhancing productivity with new digital tools – eg. automate simple, repetitive tasks like data entry, scheduling, and invoicing.
This means you don’t have to spend time on these manual tasks, freeing you up for more important work.
3. Attract new ideal customers/clients or engage with a wider audience
Some ways to achieve this could be up to update your website and make it easier for people to find you via SEO, learn how to write blogs or batch cook and pre-schedule social media content over several channels. Maybe even start creating podcasts – the world is your oyster!
4. Differentiate your business
Stay ahead of the competition! Consider your customer’s experience when engaging with your business, and how you could make this experience smoother, more efficient, and more impactful. By improving and simplifying their journey, you’ll leave a lasting impression of professionalism.
Now, what digital tools do you need to make this happen?
| Please note that enterprises can be approved for a maximum of two Grow Digital Voucher projects! So the only problem now is deciding which 2 digital projects would benefit your business (and you) the most! |
Who is eligible for the Grow Digital Grant?
- Small/medium businesses with up to 50 employees
- SME’s that have been established & trading for more than 6 months
- Businesses which have completed a Digital for Business Project within the past two years. (This involves participating in a consultation process with advisors from a LEO panel, who will provide guidance on the most beneficial digital tools available for your business.)
- Applicants who are not a current client of Enterprise Ireland or IDA.
Who is not eligible for the Grow Digital Grant?
- Businesses with charitable status , commercial semi-state bodies, ‘not for profit’ organisations
- Businesses operating in the coal or steel sector
- Businesses active in primary agricultural, fishery or aquaculture sectors
- Business operating in the gambling/gaming sector, adult entertainment, tobacco & tobacco related products & cannabis-based products which are not authorised as medicines.
- Please note that this is not an exhaustive list and all applications will be considered and approved on its individual activities.
What expenditure is covered by the Grow Digital Grant?
1. Software subscription fees
The grant can cover business software (but this software must be NEW to the business and not already in use) for a maximum of 1 year of subscription. The business must incur this cost, before the grant will be paid. Subscriptions must be ‘off the shelf’ (meaning that the software has not be specifically designed for the business).
Key examples of qualifying expenditure:
- Electronic invoicing
- Cloud based accounting or payroll software
- E-commerce software
- Website development
- Software for customer relationship development
- Online bookings, payments or appointments
- Job tracking including field service management software
- Order management/stock control software
- Industry specific cloud SaaS (Software As A Service) software
- Field management or workflow management software
- Electronic signature software
- Standard office software (for email, documents, spreadsheets etc.)
- Cyber security software
- 3D modelling software
- Analytics software (Including AI systems)
2. Training and/or IT configuration
The grant can also cover the cost of expert advice surrounding the setup and implementation of a new software along with training for your team on how best to use the new software.
Please note that the training/configuration spend can cannot exceed 50% of the overall project spend.
What expenditure is excluded from the Grow Digital Grant?
- Increasing the number of licences for a software which is already in use by the business
- Custom/bespoke software
- Systems for regulatory compliance do not qualify
How do I apply for the Grow Digital Grant?
The application process is simple:
- Reach out to your Local Enterprise Office (LEO): Let them know you’re interested in the Grow Digital Voucher. Here’s a link to help you to locate your own LEO, if this is the first time you’ve interacted with them. Find your Local Enterprise Office
- Complete a Digital Readiness Assessment: This helps assess your business’s current digital status. Here’s the link to the 5 minute questionnaire which will help establish the current status of your business, in relation to digital systems Grow Digital: Self-Assessment Portal for Irish Businesses You can also contact your Local Enterprise Office and be assigned a digital consultant who will help you make decisions on which digital systems would be of the most benefit to your business (and this consultancy service is also provided free of charge!).
- Prepare a Project Proposal: Describe your digital project and gather quotes from service providers. Please wait to do this third step until Steps 1 and 2 completed, as the outcome of these conversations/assessments may help you to identify potential digital projects that you haven’t even though of yet!
- Submit Your Application: Submit all necessary documents to your LEO for review.
Your LEO will support you throughout the process, answering questions on your particular business and your business digital project, ensuring everything goes smoothly.
The Grow Digital Grant is a great opportunity for all Irish businesses — but it’s only valuable if you take action and complete the application process. Please be aware that time may be a factor here and funding may be limited – don’t lose out because you took too long to submit your application!
Whether you’re ready to apply or just looking into your options, we’re here to assist, if your chosen project relates to bookkeeping/accounting/tax systems. We are a certified Xero advisor practice with years of experience in setting up/changing over bookkeeping systems to Xero, along with other connected apps to make your life easier. Such as Hubdoc, Dext or Autoentry for example – these are systems designed to capture financial information and upload directly into Xero – getting rid of manual data entry and helping your office to go paperless!
Check your eligibility today and let’s start growing your business together.
