Deadline for Trading Online Voucher applications is the 6th of December 2024.
Only fully filled in and signed applications will be accepted and assessed. Incomplete applications won't be assessed / approved!
If you have a small business, with 10 or fewer employees and less than €2m in revenue, that has little or no capacity to trade online, the Trading Online Voucher is the perfect way for you to Build Your Brand.
The trading online voucher is a financial initiative which aims to support small Irish businesses to enhance their online trading presence. Vouchers to the value of €2,500 (50% of eligible costs up to the maximum of €2,500) are now available through this programme. The objective of the scheme is to help small businesses build their brand, grow their sales, exports and ultimately jobs.
What are the benefits of developing online trading capabilities?
There are a whole host of benefits to be accrued from developing your online trading capabilities. For example, a study of 501 Irish SME’s in 2015 indicated that:
68% can’t process payments online
51% had no social media presence
Only 4 percent of businesses had analytics capability
Now is your chance to build your brand whilst also gaining a competitive advantage through the use of online trading.
Please Note:
Please note only applications received complete and with the 2 required quotes, will be considered by the Evaluation Committee for approval.
Businesses who previously benefited from the Trading Online Voucher Scheme can now apply for a second voucher of up to €2,500.
As of 1st January 2021, the co-funding requirement to apply for a Trading Online Voucher is 50%
Funding is provided by the LEO of the area in which the business operates and provides employment
There are categories of business excluded from the Trading Online Voucher Scheme as defined by their NACE code, these are listed in Appendix 1 on the application form. A number of sectors are identified by their NACE codes in which exclusions apply in terms of the Trading Online Voucher Scheme. The NACE code for a business can be checked via CRO registration.
Eligibility Criteria
- Have attended a TOV Seminar within the previous 9 months
- 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).
- There are categories of business excluded from the Trading Online Voucher Scheme as defined by their NACE code, these are listed on the application form. A number of sectors are identified by their NACE codes in which exclusions apply in terms of the Trading Online Voucher Scheme. The NACE code for a business can be checked via CRO registration.
Eligible Projects
- no more than 10 employees;
- less than €2m in turnover;
- be trading for at least 6 months and
- be based in County Wicklow
Ineligible Projects
- Companies with charitable status, commercial semi-state companies, trade associations and company representation bodies such as Chambers of Commerce
- "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 with employees in excess of 10 people;
- Projects deemed to be capable of proceeding in any event without scheme assistance i.e. deadweight;
- Projects essentially comprising importation and distribution.
- Categories of business excluded from the Trading Online Voucher Scheme as defined by their NACE code. Please see Appendix 1 on page 18 of application for the list of categories of business excluded from the Trading Online Voucher Scheme as defined by their NACE code.
Projects which are contrary to public policy or involved in activities that the Local Enterprise Offices consider as ineligible or as involving an unacceptable reputational risk: gambling including ‘gaming’ (as defined in the Gaming and Lotteries Act 1956), adult entertainment, tobacco products and cannabis based products which are not authorised as medicines.
What the 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
- Purchase of online advertising (this purchase cannot make up any more than 30% of approved Voucher costs and can only be drawn down in one payment phase)
- Developing an app (or multiplatform webpages)
- Implementing a digital marketing strategy i.e., Social media marketing
- Consultation with ICT experts for early-stage adopters of online strategy
- Training/skills development specifically to establish and manage an online trading activity
- Third party costs only will be considered. Own labour is not an eligible expense (labour of spouse or children also considered own labour)
What the vouchers cannot be used for
- Development of brochure websites
- Purchase of non-internet related software
- Anything other than online trading related activity
Businesses that participated in the scheme reported that, on average they saw their sales increase by 20%, with an 80% jump in sales leads and 3 in 5 exporting for the first time.
For many businesses, the question is not whether to trade online, it's how to start. At least 2,000 small businesses have found answers to that question and a helping hand to take that step through the TOV Scheme. Some of them are your competitors.
How to apply
In order to apply for a Trading Online Voucher, it is necessary to first attend have attended a TOV information seminar within 9 months of applying, which will provide all the details as to how to apply and also how to best use and gain value from the voucher to support your trading online proposition.
Next Trading Online Voucher Seminar will be held online via Zoom on the 6th of November 2024.
Please register here.
Information sessions cover various topics, including developing a website, digital marketing, social media for business and search engine optimisation. The information provided is impartial and will help you decide on what trading online options, are right for your business.
You should have attended a TOV seminar within the previous 9 months before applying. If you have any queries please call the office on 0404 30800 or email enterprise@leo.wicklowcoco.ie
Open and print the application form and guidelines below, familiarise yourself with the guidelines and the documentation that is needed to apply for the grant. There are categories of business excluded from the Trading Online Voucher Scheme as defined by their NACE code, these are listed on the application form. A number of sectors are identified by their NACE codes in which exclusions apply in terms of the Trading Online Voucher Scheme. The NACE code for a business can be checked via CRO registration.
Fill out the application form.
Email the application form and 2 required quotes to enterprise@leo.wicklowcoco.ie (note do not send several emails, please ensure all documents are on the one email).
5. Alternatively post a hard copy of the application form and additional documents to:
Trading Online Voucher Administration
Local Enterprise Office Wicklow
Wicklow County Campus
Clermont House
Rathnew
Co. Wicklow
If you have any questions or need assistance call us on 0404 30800.
Good luck to all applicants!
Drawing down
Applicants must now drawdown from the funding allocation within 6 months.
All other documentation required for drawing down TOV Grant is issued in Letter of Offer once approved.
NOTE:
This is a competitive grant scheme and eligibility does not guarantee approval.
In ALL cases approvals are subject to funding being made available for the scheme.
Applications will ONLY be assessed if complete, with two quotes and both signed hard copy and emailed soft copy is received ahead of the deadline.
Please read Terms & Conditions on the application form before submitting.
Please note that the grant aid will not be provided in respect of any expenditure incurred prior to obtaining official notification of grant approval.
All applicants must have attended a TOV Seminar within 9 months of applying for the scheme.
Failure to drawdown all or any portion within 6 months may result in automatic de-committal without notice, i.e., loss of voucher.
There are categories of business excluded from the Trading Online Voucher Scheme as defined by their NACE code, these are listed on the application form. A number of sectors are identified by their NACE codes in which exclusions apply in terms of the Trading Online Voucher Scheme. The NACE code for a business can be checked via CRO registration.
Barbara Gordon of www.whatswhat.ie provided us with the following testimonial on the Trading Online Voucher Scheme:
"I've received my Trading Online Grant and I want to thank you so much for that support. I want to also thank you for guiding me through the process and the form filling. You helped making it very streamlined for me as filling out forms is something I hate doing. My new WhatsWhat.ie revamp and upgrade looks amazing".