TRADING ONLINE VOUCHER

Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) Trading Online Voucher

Trading Online Voucher Scheme – up to €2,500 (ex VAT) grant available

Trading Online Vouchers

Up to €2,500 (ex VAT) grant available

Grow your business with help from this Government grant scheme, designed to assist small businesses. It offers financial assistance of up to €2,500 (ex VAT) along with training and advice to help your business trade online. Participating in this scheme can make the process of trading online much easier for you.

Making informed decisions is vital for all business, so the free help and training provided by your local enterprise office puts you in a position to decide what is best for your business.

Cutting the cost of developing your online trading capacity by up to 50% can make the investment very affordable for many small businesses out there.

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.

Eligibility Criteria:

What are ineligible projects for this scheme?

• 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.
• Companies engaged in the production, operation and sale of any CBD Hemp products such as food supplements (with CBD oil or hemp oil as ingredients), Hemp food products (seeds, chocolate bars, granola etc) and Cosmetic Products (skincare, shampoo etc).
• 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.
• 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).

Before you proceed, please go to the link below 'INELIGIBLE PROJECTS' to check if your business is eligible to apply. If your business type is on this list then you are excluded from applying for the scheme. LEO Mayo has no discretion to these rules.

LINK: INELIGIBLE PROJECTS 

The Trading Online Voucher Scheme is a competitive process, so eligibility does not guarantee approval.

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

What the vouchers cannot be used for:

• Development of brochure websites (i.e websites with no e-commerce facility)
• Purchase of non-internet related software
• Anything other than online trading related activity

Voucher approval must be gained prior to incurring any expenditure and third-party costs only will be considered.

How to Apply

1. All applicants must attend a mandatory online information webinar to qualify for the support and provide evidence that this was completed as part of their application to progress for evaluation for this support. Please ensure your business qualifies for this support under the qualifying criteria in advance of attending the webinar. Suppliers/Web developers are NOT PERMITTED to attend, or attend on behalf of a client - application will not be considered. 
2. Applicants must obtain three quotes from three different suppliers. It is important that applicants for this support are aware that it is not the policy of the LEO network to endorse or approve in any way any individual providers of service or work required for completion of trading online voucher projects. Applicants should beware of any false claims of such an endorsement and carry out their own due diligence of suppliers and quality and value for money of their work and services.
3. All applicants must complete an evaluation phone call, prior to the application being put forward for approval.

For a list of FAQ's, please follow this link - Trading Online Voucher FAQ's

Contact Local Enterprise Office Mayo on 094 906 4299 or info@leo.mayococo.ie to find out more information regarding the Trading Online Voucher Scheme. The following video also has lots of information about the Trading Online Voucher Scheme. Watch it below or follow this link to YouTube.