Are you aware the Local Enterprise Offices offer a grant of up to €2,500 that you can put towards your website or digital marketing? The grant offers small businesses the opportunity to develop their website or digital marketing strategy by availing of vouchers of up to €2,500 or 50% of eligible expenditure. It is an excellent grant and I recently delivered a talk for the Local Enterprise Office in Clare at their Trading Online Voucher event. Here is the key information you need.
Evan Mangan of @marketingcrowd shares his top 10 tips about online trading at LEO Clare TOV information session. pic.twitter.com/Rvq03CkQ6Q
— LEO Clare (@LEOCountyClare) April 1, 2019
Eligibility Criteria
- Vouchers will be available to a maximum value of €2,500 or 50% 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 Online Trading presence
- Less than 10 employees
- Turnover less than €2m
- Applicant Business must be registered and trading for a least 6 months
Ineligible Projects
- Companies with charitable status, commercial semi-state companies, “not for profit” organisations, trade associations and company representation bodies such as Chambers of Commerce are not eligible to participate in the innovation voucher initiative
- 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
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 on-line trading activity
What the vouchers CANNOT be used for
- Development of brochure websites
- Purchase of non-internet related software
- Anything other than online trading-related activity
To find out more go to Localenterprise.ie and choose your Local Enterprise Office