A lot of the software work we do for Irish businesses can be part-funded by the state. Owners are often surprised by this, because the schemes are not always well explained and the names change. This is a plain guide to the main supports, what they tend to cover, and how to use them for a website, a custom system or an automation project. One important caveat up front: grant amounts and eligibility change, so treat the figures here as a guide and confirm the current details with your Local Enterprise Office (LEO) or Enterprise Ireland before you commit.
Why this matters
A grant changes the maths on a project. A piece of automation that pays for itself in a year pays for itself much faster when part of the build is funded. It also lowers the risk of starting, which is often the real barrier for a small business deciding whether to invest in software at all. If you were going to do the work anyway, funding it is simply leaving money on the table not to check.
The Trading Online Voucher
The Trading Online Voucher is the best-known support, aimed at small businesses getting or improving their online presence. It is administered through the Local Enterprise Offices and typically works as a matched contribution: the state covers a share of the cost up to a cap, and you fund the rest. It is well suited to a new or upgraded website, e-commerce, or bringing your business online in a meaningful way.
It is smaller than the digital-adoption grants below, but it is also the most accessible, and the application is relatively light. For a lot of micro and small businesses, it is the obvious first port of call for a website project.
Digitalisation and "grow digital" supports
Beyond the website-focused voucher, there are larger supports aimed at digital adoption more broadly, sometimes branded around "digitalisation" or "growing digital." These are designed for businesses investing in software, systems and processes rather than just a web presence, which makes them a better fit for custom software and automation work. The amounts are larger and the scope is wider, covering things like new systems, integrations and the consultancy to scope them.
Because the exact programme names, amounts and eligibility shift over time, this is the area where it pays most to talk to your LEO. Tell them what you are trying to build and they will point you to the current scheme that fits.
Enterprise Ireland and AI supports
For larger or more ambitious projects, and for AI specifically, Enterprise Ireland runs supports including vouchers aimed at scoping and feasibility. If you are exploring an AI feature, there are schemes designed to part-fund the discovery work, which is exactly the stage where you want to be careful and deliberate rather than rushing to build. These are generally aimed at companies meeting certain criteria, so eligibility is worth checking early.
How to actually use a grant for a software project
The process is more manageable than it looks if you do it in the right order.
- Decide what you want to build, roughly. You do not need a full spec, but you need a clear problem and a sense of the outcome. "We lose hours re-keying orders between systems" is enough to start.
- Talk to your LEO early. Describe the project and ask which current support fits. They will tell you what is available, the caps, and what the application needs.
- Get a proper quote. Most schemes need a written quote or two. This is where a partner who gives a clear, fixed estimate makes life easier.
- Apply before you commit. Grants almost always have to be approved before the work starts. Spending first and applying later usually disqualifies the cost.
- Build, and keep the paperwork. Drawdown needs evidence: invoices, proof of payment, sometimes a short report. Keep it tidy as you go.
Where we fit
We are happy to scope a project to fit a grant and to provide the kind of clear, itemised estimate these applications need. We cannot approve your funding, and we will not pretend the schemes are simpler than they are, but we can make our part of it straightforward, and we will tell you honestly if off-the-shelf would serve you better than a funded custom build.
The takeaway: if you are planning a website, a custom system or an automation project, check what funding is available before you start. It is a short call to your LEO, and it can change what is affordable.
If you want help scoping something fundable, see what we build, or book a demo.