What is the new Grow Digital Grant?
I know a little bit about the Grow Digital Fund but it’s still a bit nebulous- even the LEOs don’t seem to be entirely sure what’s involved..
What I do know is that it’s a two-step process and you must start by contacting your LEO and going through the Digital for Business process. The application form link is here.
How do I complete the application form for Digital for Business?
The application form is straightfoward to complete, you will be asked questions such as:
Business Name
Stage of Business
Date Trading Commenced
Business Structure (sole trader etc)
Employment numbers and turnover
Project Scope
and some other similar questions
The LEO will set you up with a Digital Consultant from their panel of experts, with whom you must do a series of meetings, or in the case of one of my clients, one 3 hour meeting to do a deep dive into your business. The digital consultants assist through:
Analysis of existing digital systems in the business to identify potential gaps in meeting business needs.
Exploration of opportunities to optimise existing systems and to integrate with new solutions to enhance business operations.
Guidance on the implementation of new or enhanced digital solutions.
Once you have completed the Digital for Business consultancy process, then you can apply for the Grow Digital grant, based on the recommendations from your Digital for Business consultant.
The Grow Digital Grant is a grant “that will help businesses invest in digital offerings for their operational needs, such as software tools to offer online booking, AI to streamline stock control and of course cybersecurity support, all designed to modernise operations and boost efficiency. Available throughout the country’s Local Enterprise Offices, the new Grow Digital Voucher will help small businesses reap the benefits of digital and stay competitive.”
What’s the difference between the Grow Digital Grant and the Trading Online Voucher?
A representative of Dublin City Local Enterprise Office said they are looking to fund off-the-shelf tech solutions, as opposed to custom designs.
Another difference between the Grow Digital grant and the trading online voucher is that business owners need to be trained in how to use subscription based apps that are more intuitive and easy for end user/owners to operate. I’ve always included training as part of my off-boarding process, so my website work and the Brand Accelerator programme will apply.
Content Management Systems (aka website systems) like Kajabi, Shopify and Squarespace fit the bill, as well as tools like Acuity Scheduling for taking appointment bookings and email marketing tools and CRMs for sales and lead generation. I have a prospective client building a case for having my Brand Accelerator accepted, and it looks like funding has been approved for that.
Recap of Eligible Support
Analysis of existing digital systems in the business to identify potential gaps in meeting business needs.
Exploration of opportunities to optimise existing systems and to integrate with new solutions to enhance business operations.
Guidance on the implementation of new or enhanced digital solutions.
Ineligible Support
It is not intended to cover costs associated with routine or business as usual upgrades of Digital systems already in use that would not lead to a significant improvement in the business. So if you already have a website using one of the subscription-based CMS such as Squarespace, Shopify, Wix or Kajabi, you will not necessarily get the grant unless you are improving it with additional tools such as email marketing or a CRM like Hubspot.
This is what Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation, Dara Calleary TD said about it during his visit to the National Ploughing Championships in September 2024:
Minister Calleary said:
“This voucher will help businesses invest in digital offerings for their operational needs, such as software tools to offer online booking, AI to streamline stock control and of course cybersecurity support, all designed to modernise operations and boost efficiency. Available throughout the country’s Local Enterprise Offices, the new Grow Digital Voucher will help small businesses reap the benefits of digital and stay competitive.”
The Grow Digital Voucher offers small and medium businesses with up to 50 employees financial support to embrace digital technology. A “digital for business project report” (not sure what this is) must be completed within the previous two years.
Funding: Of up to €5,000 to invest in software and training/IT configuration.
Boost Efficiency: Streamline operations and enhance productivity with new digital tools.
Reach New Customers: Expand your reach and connect with a wider audience online.
Stay Competitive: Bridge the digital gap and compete effectively in today's marketplace.
How will the Grow Digital Funding be allocated?
Funding will be in the form of a grant. The grant aid will be 50% of eligible costs with minimum grant aid of €500 up to a maximum grant of €5,000 per application. Businesses can be approved a maximum of two Grow Digital Voucher projects up to a maximum cumulative grant value of €5,000 as identified in their Digital for Business project to support their Digitalisation journey. Approval of a second Grow Digital Voucher is dependent on the demonstrated achievement of the progression of the business as outlined in the Digital for Business report. Allowable expenditure will be towards supporting the Digitalisation progression of the applicant.
Who is eligible for the Grow Digital Grant?
The Grow Digital Voucher is open to small enterprises (with between 1 and 50 paid employees) who:
have completed a Digital for Business Project within the previous two years.
are not currently clients of Enterprise Ireland or IDA.
are established and trading for at least 6 months, registered, and operate within the area of the Local Enterprise Office.
are solvent as demonstrated in the financial statements supplied.
An enterprise will be eligible to apply to the Scheme where it is a company, self-employed individual or partnership carrying on a trade or profession, the profits of which are chargeable to tax under Case I or Case II of Schedule D by virtue of section 18(2) of the Taxes Consolidation Act, 1997 (TCA). Pay As You Go (PAYG) customers are within the scope of the scheme.
Sporting bodies that carry on activities which would be chargeable to tax under Case I or II of Schedule D but for an exemption set out in section 235 TCA are eligible to apply to the scheme.
Charities that carry on activities that would be chargeable to tax as trading income, but for an available tax exemption under section 208 TCA, are also included within the scope of the scheme.
Businesses must have current tax clearance from Revenue. Businesses must supply a Tax Reference Number and a Tax Clearance Access Number to allow for verification of their Tax Clearance status on Revenue’s online portal.
Ineligible Applicants
Companies with charitable status, commercial semi-state companies, “not for profit” organisations – which do not meet the above criteria, trade associations, company representation bodies such as Chambers of Commerce, Sporting Bodies – which do not meet the above criteria and other non-commercial bodies or associations are not eligible to avail of the Grow Digital Voucher.
Are operating in the coal or steel sector.
Are active in the primary agricultural, fishery or aquaculture sectors.
Are involved in activities that Local Enterprise Offices considers as ineligible or as involving an unacceptable reputational risk. Ineligible activities include activities relating to:
The gambling sector, including ‘gaming’ (as defined in the Gaming and Lotteries Act 1956).
Adult entertainment.
Tobacco and tobacco related products.
Cannabis-based products which are not authorised as medicines.
Note: This is not an exhaustive list and Enterprise Ireland has a dynamic policy position on several activities. Any queries in relation to the eligibility of an activity will be directed to the Enterprise Ireland Policy department who will assess the case.
Eligible Expenditure for the Grow Digital Grant
1. Software subscription fees
for eligible business software that is NEW to the business for a maximum of one year subscription (the business must incur the annual subscription cost before the grant can be paid).
that are “off the shelf”.
expanding on the number of existing software licenses for software systems already in use does not qualify.
Eligible software examples include:
E-commerce software
Software for customer relationship management
Online booking, payments or appointments
Job tracking including field service management software.
Order management or stock control software
Industry specific cloud SaaS software (where new to the company)
Field management or workflow management software
Electronic invoicing or electronic signature software
Standard office software (for email, documents, spreadsheets, etc.) where not already in use by the company
Cyber security software (if new to the company)
Cloud based accounting or payroll software (if moving to the cloud for these systems)
3D modelling software (including building information modelling)
Analytics software (including AI systems)
2. Training and/or IT Configuration
Where the business requires expert assistance in the set up; and/or integration of new software systems or ICT processes or where the business management or team require training to engage with/maintain the new system to allow for ease of use and to garner most benefit for the business. (Training and Configuration amount combined can be no more than 50% of the software subscription fees).
Ineligible Expenditure
Custom or bespoke software is not eligible for grant support.
Systems for regulatory compliance do not qualify.
So, how do you apply for the Grow Digital Grant?
All applications for Grow Digital Voucher should be discussed with your Local Enterprise Office. Find your local office at https://www.localenterprise.ie
They have an assessment quiz on the Grow Digital Portal
About the Grow Digital portal
Grow Digital is a website developed by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment in conjunction with Enterprise Ireland, the Local Enterprise Offices, Údarás na Gaeltachta, and IDA Ireland. The launch of Grow Digital is a key deliverable under Harnessing Digital, the National Digital Strategy, to help achieve the targets of 90% of SMEs having at least basic digital intensity, and at least 75% take-up of AI, Cloud, and Data Analytics by 2030.
Grow Digital has a case study catalogue with digital success stories from a range of businesses, showcasing how they have embraced digital solutions to boost their operations. Over time this catalogue will grow to include more businesses across a range of sectors, and from every county.
This project has been funded by the Digital Transition Fund as part of Ireland’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan, under the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF).
About the Grow Digital Voucher
The new Grow Digital Voucher was announced on the 4th September and is available through the Local Enterprise Offices. It can help implement recommended digital interventions that a business receives through the Grow Digital Portal. The Voucher offers businesses with up to 50 employees financial support of up to €5,000. It represents an expansion of the Trading Online Voucher by including a wide range of digital software solutions and expanding eligibility to all businesses. It can be used to invest in technology such as online booking, stock control, AI, customer insights, payroll software, and cyber security. Funding will be in the form of a grant. The grant aid will be 50% of eligible costs with minimum grant aid of €500 up to a maximum grant of €5,000 per application.
About Digital for Business
Digital for Business is a scheme operated by Local Enterprise Offices that provides expert digital consultants to help businesses on their digital journey by analysing existing digital systems in the business to identify potential gaps in meeting business needs and exploring opportunities to optimise existing systems and to integrate with new solutions to enhance business operations. Digital for Business is open to small enterprises (with between 1 and 50 employees) who are established and trading for at least 12 months.
For more information on all government supports available to businesses visit the National Enterprise Hub.
