Most Irish small businesses don’t realise this exists. The Trading Online Voucher can cover up to €2,500 of your website or digital marketing costs — and the application process is far less complicated than people assume.
This guide walks through exactly how it works, what it covers, how to apply, and how to make sure you spend it on the things that actually move your business forward.
What the Trading Online Voucher actually is
The Trading Online Voucher (TOV) is a government-backed grant scheme run through the Local Enterprise Office network across Ireland. It exists because the government wants small businesses to have a proper online presence, and they’re willing to part-fund it.
The scheme provides up to €2,500 in matched funding — meaning the LEO covers 50% of approved costs, up to that maximum. So if you spend €5,000 on a website, you get €2,500 back. Spend €3,000 and you get €1,500 back.
It’s not a loan. It’s not a tax deduction. It’s a straight grant — money toward your project that you don’t pay back.
What it covers
The Trading Online Voucher can be used for:
- Website design and development — new builds or major redesigns
- E-commerce functionality — adding online shops, checkout, payments
- Online booking systems — appointment booking, reservation systems
- Digital marketing campaigns — Google Ads, Meta Ads, email campaigns
- SEO services — when delivered as part of a structured project
- App development — mobile and web applications
- Online training and consultancy — related to your digital trading
What it doesn’t cover:
- Ongoing hosting fees or domain renewals
- General business consultancy not tied to online trading
- Hardware purchases (laptops, phones, equipment)
- Internal staff time
Who’s eligible
To qualify for the Trading Online Voucher, your business needs to meet all of the following:
- Employs fewer than 10 people
- Annual turnover less than €2 million
- Trading for at least six months
- Registered in Ireland with the Revenue Commissioners
- Has a limited online presence (or is looking to significantly improve what you have)
This covers the vast majority of Irish small businesses — sole traders, partnerships, family businesses, limited companies. If you’re a Dublin tradesperson, a Galway hospitality business, or a Cork food producer looking to get online properly, you almost certainly qualify.
How to apply — step by step
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1
Attend the free information webinar
Before you can apply, you need to attend a free information webinar run by your local LEO. These are held regularly — usually weekly or fortnightly — and last around two hours, covering what the voucher is, how to apply, and what makes a strong application.
This isn't a formality you can skip — without attending, your application will be rejected.
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2
Get two quotes from suppliers
You need at least two detailed quotes for the work you want to do. Vague "build a website" estimates won't pass review. A good quote includes:
- Exactly what's being built or delivered
- A breakdown of costs
- Timeline for delivery
- The supplier's contact details and trading status
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3
Complete and submit your application
The form is completed online through your local LEO portal. You'll need:
- Your business details (registration, turnover, employee numbers)
- The two supplier quotes
- A short plan explaining what you'll do with the voucher and how it helps your business grow online
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4
Wait for approval
Decisions typically come back within two to three weeks. The LEO may come back with questions, so respond quickly when they do.
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5
Complete the project and claim back
Once approved, complete the project with your chosen supplier and pay them in full. Then submit the invoice, proof of payment, and evidence the work is done (the live website). The LEO pays 50% of approved costs — up to €2,500 straight to your business bank account, usually within four to six weeks.
How to actually use the voucher well
The biggest mistake businesses make with the Trading Online Voucher is treating it as a budget to spend rather than an opportunity to invest. Here’s how to use it properly:
Spend it on outcomes, not features
A €5,000 website that nobody finds is a waste of €5,000. A €5,000 website that ranks on Google, loads fast, and converts visitors into enquiries is one of the best investments a small Irish business can make.
Before you spend, ask: does this bring in customers? If the answer isn’t obvious, redesign the plan.
Pick a supplier who builds for results
Avoid suppliers who’ll happily build whatever you ask for without questioning whether it will work. The good ones will tell you when you’re about to spend on the wrong thing.
Look for a portfolio of sites that:
- Load fast (under one second is the modern benchmark)
- Rank for the searches their customers actually use
- Make it obvious how to contact the business
- Look professional but aren’t over-designed
Build SEO in from day one
The voucher can fund SEO work, but the bigger win is getting a website that’s structured correctly for search from the start. Bolting SEO on later is always harder and more expensive than building it right first time.
For most Irish local businesses, this means:
- Location-specific pages for the towns and cities you serve
- Fast loading on mobile (where most of your customers search)
- Structured data so Google understands your business
- Clear local signals throughout the content
Don’t overspend on design
You don’t need a €15,000 brand identity refresh to claim the voucher. A clean, professional, fast website that works hard for your business is worth far more than a beautiful one that doesn’t.
How the voucher fits with how I work
Most of the websites I build for Irish small businesses come in at a price point where the Trading Online Voucher covers a significant portion of the project. A typical lead-generating website for a local business — fast, well-ranked, conversion-focused — falls comfortably within the voucher’s scope.
If you’re considering applying, I can:
- Provide a detailed quote that meets the LEO’s requirements
- Talk you through how to position the project in your application
- Build the site once funding is approved
- Make sure the deliverables match exactly what the voucher requires
I work with businesses across Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick, Waterford, Kilkenny, Sligo, and Drogheda — and anywhere else in Ireland.
Where to find your Local Enterprise Office
Each county has its own LEO, and you apply through the one local to your business address:
- Dublin — multiple LEOs by area (City, South County, Fingal, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown)
- Cork — LEO Cork City, LEO Cork North & West, LEO South Cork
- Galway — LEO Galway
- Limerick — LEO Limerick
- Waterford — LEO Waterford
- Kilkenny — LEO Kilkenny
- Sligo — LEO Sligo
- Louth (including Drogheda) — LEO Louth
You can find your local LEO and current voucher details at localenterprise.ie/trading-online-voucher-scheme.
Getting started
If you want help planning your Trading Online Voucher project — what to spend it on, how to scope the work, what to include in your quote — get in touch. I’ll give you a straight answer about whether the voucher is right for your situation and what the best use of it would be.
No obligation. No pressure to use me for the work. Just a useful conversation about how to get the most out of this scheme.
