LEO Grow Digital Voucher

What this scheme funds

50% toward new business software plus its configuration and training. Requires a completed Digital for Business project first.

• New off-the-shelf software subscriptions for up to one year
• CRM, workflow, stock control, accounting, payroll and e-invoicing platforms
• Analytics and AI software that is new to the business
• Online booking, payment, appointment and e-commerce software
• Configuration and training related to the new system, within the 50% cap

What it does not fund

These costs are routinely ruled ineligible under this scheme.

• Bespoke website development
• Custom software written specifically for you
• SEO, advertising and general digital marketing
• Software the business already uses
• Anything spent before the LEO receives the application

Who is eligible

Eligibility is decided by Local Enterprise Office, not by Digital Bridge.

• Registered enterprise with 1 to 50 paid employees
• Trading for at least six months
• Current Revenue tax clearance and evidence of solvency
• Not currently a client of Enterprise Ireland or IDA Ireland
• A Digital for Business project completed within the previous two years
• Turnover or balance-sheet total of a fixed quote million or less

How to apply

Typical end-to-end timeline: The Digital for Business project itself usually takes several weeks to schedule and complete. Voucher processing then varies by office — ask yours for its current turnaround, because the LEO network does not run to one national clock.

• Contact the Local Enterprise Office covering where your business operates
• Complete a Digital for Business project and receive the report
• Identify the new software and the eligible configuration or training in that report
• Submit the application and supporting documents to the LEO
• Incur no expenditure until the LEO confirms it has received the application
• Proceed once the LEO confirms approval and the process to follow

Evidence you will need

Applications are usually delayed by missing paperwork rather than by weak projects.

• Digital for Business report
• Quotations for the software and for the configuration or training
• Tax clearance access number
• Recent financial statements or management accounts

Why applications get rejected

The recurring reasons assessors give under this scheme.

• No completed Digital for Business project
• The spend is bespoke development rather than off-the-shelf software
• Costs were incurred before the application landed
• The business is already an Enterprise Ireland or IDA client
• The cumulative a fixed quote ceiling has already been reached

What Digital Bridge delivers under this scheme

Illustrative net cost applies the published rate (50% of eligible cost) to our published engagement bands. It is arithmetic, not an offer of funding.

• Configuration & integration of new business software — list From €1,295, illustrative net cost ≈ from €648 at 50% co-funding, where the LEO accepts the cost line
• Team training on the new system — list From €295, illustrative net cost ≈ from €148 at 50% co-funding

Who decides this grant, and what we are responsible for

Local Enterprise Office decides eligibility, approval and payment under this scheme. Digital Bridge supplies the work and the documentation an assessor asks for from the supplier side.

• Digital Bridge does not administer, assess, approve, pay or appeal any grant. Every decision is made by the funding body named on the scheme, under its own published rules.
• This section is general information, not financial, tax, legal or grant-writing advice. It is not an application, a pre-approval, or any form of assurance that you will be funded.
• Scheme rates, ceilings and eligibility change without notice and several supports are administered locally, so your Local Enterprise Office or agency may apply different rules to the ones published here. Confirm everything with the funder in writing before you commit.
• Our questionnaire is a deterministic guide based only on the answers you give. It cannot see your accounts, your sector classification, your state-aid position or your previous awards, so it can suggest a scheme you are ultimately found ineligible for.
• If an application is refused, delayed, reduced or clawed back, our fees for work you have instructed remain payable. We recommend you do not instruct chargeable work until your funder confirms in writing what it will support.
• Costs incurred before a funder receives your application are almost always ineligible. Timing is your responsibility, and we will always tell you when we think you should wait.

How the Grow Digital Voucher works in practice

The Grow Digital Voucher is administered locally, which is the single most important thing to understand about it. Each Local Enterprise Office runs its own calls, its own paperwork and, at times, its own interpretation of what counts as an eligible digital cost. Figures quoted nationally are indicative; your office's current call is the authority. The scheme is aimed at small businesses making a first substantive move online rather than at companies replatforming a mature operation. Approval is required before spending — this is the rule that catches most applicants, because work already commissioned is normally ineligible no matter how well it fits the scheme's purpose. Talk to the office before you sign anything.

What we do as the supplier on the quote

For voucher applications we provide a written quote with the deliverables itemised, the price fixed, and the timeline stated. That is all a supplier can properly do. We are not a state-approved supplier, we do not lodge applications, and we do not know how a given office will assess a given business. Where an office asks for a particular quote format we will follow it. We also keep the quote valid for long enough to survive the decision period, since a lapsed quote is a routine cause of resubmission. If the voucher does not come through, the quote still stands as a normal commercial proposal.

Can the Grow Digital Voucher pay for an AI integration build?

Not for bespoke development. It can cover a new AI-enabled off-the-shelf platform plus the configuration and training around it, which is a legitimate first step. If what you actually need is a system built around your process, this is the wrong scheme and the honest answer is to look at the Enterprise Ireland route instead.

Is this the same as the old Trading Online Voucher?

No. Grow Digital is a separate digitalisation support focused on new business software. Do not assume the older Trading Online Voucher rules still apply to your application.

Does using Digital Bridge improve my chances?

It should improve the quality of the quotation and the clarity of what is being configured, which helps any assessor. It does not influence the decision. Only your Local Enterprise Office can determine eligibility.

Why do the voucher figures differ between counties?

Because delivery is devolved to each Local Enterprise Office, which sets call timing and applies national guidance to local circumstances. Always confirm the current rate, ceiling and eligible cost list with your own office rather than relying on a figure quoted elsewhere, including here.

Source and last review

Scheme parameters checked against Local Enterprise Office — supports (https://www.localenterprise.ie/) on 2026-08-18. Reviewed quarterly. Next scheduled review: November 2026. Digital Bridge is a supplier, not the awarding body. Eligibility, approval and payment are decided solely by the funding body named on each scheme. Figures below are the published scheme parameters as at the review date shown, and net costs are arithmetic illustrations of the published rate applied to our published prices. Always confirm current rules with the funder before you commit to any spend, because expenditure incurred before an application is received is almost always ineligible.

Who is the Grow Digital Voucher meant for, and why do county rules differ?

This voucher is administered locally, which is the single most important fact to understand before applying: each Local Enterprise Office runs its own calls, its own paperwork and, at times, its own interpretation of what counts as an eligible digital cost, so any nationally quoted figure — including anything published elsewhere — is indicative only. It suits a small business making a first substantive move online rather than a company replatforming a mature operation. The rule that catches most applicants is that approval is required before spending; work already commissioned is normally ineligible no matter how well it otherwise fits the scheme's purpose. Talk to your own Local Enterprise Office before signing anything with any supplier, and confirm the current rate, ceiling and eligible cost list directly with that office rather than relying on a general description of the scheme, since these details are genuinely set locally and do change between calls.

What should a voucher-ready quote from Digital Bridge look like?

For a voucher application we provide a written quote with the deliverables itemised, the price fixed, and the timeline stated clearly — that is the extent of what a supplier can properly do. We are not a state-approved supplier, we do not lodge applications on a client's behalf, and we do not know in advance how a given office will assess a given business, so we make no promises about approval odds. Where an office specifies a particular quote format, we follow it. We also keep the quote valid for a reasonable period so it survives the typical decision timeframe, since a lapsed quote forcing a resubmission is a routine and avoidable delay. Published brochure-tier work starting from €1,200 is a common fit for this kind of first digital move, though the specific package depends on the business's actual needs. If the voucher is ultimately not awarded, the quote still stands as an ordinary commercial proposal independent of any funding outcome. The decision to approve or decline rests entirely with the relevant Local Enterprise Office.

What kind of AI or digital project realistically fits within a Trading Online or Digital Voucher scope?

Local Enterprise Office digital vouchers are generally aimed at helping businesses build or improve their online trading capability, so the fit with AI projects depends on how directly your idea connects to trading online rather than being a standalone internal tool. A customer-facing chatbot that helps convert website visitors into sales or bookings often fits this framing more naturally than an internal-only automation tool, even though both are genuinely useful. We help clients think through which parts of an AI or website project map onto the voucher’s stated purpose, because a vague application describing a general AI system is far less likely to succeed than one clearly tied to improving online sales, bookings or customer service through your website. It’s worth being clear that we can’t and won’t promise a voucher application will be approved — that decision sits entirely with your Local Enterprise Office. What we can offer is a properly scoped project description and cost estimate from a paid discovery assessment, which gives your application something concrete and specific to reference rather than a general aspiration to use AI without a defined outcome.

Can voucher funding cover an ongoing AI system, or only a one-off build?

This depends entirely on the specific scheme rules in place at the time you apply, and these details change between funding rounds, so we won’t state a fixed answer here that might be out of date by the time you read it. What we can say generally is that vouchers typically favour a defined, completed piece of work with a clear cost, rather than an ongoing subscription-style spend, which matters for how you structure a proposal involving AI. A one-off build cost — setting up a chatbot, an automated booking workflow, or a design-and-price tool — tends to fit this model more naturally than framing the project around ongoing monthly running costs, even if there is some ongoing cost involved in practice for hosting or maintenance. When we scope an AI project for a client considering voucher funding, we separate the build cost clearly from any ongoing running costs in our quote, which gives you a cleaner figure to present in an application. Always confirm the current scheme rules directly with your Local Enterprise Office before finalising how you structure the funding request.