Small Business Grants for Digital Marketing in Ireland (2026 Guide)

If you have been Googling "website grants Ireland" lately, you have probably noticed the landscape has changed. The Trading Online Voucher (TOV) scheme, which helped thousands of Irish small businesses fund their first websites and e-commerce platforms, closed for applications in December 2024. It is gone, and it is not coming back.

But here is the thing: the support has not disappeared entirely. It has been restructured, repackaged, and in some cases expanded. The problem is that the new programmes are harder to find, more complicated to access, and not particularly well promoted. As of May 2025, only six businesses in the entire country had received funding under the main replacement scheme, out of a 5 million euro budget.

That tells me two things. First, the grants exist. Second, most businesses do not know about them or find the process too confusing to bother. This guide is here to fix that.

Here is every funding option we know of for Irish businesses investing in digital marketing, websites, and online growth in 2026.

What replaced the Trading Online Voucher?

The TOV was straightforward. You applied to your Local Enterprise Office (LEO), got approved, spent up to 5,000 euro on a website or e-commerce platform, and the LEO covered up to 2,500 euro (50 percent). It was simple, accessible, and widely used.

Its replacement is a two-step process called Digital for Business and the Grow Digital Voucher. The total funding available has actually increased to up to 5,000 euro in grant support, but the process is more involved.

Step 1: Digital for Business (free consultancy)

Before you can access any funding, you must first complete the Digital for Business programme. This is a free consultancy provided by your Local Enterprise Office where an approved digital consultant spends up to three days with your business. They will:

• Analyse your existing digital systems and processes
• Identify gaps and inefficiencies
• Recommend specific software and tools that could improve your operations
• Produce a formal report with recommendations

This consultancy is genuinely valuable. It is not a box-ticking exercise. You get independent, tailored advice at zero cost. The consultant cannot recommend their own products, so you get objective guidance.

Eligibility: Your business must have between 1 and 50 employees, have been trading for at least six months, be tax compliant, and not be an existing client of Enterprise Ireland or IDA. You apply through your Local Enterprise Office.

Step 2: Grow Digital Voucher (up to 5,000 euro)

Once you have your Digital for Business report in hand (completed within the previous two years), you can apply for the Grow Digital Voucher. This provides grant funding of 50 percent of eligible costs, with a minimum grant of 500 euro and a maximum of 5,000 euro.

You can apply for up to two projects under this scheme, but the total cumulative grant cannot exceed 5,000 euro.

What it covers:

• New off-the-shelf software subscriptions (for up to 12 months) including CRM systems, e-commerce platforms, online booking and payment tools, stock management, cloud accounting, cybersecurity software, and AI or analytics platforms
• Training and configuration costs for new software (limited to 50 percent of the software subscription cost)

What it does not cover:

• Custom or bespoke software development
• Expanding existing software licences
• Systems for regulatory compliance
• Traditional web design and development on platforms like WordPress (though SaaS website platforms such as Shopify, Wix, and Squarespace subscriptions may qualify if recommended in your Digital for Business report)

Is the Grow Digital Voucher worth it?

The Grow Digital Voucher is useful, but it is a narrower tool than the TOV was. The old scheme covered website design and development broadly. The new scheme focuses specifically on software subscriptions and digital tools. If your business needs a new WordPress website built by an agency, this grant will not directly cover that.

The uptake numbers tell the story. By May 2025, only 13 businesses had applied and just six were approved, with less than 30,000 euro paid out of a 5 million euro budget. Digital Business Ireland called this "gravely wrong" and has proposed a tiered system with higher grant values. Whether the government listens remains to be seen.

That said, 5,000 euro toward CRM software, e-commerce subscriptions, or cloud tools is still real money for a small business. If you are investing in digital tools anyway, there is no reason not to apply.

LEO Business Expansion Grant (up to 150,000 euro)

This is the one most people overlook, and it is by far the most substantial grant available through the Local Enterprise Office for digital investment. The Business Expansion Grant supports businesses in their growth phase with funding of up to 150,000 euro, covering 50 percent of eligible costs across four categories:

• Capital items (equipment, technology)
• Salary costs (new hires for digital roles)
• Consultancy and innovation costs (including digital strategy, AI implementation, or hiring a search engine optimisation consultant)
• General overhead costs

The key requirement is that your business must have completed the Digital for Business consultancy stage first, so that the grant investment aligns with professional recommendations rather than guesswork.

This grant is typically aimed at micro-enterprises (under 10 employees) in manufacturing or internationally traded services. But the definition of what qualifies can be broader than you think. Talk to your LEO directly, because the eligibility varies by office and by the specifics of your project.

Enterprise Ireland grants (for EI clients)

If your business is already a client of Enterprise Ireland, you have access to a wider and more generous set of digital supports. These are not available to businesses that work with LEO, so it is an either/or situation. Enterprise Ireland clients tend to be larger, export-focused companies, but if that describes you, these are worth exploring.

Digital Marketing Capability Grant (up to 35,000 euro)

This is probably the most directly relevant Enterprise Ireland grant for readers of this blog. It provides up to 35,000 euro to improve your company's online presence by engaging a digital marketing agency. That means you could use it to fund SEO, PPC campaigns, content strategy, or a comprehensive digital marketing strategy.

For any business spending five figures annually on digital marketing, this grant effectively halves the cost of professional agency support.

Digital Process Innovation (up to 150,000 euro)

This grant funds the implementation of new production or delivery methods through digital technology. It covers up to 50 percent of eligible costs, with funding available for salary costs (staff time working on the project), overheads, external consultancy, and project materials.

Eligible projects might include implementing a new CRM or ERP system, introducing AI-driven customer service tools, digitising your supply chain, or building out an e-commerce operation. The scope is broad, and many businesses do not realise they qualify.

Access Advice: Digital Discovery (up to 5,000 euro)

A consultancy grant to help you develop a roadmap for digital transition. Think of it as the Enterprise Ireland equivalent of the LEO Digital for Business programme, but for EI client companies.

Other relevant EI supports

• Innovation Voucher (up to 10,000 euro): Access expert time to develop an idea, product, or solve a technical challenge. Can be used for digital innovation projects.
• Market Research Grant (up to 35,000 euro): Fund market research for expansion, including digital market analysis.
• Key Manager Support (up to 150,000 euro): Covers salary costs for a key hire. Could fund a digital marketing manager or CTO.
• GradStart (up to 30,000 euro): Hire up to three graduates on 24-month contracts. A good route to building in-house digital capability.
• Cyber Security Review Grant (up to 3,000 euro): Fund a professional security audit of your digital infrastructure.

Udaras na Gaeltachta Digital Transition Fund

If your business is located in a Gaeltacht area, you have access to an entirely separate set of digital grants through Udaras na Gaeltachta. These are funded under Ireland's National Recovery and Resilience Plan and are specifically designed to drive digitalisation among SMEs.

The supports available to Udaras client companies include:

• Digital Discovery: Up to 5,000 euro (80 percent of costs) for seven days of digital consultancy
• Digital Process Innovation: Up to 150,000 euro (50 percent of costs) for implementing new lean-digital processes
• Digital Marketing Capability: Up to 35,000 euro (50 percent of costs) for developing in-house digital marketing skills
• Strategic Consultancy: Up to 35,000 euro (50 percent of costs) for digitalisation strategy advice (SMEs only)
• Research and Development: 25 to 45 percent of costs for developing new digital products, services, or processes

These are available to companies trading internationally in manufacturing or internationally traded services that are Udaras client companies. The Digital Marketing Capability grant is particularly interesting because it directly funds building your team's ability to run digital marketing in-house. Contact your Udaras na Gaeltachta Development Adviser for details.

R&D tax credit (35 percent in 2026)

This is not a grant, but it is one of the most underused supports for digital investment in Ireland. The R&D tax credit allows businesses to claim back a percentage of their research and development spending against their corporation tax bill.

In 2026, the credit rate increased to 35 percent (up from 30 percent in 2025), and the first-year refund threshold has risen to 87,500 euro. This means smaller projects can now access faster refunds.

What most businesses do not realise is that the definition of R&D is broader than you might think. If you are developing new software, building a custom platform, creating proprietary algorithms, or systematically experimenting with new digital approaches, you may qualify. The project does not have to be groundbreaking scientific research. It just needs to seek to achieve a scientific or technological advancement and involve the resolution of scientific or technological uncertainty.

Practical examples that might qualify include developing a bespoke booking engine, building a custom CRM integration, creating proprietary analytics tools, or developing AI-powered features for your product.

Talk to your accountant. Many businesses leave this money on the table because they assume they do not qualify when they actually do.

SBCI Growth and Sustainability Loan Scheme

If your business needs to fund a larger digital transformation project (say, a full platform rebuild or major e-commerce investment), the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland (SBCI) offers the Growth and Sustainability Loan Scheme. This provides loans of between 25,000 and 3 million euro at competitive rates for terms of up to ten years, with loans of up to 500,000 euro available unsecured.

This is not free money like a grant, but the interest rates are significantly below market rates. The scheme was due to run until 30 June 2026 or until the 500 million euro fund was fully subscribed, so check with SBCI whether it is still open. It is designed for SMEs, including sole traders and partnerships.

If you are planning a significant website or platform investment and the available grants do not cover enough of the cost, this loan scheme is worth considering as a complement.

What about SEO, PPC, and ongoing marketing?

The short answer is that there is no direct grant for ongoing SEO services, Google Ads management, or monthly digital marketing retainers for most small businesses in Ireland. The Enterprise Ireland Digital Marketing Capability grant comes closest, but it is only available to EI clients.

For LEO clients (which is most small businesses), the available grants focus on software tools and initial digital setup rather than ongoing agency services. This is a gap in the current support landscape, and industry bodies like Digital Business Ireland have flagged it.

The practical workaround is to use the available grants strategically. Use the Grow Digital Voucher to fund tools like CRM or analytics software that make your marketing more effective. Use the Business Expansion Grant for consultancy costs that might include developing your digital marketing strategy. Then invest in execution (SEO, PPC, content) knowing your foundation is solid and partially funded.

How to actually apply: a practical roadmap

If you are a small business in Ireland looking to invest in your digital presence, here is the path I would recommend:

1. Contact your Local Enterprise Office. This is always step one. Find yours at localenterprise.ie. Tell them you are interested in the Digital for Business programme.
2. Complete the free Digital for Business consultancy. Get your three days of free expert advice and your formal report. This costs you nothing and is genuinely useful whether you pursue funding or not.
3. Apply for the Grow Digital Voucher based on the consultant's recommendations. Get quotes for the recommended software and submit your application. Do not purchase anything before you have written approval.
4. Explore the Business Expansion Grant if your project is larger. Discuss with your LEO adviser whether your digital investment qualifies.
5. Talk to your accountant about the R&D tax credit if you are doing any custom development work.
6. Check if you are in a Gaeltacht area. If so, Udaras na Gaeltachta grants may offer better support than the LEO route.

Important: do not pay for anything or sign contracts before you have formal written approval from whichever body you are applying to. Pre-approved spending is not eligible for reimbursement.

The bigger picture

The end of the Trading Online Voucher has left a gap in Ireland's small business support landscape. The new Grow Digital Voucher is smaller in scope (software subscriptions rather than website builds), harder to access (two-step process), and has had embarrassingly low uptake so far.

For businesses that were hoping to get a website built with government help, the news is not great. The direct, simple website funding that the TOV offered has not been replaced like-for-like.

But the broader ecosystem of supports is actually quite rich if you know where to look and are willing to put in the application effort. Between LEO, Enterprise Ireland, Udaras na Gaeltachta, R&D tax credits, and SBCI loans, there is real money available to invest in your digital capabilities. The challenge is navigating the complexity.

If you are unsure where to start, book a free website audit. We will look over your website before a free 20-minute call, then walk you through what we would fix first, and we are happy to talk about where grant support might fit.