If you run a small business in Ireland and you're thinking about a new website or online shop, there's a decent chance the government will pay for half of it. The Trading Online Voucher (TOV), administered by the Local Enterprise Offices, co-funds 50% of eligible project costs up to a maximum of €2,500.
It's one of the most practical supports available to Irish small businesses — and one of the most commonly fumbled. Here's how it actually works.
What the voucher covers
The scheme exists to help small businesses start trading online or seriously upgrade their online presence. Eligible costs typically include:
- Website design and development
- E-commerce functionality — online payments, product catalogues, booking systems
- Digital marketing costs connected to the project
- Related once-off costs such as photography for the website
Ongoing subscription costs are generally not covered, and your Local Enterprise Office confirms the exact eligible costs when it approves your application.
Who qualifies
The headline criteria are straightforward:
- Fewer than 10 employees
- Annual turnover under €2 million
- Trading for at least 6 months
- Based in the catchment area of the LEO you apply to
If you've claimed a voucher before, you may be eligible to apply for a second voucher for upgrade work — worth knowing if your first website has aged out.
The mistake that disqualifies applicants
Here it is in bold, because it matters: vouchers cannot be claimed retrospectively.
LEO approval must be in place before your website project starts. Every year, businesses commission a website, hear about the voucher halfway through the build, and discover they've locked themselves out of €2,500. The fix is simple — talk to your web designer and your LEO before any work begins, and sequence it properly.
The application, step by step
- Get a written quote. Your application needs a quote from the supplier who'll do the work. A good designer will structure the quote so it maps cleanly onto the voucher's eligible costs.
- Attend the information seminar. A representative of your business must attend a short Trading Online seminar run by your LEO. It's free, usually online, and runs regularly.
- Submit the application. The form itself is short. Your LEO reviews it and issues an approval letter.
- Build and launch. Once approved, the project can start. Keep every invoice.
- Draw down the funding. After the project is complete and paid for, you submit the invoices and proof of payment to LEO and receive the 50% co-funding.
From application to approval is typically a matter of weeks, and the seminar requirement is the only part that takes scheduling.
Does a €5,000 project make sense just to use the voucher?
No — and be wary of anyone who structures a quote to inflate towards the cap. The right way to think about it: decide what your business actually needs, get an honest quote for that, and then let the voucher halve the cost of it (up to the €2,500 limit). A well-built €3,000 website with a €1,500 voucher contribution is a better outcome than a padded €5,000 one.
How we help
We've been through this process with Irish businesses and handle the supplier side end to end: a quote structured for the application, guidance on the seminar and form, and the invoice documentation for drawdown. If you're considering a project, talk to us before you apply — the sequencing is the whole game.
Scheme terms are set by the Local Enterprise Offices and can change. Your local LEO makes the final decision on eligibility and eligible costs — check the current terms at localenterprise.ie before applying.
Talk it through with a designer
Questions about your own website? Send us the details and we'll give you honest advice within one working day — no obligation.