Ireland has many small business grants, and few of them fit every business. The figures on the Grow Digital Voucher, Microfinance Ireland loans and the SEAI energy audit come from those bodies’ own pages.
The main small business grants at a glance
| Grant or support | Run by | What you get | Who it’s for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Priming Grant | LEO | A share of the investment, with the rate and ceiling on the LEO page | Start-ups in manufacturing or internationally traded services |
| Business Expansion Grant | LEO | A share of the investment, with the rate and ceiling on the LEO page | The same sectors, after the start-up stage |
| Feasibility Study Grant | LEO | A share of the cost of testing an idea, with the rate and ceiling on the LEO page | Testing whether a new idea or market is viable |
| Market Explorer Grant | LEO | A share of the cost of exploring new markets | Businesses already trading, exploring new markets |
| Grow Digital Voucher | LEO | 50% of eligible costs, from €500 to €5,000 in total | 1 to 50 employees; does not support a website built for you |
| Digital for Business | LEO | Digital support, with the details on the LEO page | Check eligibility with the Local Enterprise Office |
| Lean for Business | LEO | Help to work more efficiently, with the details on the LEO page | Check eligibility with the Local Enterprise Office |
| Green for Business | LEO | Consultancy on becoming a greener business | Check eligibility with the Local Enterprise Office |
| Energy Efficiency Grant | LEO | 75% of eligible costs, from €750 to €10,000 | Check eligibility with the Local Enterprise Office |
| Mentoring | LEO | An experienced mentor, with the cost on the LEO page | New and existing businesses in the LEO’s area |
| Start Your Own Business | LEO | A training course, with the cost on the LEO page | Anyone starting out |
| Business loans | Microfinance Ireland | €2,000 to €50,000 at 6.5% | Check the terms on Microfinance Ireland’s site |
| Energy audit voucher | SEAI | A voucher towards an energy audit | SMEs; criteria change on 11 October 2026 to businesses using under 2.8 GWh a year |
| Solar PV (Non-Domestic Microgen) | SEAI | A grant towards solar panels | Check the criteria on SEAI’s site |
| EXEED | SEAI | A grant for energy projects | Check the criteria on SEAI’s site |
| New Frontiers | Enterprise Ireland | A stipend in its second phase | Founders of innovative start-ups |
| Pre-Seed Start Fund | Enterprise Ireland | An investment in early-stage companies | Check the criteria on Enterprise Ireland’s site |
| Digital Discovery and Digital Process Innovation | Enterprise Ireland | Digital grants, amounts on Enterprise Ireland’s site | Enterprise Ireland clients |
Which grant fits your business
The Local Enterprise Offices’ Priming, Business Expansion and Feasibility grants are for businesses in manufacturing or internationally traded services. Their rules leave out retail, personal services, professional services and construction, though county pages differ in detail.
So if you run a shop, a salon, a practice or a trade, those three aren’t for you. What is:
- the Grow Digital Voucher and Digital for Business
- Lean for Business and Green for Business
- the Energy Efficiency Grant and SEAI’s energy grants
- mentoring and training from your Local Enterprise Office
- a Microfinance Ireland loan, when a grant doesn’t fit
If you make products, or sell services to customers outside Ireland, the Priming, Business Expansion and Feasibility grants open up as well, and Enterprise Ireland may too once you grow.
Grants for starting a business in Ireland
Priming Grant. Your Local Enterprise Office can pay a share of the investment in a new business in its first 18 months, with the rate and ceiling on the LEO’s page. It’s for manufacturing and internationally traded services.
Feasibility Study Grant. Before you commit, this pays a share of the cost of testing the idea, with the rate and ceiling on the LEO’s page.
Start Your Own Business. A training programme run by Local Enterprise Offices. Check the price and length with your LEO.
Microfinance Ireland start-up loans. Not a grant, but a loan can fund a local start-up when a grant does not fit. Loans run from €2,000 to €50,000 at 6.5%, with the terms on Microfinance Ireland’s site.
New Frontiers and the Pre-Seed Start Fund. Enterprise Ireland’s routes for founders building something innovative and scalable. New Frontiers includes a stipend in its second phase; the Pre-Seed Start Fund invests in early-stage companies.
How much can you get to start a business in Ireland?
On paper, the Priming Grant has a high ceiling. In practice, two things limit what you receive.
First, the sector rules above. Second, most grants are matched: they pay a share of the cost, and you find the rest.
That’s why “a grant to start a business with no money” rarely exists. What’s left is advice: training and mentoring from your Local Enterprise Office, priced locally, and for tech founders New Frontiers, which pays you a stipend. The money that doesn’t need matching is a loan.
Grants for growing a business
Business Expansion Grant. The follow-on to the Priming Grant, for businesses past their first 18 months, for the same sectors, with the rate and ceiling on the LEO’s page.
Market Explorer Grant. A share of the cost of exploring new markets, for businesses already trading. The rate and ceiling are on the LEO’s page.
Lean for Business. Help to take waste out of how you work. Check eligibility with your Local Enterprise Office.
Mentoring. One-to-one time with an experienced mentor.
Grants for going digital
The Grow Digital Voucher is the main one: 50% of eligible costs, from €500 to €5,000 in total, for businesses with 1 to 50 employees. It does not support a website built for you.
Enterprise Ireland runs its own digital grants, and their criteria are on its site.
Is there a grant for a website in Ireland?
Not in the way there used to be. The Trading Online Voucher paid up to €2,500 towards an online trading website until it closed at 5pm on 13 December 2024.
The Local Enterprise Office says the Grow Digital Voucher does not support a website built for you. We build websites, so we’d rather tell you that now than after you’ve applied.
What’s left is advice from your Local Enterprise Office before you spend.
Energy and sustainability grants
Energy Efficiency Grant. 75% of eligible costs, from €750 to €10,000, after a Green for Business, GreenStart or SEAI energy audit report, through your Local Enterprise Office. Check the eligibility rules on the Local Enterprise Office page before you apply.
Green for Business. Consultancy on becoming a greener business. Check the eligibility rules on the Local Enterprise Office page.
SEAI energy audit. A voucher towards an energy audit. SEAI says the threshold changes on 11 October 2026 to businesses using under 2.8 GWh a year, so check the revised criteria before applying.
SEAI solar PV. The Non-Domestic Microgen grant covers solar panels for businesses. Check the rate and conditions on SEAI’s site.
Loans when a grant doesn’t fit
Microfinance Ireland lends €2,000 to €50,000 at 6.5%. Check the terms on its site before you apply.
A loan has to be repaid. It does not depend on matching a grant.
Grants that have closed
The Trading Online Voucher closed at 5pm on 13 December 2024.
How to apply for a small business grant
- Find your own Local Enterprise Office. Each takes applications from businesses in its area.
- Talk to them before you spend. Most grants have to be approved before the work starts.
- Have the basics ready: what you want to do, what it costs, quotes, your trading history and your tax position.
- Expect to fund part of the cost yourself. Most grants pay only a share of it.
Questions about small business grants in Ireland
What grants are available for small businesses in Ireland?
The Local Enterprise Offices run most of them: the Priming, Business Expansion, Feasibility and Market Explorer grants, the Grow Digital Voucher, Lean and Green for Business and the Energy Efficiency Grant. SEAI funds energy audits and solar panels, and Enterprise Ireland supports start-ups and exporters.
Can a shop or a salon get a Priming Grant?
Usually not. The Priming, Business Expansion and Feasibility grants are for manufacturing and internationally traded services, and their rules leave out retail, personal services, professional services and construction, though county pages differ in detail.
Do I have to match the grant?
For most, yes. Most of these grants pay a share of the cost, and you fund the rest.
Is there a grant for a website in Ireland?
Not for a website designed and built for you. The Grow Digital Voucher does not support a website built for you, and the Trading Online Voucher closed at 5pm on 13 December 2024.
Where do I apply for a small business grant?
To the Local Enterprise Office for your area for LEO grants, including the Energy Efficiency Grant, to SEAI for energy audits and solar panels, and to Enterprise Ireland if you are, or could become, one of its clients.
Sources
Local Enterprise Office county pages on the Grow Digital Voucher, the Trading Online Voucher closing date, the Priming Grant and the Energy Efficiency Grant; Microfinance Ireland; SEAI on energy audits and the revised threshold. Amounts and rules change; confirm with the body that runs the grant before you apply.
If you are working out which of these fits a website or marketing project, get in touch. No obligation.
