If your business requires a grant for website design (up to €2,500) to update an existing website, or for a complete new website, then there are a number of options available. There are a number of grants and vouchers available through local authorities that may help alleviate the associated costs of website design.

There are three website design grants available from the following government agencies - Local Enterprise Office | Online Trading Voucher | Social Welfare Grants

LOCAL ENTERPRISE OFFICE

Local Enterprise Boards in Ireland are rewarding qualifying businesses with a host of website design grants. Your business could be entitled to grant assistance up to €2,000 with as much as 50% off the total cost of your website.

Qualifying varies from LEO to LEO and may also be dependant on the time of year as they roll out different grants for website design throughout the year. The best advice we can give is to make contact with your local LEO to see what website design grants they currently have on offer.

A handy tool such as the Enterprise Board Map may be used to find your local Enterprise board in order to request details of their Web Design & Development Grant.

ONLINE TRADING VOUCHER

Small businesses throughout Ireland can now apply to the government for digital vouchers in helping their businesses trade online. 1000 vouchers will be available for qualifying businesses through the network of 31 Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) between now and the end of 2014 with more on offer next year.

The objective of the scheme is to help small businesses grow their sales, exports and ultimately jobs. Businesses will be able to apply for grants of up to €2500 as Government has allocated €5million for the rollout of the trading online voucher scheme. This follows on the success of a pilot in Dublin City.

SOCIAL WELFARE GRANTS

Were you aware if you are going from a position of unemployed to self-employed there is another website design grant available to you: the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance, or Short term Enterprise Allowance. With both grants you can apply for the Technical Assistance Fund, this is offered by Social Welfare and you must speak with your local Jobs Facilitator to apply. At the moment it stands at a grant of €1,000 (you must contribute 25% of the cost) which may be used to finance a website.

Share this article:

About the Author

Philip Byrne
Philip Byrne

Philip Byrne, the founder behind eBuild Web Solutions, has been building bespoke, user-friendly websites for the better part of 22 years. He may not be a leprechaun, but he'll make sure your website is easy to find and use.