Local Enterprise Office grants: who qualifies and how to apply

There are 31 Local Enterprise Offices, based in the local authorities. The LEO network describes itself as the first-stop shop for State supports for small and micro-businesses. Besides grants, LEOs offer business advice, training, mentoring, and help applying for Microfinance IrelandA not-for-profit lender, supported by the State, that provides unsecured business loans of €2,000 to €50,000 to micro-enterprises in Ireland with fewer than 10 employees and annual turnover under €2 million that cannot get credit from banks or other commercial lenders. loans. They also signpost you to Revenue, the Department of Social Protection, Skillnet Ireland and Fáilte Ireland.

You apply to the LEO for the area where your business is based. Some cities and counties have more than one. In Cork, for example, there are separate offices for Cork City, South Cork, and Cork North and West. If your company trades in Cork or Dublin, our location pages for Cork and Dublin give more local context.

The core LEO grants are for micro-enterprises. Supports for digital, energy and green projects reach a little further, to small enterprises with up to 50 employees.

• Feasibility, Priming and Business Expansion Grants: generally businesses with up to 10 employees, including the promoter. LEO Sligo says headcount is checked against your last published accounts. Some businesses with 10 or more employees may be considered, so ask your LEO.
• Grow Digital, the Energy Efficiency Grant and Green for Business: small enterprises with 1 to 50 employees. Grow Digital also requires turnover or balance sheet total of €10 million or less.
• Sole traders, partnerships and limited companies can all apply for the main grants.
• The business must be based and operating in the LEO’s area, and many supports need at least six months’ trading and current tax clearance.
• Current Enterprise Ireland or IDA Ireland clients are usually not eligible.

Which sectors are excluded?

Direct LEO grants focus on manufacturing and internationally traded services with potential to grow and create jobs. LEO Sligo’s criteria exclude retail (including restaurants and cafés), wholesale, personal services, mainstream professional services, the trades and construction, accommodation, primary farming, alternative healthcare and one-off events. Businesses in excluded sectors can still use LEO advice, training and mentoring, and may qualify for some of the wider supports.

Feasibility/Innovation Grant

For researching market demand or developing a prototype. It covers 50% of costs in the South and East, or 60% in the Border, Midlands and West region, up to €15,000. Own-labour costs of up to €400 a week can be included, capped at 20% of the grant drawdown.

Priming Grant

For micro-enterprises within the first 18 months of start-up. The grant is up to 50% of eligible costs, capped at €80,000. Grants of €80,000 to €150,000 are possible for projects that clearly show potential to graduate to Enterprise Ireland. Eligible costs include capital items, salaries, consultancy, innovation and marketing costs, and general overheads. Salary support is up to €15,000 per full-time job created, within the 50% limit. Grants of €50,000 or more, or cumulative grants of €80,000 over three years, need Enterprise Ireland approval.

Business Expansion Grant

For businesses in their growth phase, after the first 18 months. It covers up to 50% of eligible costs. LEO Cork City lists a cap of €50,000 excluding VATA tax charged on most goods and services supplied in Ireland, collected by VAT-registered businesses and paid to Revenue., with larger grants possible in exceptional cases; the LEO network’s national FAQ refers to up to €150,000 in exceptional circumstances. If you received a Priming Grant, you must wait 12 months before applying.

Grow Digital

Up to €5,000 at 50% of eligible costs, with a minimum grant of €500 and up to two projects. It funds new off-the-shelf software subscriptions for up to a year, such as e-commerce, CRM, cloud accounting and cyber security tools, plus training and IT configuration. You must have completed a Digital for Business project in the previous two years.

Energy Efficiency Grant

75% of eligible costs, from €750 to €10,000. It funds equipment recommended in a Green for Business, GreenStart or SEAI energy audit report, such as energy meters, smart controls, heat recovery and more efficient replacement equipment. Solar panels are excluded and signposted to SEAI. You need a commercially rateable premises or a Fáilte Ireland-approved establishment. For solar and larger projects, see our guide to funding energy upgrades.

Green for Business and Lean for Micro

These are consultancy supports rather than cash grants. Green for Business is a free programme of up to two days with a green consultant, who prepares a report with practical recommendations; it is open to businesses with 1 to 50 employees, turnover over €30,000 and at least six months’ trading. Lean for Micro, now called Lean for Business by some LEOs, provides consultancy to improve efficiency. LEO Kilkenny, for example, offers up to 5.5 consultancy days worth up to €4,500, at a cost of €250 to the business, for companies with up to 10 staff.

1. Contact your LEO and talk to a business adviser or enterprise officer. Many LEOs ask for an expression of interest first.
2. Check eligibility: sector, employee numbers, trading period, tax clearance and any previous State aidEU rules limit how much help a government can give a business..
3. Prepare a business plan and financial projections showing how the project will create sales, exports or jobs.
4. Get quotes for the costs you want grant-aided.
5. Submit the application form before you commit to or pay for anything. Grants are not retrospective.
6. Wait for the evaluation. Larger grants go to an evaluation committee, and some need Enterprise Ireland approval.
7. If approved, sign the grant agreement and follow its conditions.

LEO grants are almost always paid in arrears. You carry out the project, pay the full cost yourself, then submit a claim. LEO Westmeath’s claim procedures, for example, ask for:

• A completed grant claim form certified by your auditor (for a limited company) or accountant (for a sole trader).
• Original invoices and proof of payment, such as bank statements.
• A current tax clearance certificateConfirmation from Revenue that a company's tax affairs are in order. and evidence of Revenue registration.
• An LEO inspection of the grant-aided equipment.
• For salary grants, employment contracts, PPS numbers and payroll records, with a second drawdown later.

There are deadlines too. LEO Westmeath says capital grants must be drawn down within three months, feasibility grants within six months and employment grants within 12 months. If the claim is not complete by the final date, the grant can be reduced or withdrawn. Our guide to tax clearance for companies explains how to get the certificate you will need.

Because you pay first and claim later, a grant creates a cash flow gap. A company buying €40,000 of equipment with a 50% grant still needs the full €40,000 upfront and may wait weeks or months for the €20,000 grant once the claim is in. Common ways to bridge the gap:

• Cash reserves, if the company has them.
• A short-term business loan or working capitalThe money a business has available to fund day-to-day operations, calculated as current assets, such as cash, stock and debtors, minus current liabilities, such as suppliers and short-term debt. facility, repaid when the grant arrives.
• Asset financeAn umbrella term for funding used to acquire vehicles, plant, machinery, equipment or technology, where the asset itself usually acts as security. for the equipment, but check first: some grant conditions require the business to own the asset, so leased equipment may not qualify.
• Microfinance Ireland, for micro-enterprises, with a 1% lower rate if you apply through your LEO.
• Supplier payment terms, if a supplier will give you time to pay.

Our grant and R&D tax credit funding page explains the options for bridging grants and tax credits.

Illustrative example

• Spending before the grant was approved.
• Missing the drawdown deadline.
• Not having current tax clearance when you claim.
• Invoices that do not match the approved project, or that were paid in cash without proof.
• Hiring grant-aided staff before the approval date.
• Using leased or second-hand equipment without meeting the specific conditions.

Apply as early as you can, and always before you commit to spending. In practice that means talking to your LEO while the project is still a plan, not after you have ordered equipment or hired staff.

• Allow time for the adviser meeting, the expression of interest, the full application and the evaluation. Larger grants go to an evaluation committee, and grants above the Enterprise Ireland approval thresholds take longer.
• Plan your project start date after the approval date. Many LEOs will not fund costs dated before approval.
• Build the claim deadline into your project plan. If equipment has a long delivery time, tell your LEO before you accept the grant offer.
• Keep a simple file for the project from day one: quotes, the approval letter, invoices, proof of payment and photographs of installed equipment. It makes the claim far quicker.

LEO budgets are limited and some supports run in calls or rounds, so ask your LEO whether a deadline applies to the grant you want.

Welcome Finance does not arrange grants and cannot help you apply for one; your LEO is the right place for that. If your trading limited company needs a short-term business loan or working capital loan to cover costs until a grant is paid, our panel of specialist non-bank lenders may be able to consider it. Start-ups registered as limited companies in Ireland can apply, though options may be fewer for a new company. Sole traders and partnerships cannot apply through us. Welcome Finance is a commercial finance broker, not a lender, and is not regulated by the Central Bank of IrelandIreland's financial regulator and part of the Eurosystem.. We work only with companies registered in Ireland (LTD, DACA type of Irish private company under Part 16 of the Companies Act 2014 that keeps an objects clause in its constitution, limiting what it can do, and uses the suffix DAC., PLC or ULC). We are paid commission by lenders and do not charge your company a fee. We never ask for payment upfront.

Below is a short summary of each Local Enterprise Office grant, voucher and programme. Companies in the Gaeltacht apply to Údarás na Gaeltachta instead, which is included at the end. For who can apply and how, follow the link under each one to its full details on our Grants and supports page.

Business Expansion Grant (Local Enterprise Office)

A growth grant from your Local Enterprise Office for micro enterprises that have traded for more than 18 months and plan to expand.

How much: Up to 50% of the project cost or €80,000, whichever is lower; up to €150,000 in exceptional cases. When: You can apply at any time.

Full details, who can apply and how to apply: Business Expansion Grant on our grants page. Official source: Local Enterprise Office.

Energy Efficiency Grant (Local Enterprise Office)

Covers most of the cost of energy-saving equipment, such as smart controls, meters and more efficient replacements, recommended in a green report or SEAI energy audit.

How much: 75% of eligible costs, from €750 to €10,000. When: You can apply at any time.

Full details, who can apply and how to apply: Energy Efficiency Grant on our grants page. Official source: Local Enterprise Office.

Feasibility Study Grant (Local Enterprise Office)

Helps you test whether a manufacturing or internationally traded services idea will work, covering market research, consultancy, prototyping and your own research time.

How much: Up to 50% of costs (60% in the Border, Midlands and West region), to a maximum of €15,000. When: You can apply at any time.

Full details, who can apply and how to apply: Feasibility Study Grant on our grants page. Official source: Local Enterprise Office.

Green for Business (Local Enterprise Office)

Free consultancy of up to two days with a green consultant, who writes a report on practical ways your business can cut energy use, waste and costs.

How much: Up to two days of consultancy at no cost to the business. When: You can apply at any time.

Full details, who can apply and how to apply: Green for Business on our grants page. Official source: Local Enterprise Office.

Grow Digital Voucher (Local Enterprise Office)

Co-funds new off-the-shelf software subscriptions, such as e-commerce, CRM, cloud accounting or cyber security, for small businesses that have completed a Digital for Business project.

How much: 50% of eligible costs, from €500 to €5,000. When: You can apply at any time.

Full details, who can apply and how to apply: Grow Digital Voucher on our grants page. Official source: Local Enterprise Office.

Lean for Business (Local Enterprise Office)

Part-funded coaching from a Lean specialist to help small businesses cut waste, improve processes and train staff.

How much: Up to 90% of the cost is funded. When: You can apply at any time.

Full details, who can apply and how to apply: Lean for Business on our grants page. Official source: Local Enterprise Office.

LEO Mentoring (Local Enterprise Office)

Matches you with an experienced business person for one-to-one guidance on the challenges facing your business.

When: You can apply at any time.

Full details, who can apply and how to apply: LEO Mentoring on our grants page. Official source: Local Enterprise Office.

Market Explorer Grant (Local Enterprise Office)

Supports small manufacturing and internationally traded services companies to research and test a new export market, including trade fairs and overseas travel.

How much: 50% of eligible costs, up to €10,000. When: You can apply at any time.

Full details, who can apply and how to apply: Market Explorer Grant on our grants page. Official source: Local Enterprise Office.

Priming Grant (Local Enterprise Office)

A start-up grant from your Local Enterprise Office for micro enterprises in their first 18 months of trading, towards capital, salary, consultancy and marketing costs.

How much: Up to 50% of the project cost or €80,000, whichever is lower; up to €150,000 for projects with clear potential to move to Enterprise Ireland. When: You can apply at any time.

Full details, who can apply and how to apply: Priming Grant on our grants page. Official source: Local Enterprise Office.

Start Your Own Business Programme (Local Enterprise Office)

A practical course for anyone with a business idea, covering market research, tax, law, pricing, bookkeeping, funding and writing a business plan.

When: Opens in calls: check the provider for the next date.

Full details, who can apply and how to apply: Start Your Own Business Programme on our grants page. Official source: Local Enterprise Office.

Údarás na Gaeltachta business grants (Údarás na Gaeltachta)

A range of grants for businesses in Gaeltacht areas, including feasibility, capital, employment, training, R&D and micro-exporter supports.

How much: Varies by grant; e.g. micro-exporter support of 50% of costs up to €2,500. When: You can apply at any time.

Full details, who can apply and how to apply: Údarás na Gaeltachta business grants on our grants page. Official source: Údarás na Gaeltachta.