Trading Online Voucher Scheme

What is it?

The voucher is a financial incentive to small businesses to develop or enhance their ability to trade online.

Under the scheme a qualifying business may apply for funding to a maximum value of €2,500 or 50% of eligible expenditure (exclusive of VAT), whichever is the lesser.

Following approval of their application, a successful applicant can engage suppliers and upon completion of the work, submit a request for payment to the LEO in line with the terms and conditions of their voucher.

 Information seminars will be made available online or by conference call to prospective applicants to support them in their application process and it will be a condition of applying for the vouchers that applicants participate in one of these seminars. At each seminar attendees will be informed of the purpose of the scheme and how best to use and get value from the application of the voucher.

The application process for the vouchers will be a competitive process.

 Applications made on behalf of clients by third parties will not be accepted.

What are the eligibility criteria?

The vouchers are targeted at businesses with the following profile:

• Limited or no e-commerce presence;
• 10 or less employees;
• Turnover less than €2m;
• Applicant business must be trading for at least 6 months;
• Business must be located in the area covered by the LEO to whom they make their application i.e. LEOs cannot accept applications from businesses located outside their jurisdiction.
• Categories of business excluded from the TOV Scheme as defined by their NACE code  - click here for a list of ineligible businesses

CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT AN APPLICATION

 Previous voucher recipients may apply for a second voucher

 *Applicant business must provide clear proof of trading for a minimum of 6 months to their Local Enterprise Office

What can the vouchers be used for?

• IT consultation;
• Development or upgrade of an e-commerce website;
• Implementing Online payments or booking systems;
• Purchase of Internet related software;
• Developing an app (or multiplatform webpages);
• Development of a digital marketing strategy;
• Implementing a digital marketing strategy;
• Training/skills development specifically to establish and manage an online trading activity.
• Subscriptions (excluding transaction costs) to low cost online retail platform solutions, which would allow applicants to quickly establish a retailing presence online.
• Purchase of online advertising (this purchase cannot make up any more than 30% of all other approved Voucher costs and can only be drawn down in one payment phase);
• Purchase of Professional Photography (this expenditure cannot make up any more than 80%of all other approved voucher costs and can only be drawn down in one payment phase)

What are the things the vouchers cannot be used for?

• Development of brochure websites*;
• Purchase of non-internet related software;
• Anything other than e-commerce trading related activity.

* A brochure website is digital version of a printed brochure. They show the products or services your company provides, however, unlike an e-commerce website, they do not sell the product or service online or have an interactive booking function. With a brochure website, the goods and services are only displayed, so customers will have to contact the company to place an order.

What else do I need to know about vouchers?

• Voucher approval must be gained prior to incurring any expense;
• Applicants are required to complete a mandatory information session prior to submitting the application. For details of the next session please contact localenterprise@westmeathcoco.ie
•  Third party costs only will be considered. Own labour is not an eligible expense (labour of spouse or children also considered own labour);
• Claims can be made in either one or two instalments, and only made in respect of actual work completed (i.e. in respect of the components of the project works completed at the time the claim is being made). Expenditure on the various project components can only be claimed once.
• All third party/supplier invoices must contain proper business details (e.g. tax or business registration details or proof that the supplier is a registered business in the territory in which the supplier is located).
• Applications must be accompanied by written/ emailed quotes for project works from three suppliers.
• Applications made on behalf of clients by third parties will not be accepted.

Applicants must attend the mandatory online information webinar prior to applying.

You can request details of the upcoming webinar by emailing or calling at the below details.

CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT AN APPLICATION

Contact the Local Enterprise Office Westmeath with any queries: 

E: localenterprise@westmeathcoco.ie

T: (044) 933 8945

The Trading Online Voucher Scheme has seen unprecedented levels of demand since March 2020. Approval of applications and the payment of all monies are dependent on the availability of resources under this scheme from Department of Climate Action, Communications Networks and Transport (formerly DCCAE).