Trading Online Voucher Closed: What Replaced It in 2026
The Trading Online Voucher closed to new applications on 13 December 2024. Its replacement is the Grow Digital Voucher from your Local Enterprise Office. Here's what changed, who qualifies and what it means if you need a website.
Short answer: the Trading Online Voucher is closed. It stopped taking new applications on 13 December 2024 and was replaced by the Grow Digital Voucher, which is also run through your Local Enterprise Office. The new scheme is bigger (up to €5,000) and open to larger businesses (up to 50 employees), but it has a different focus and an extra step before you can apply. If you were planning a website around the old €2,500 voucher, here's what you need to know.
What happened to the Trading Online Voucher?
For years the Trading Online Voucher paid half the cost, up to €2,500, of getting a small business trading online, and many small businesses put it towards a website or online shop. It closed to new applications on 13 December 2024. Plenty of web design sites still advertise it, so if someone offers to help you apply for a Trading Online Voucher today, ask them which scheme they actually mean.
The Grow Digital Voucher at a glance
The key facts, as published by Local Enterprise Offices:
- Value: 50% of eligible costs, with a minimum grant of €500 and a maximum of €5,000
- Who can apply: small and medium businesses with up to 50 employees
- Before you apply: you must have completed a Digital for Business project report within the previous two years
- What it funds: investment in software and training or IT configuration that moves your business forward digitally
- How many: up to two Grow Digital projects, with a combined maximum grant of €5,000. A second depends on showing progress against your Digital for Business report
What changed from the Trading Online Voucher
- The maximum grant doubled, from €2,500 to €5,000
- Businesses with up to 50 employees can apply, up from fewer than 10
- There's a required first step: a Digital for Business project with your LEO
- The emphasis moved from getting online to adopting digital tools, such as booking, CRM, accounting and job management software
Does the Grow Digital Voucher cover a website?
Not reliably, and this is the big change for anyone who wanted help paying for a website. LEOs describe the scheme in terms of software, training and IT configuration rather than website design, so you shouldn't plan a website budget around it. Some projects that involve your website, for example connecting an online booking system or setting up an online shop platform, may fit, but that's your LEO's decision, not ours or any web designer's.
Our honest advice: if you need a website, budget for it on its own. A professional site doesn't need a grant to be affordable; our fixed prices start at €199 for a one-page site and €399 for three pages. If you're also looking at booking, accounting or CRM software, talk to your LEO about Grow Digital for that part.
How to apply
The process runs entirely through your LEO, and the details can vary between offices:
- Contact your Local Enterprise Office through localenterprise.ie
- Complete a Digital for Business project with them, if you haven't done one in the last two years
- Agree with your LEO which software, training or configuration costs are eligible
- Apply, and wait for approval before you spend anything
Frequently asked questions
Is the Trading Online Voucher still available?
No. The Trading Online Voucher closed to new applications on 13 December 2024. It was replaced by the Grow Digital Voucher, which you apply for through your Local Enterprise Office.
What replaced the Trading Online Voucher?
The Grow Digital Voucher. It covers 50% of eligible costs, from €500 up to €5,000, for businesses with up to 50 employees that have completed a Digital for Business project report with their LEO within the previous two years.
Can I use the Grow Digital Voucher for a website?
Don't count on it. The scheme focuses on software, training and IT configuration rather than website design. Some website-related projects may qualify, but only your Local Enterprise Office can confirm that, so ask before you plan around it.
How much is the Grow Digital Voucher worth?
It pays 50% of eligible costs, with a minimum grant of €500 and a maximum of €5,000. A business can be approved for up to two projects, with a combined maximum of €5,000.
Who is eligible for the Grow Digital Voucher?
Small and medium businesses with up to 50 employees that have completed a Digital for Business project report within the previous two years. Check the full criteria with your Local Enterprise Office, as details can change.