Digital Marketing Capability

With advancing technology, customers have greater expectations than ever before and businesses are under continuous pressure to create a better online experience.  

This is where we can help. With this support, you can learn how to develop your business’ online presence, grow your audience and engage with your customers in a more meaningful, measurable way.

What can it be used for?

  • Engaging a digital marketing agency/consultant to assist in improving your digital presence.
  • Conducting a strategic review of existing digital channels and developing your future digital marketing strategy.
  • Understanding competitors’ digital activity and effective digital marketing tools.
  • Training senior management in digital marketing strategy development

What is provided?

  • Grant funding for 50% of the eligible project costs up to a maximum of €70,000 (€35,000 grant).
  • This grant can be used to cover part of the salary cost of an internal project champion who can train others within the business.
  • Project duration is typically 8-12 months.

Who is it for?

Businesses seeking to improve their online presence and connect with a wider audience. 

How do I apply?

      1. Read the eligibility requirements
      2. Contact your Údarás na Gaeltachta Development Adviser to discuss further
      3. If you do not have an Údarás na Gaeltachta Development Advisor, please contact us at eolas@udaras.ie.

When you have discussed the application with your Development Advisor and you are ready to apply , an application can be sent to you for completion.

Further application information

  1. Once agreed with your Development Advisor, fill out Enterprise Irelands Digital Marketing Maturity Questionnaire (.doc) and submit to you Development Advisor who can advise on the scope and outline of the programme.

Eligibility information

Who is Eligible

  • SMEs and large companies who are Údarás na Gaeltachta clients

All projects will be reviewed and evaluated on a case by case basis.

Eligible costs include:

  • For a full list of eligible activities please see Enterprise Irelands Digital Marketing Capability client brochure.
  • Údarás na Gaeltachta will provide grant funding for 50% of the eligible project costs up to a maximum of €70,000 (€35,000 grant).
  • External training or advisory services provided by a suitable digital marketing agency/consultant. Supported daily rates for training or advisory services are capped at €900 per day (subject to prevailing market rate per activity) inclusive of travel and subsistence and all out-of-pocket expenses. Note that actual costs to the company are based on market rates and may be higher.
  • Salary cost of an internal ‘project champion’ (management level) up to 50% of the total project cost, subject to a maximum of 100 days at a maximum supported rate of €200 per day. The number of project champion days allowed is aligned to the number of digital marketing agency/consultant days being delivered.

Ineligible Projects

Ineligible costs include:
  • General Consultancy including market research, IT implementation, financial review and planning, HR consulting or health and safety training
  • Web development and/or build (e.g. hosting, maintenance fees)
  • Online advertising implementation (e.g. payments to Google, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.)
  • Photography, banner ads, and graphic developments
  • The purchase of hardware (e.g. studio equipment, cameras, laptops)
  • The purchase of off-the-shelf software packages, licenses or subscriptions (e.g. CRM systems, Shopify, Hubspot, Salesforce, etc)
  • The company must incur the project costs and are allowed two claims by submitting proof of payment and relevant documentation. For help with the claims process see the claims process help document.

Legislation

Ireland’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) (2021-2026)

Under Ireland’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) (2021-2026), projects supporting the digital and climate transition of enterprise are being funded through the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility. This covers projects that will:

  • facilitate emissions reductions, or
  • support the digital transformation of the company, driving increased adoption and diffusion of digital technology

Environmental Compliance and Do no Significant Harm

Projects supported under the NRRP must comply with relevant EU and national environmental legislation and in particular with the ‘Do no significant harm’ Technical Guidance (2021/C58/01).

Specifically the following projects are not eligible:

  • activities related to fossil fuels, including downstream use1;
  • activities under the EU Emission Trading System (ETS) achieving projected greenhouse gas emissions that are not lower than the relevant benchmarks2;
  • activities related to waste landfills, incinerators3 and mechanical biological treatment plants4; and
  • activities where the long-term disposal of waste may cause harm to the environment.
  1. Except projects under this measure in power and/or heat generation, as well as related transmission and distribution infrastructure, using natural gas, that are compliant with the conditions set out in Annex III of the ‘Do no significant harm’ Technical Guidance (2021/C58/01).
  2. Where the activity supported achieves projected greenhouse gas emissions that are not substantially lower than the relevant benchmarks an explanation of the reasons why this is not possible should be provided. Benchmarks established for free allocation for activities falling within the scope of the Emissions Trading System, as set out in the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/447.
  3. This exclusion does not apply to actions under this measure in plants exclusively dedicated to treating non-recyclable hazardous waste, and to existing plants, where the actions under this measure are for the purpose of increasing energy efficiency, capturing exhaust gases for storage or use or recovering materials from incineration ashes, provided such actions under this measure do not result in an increase of the plants’ waste processing capacity or in an extension of the lifetime of the plants; for which evidence is provided at plant level.
  4. This exclusion does not apply to actions under this measure in existing mechanical biological treatment plants, where the actions under this measure are for the purpose of increasing energy efficiency or retrofitting to recycling operations of separated waste to compost bio-waste and anaerobic digestion of bio-waste, provided such actions under this measure do not result in an increase of the plants’ waste processing capacity or in an extension of the lifetime of the plants; for which evidence is provided at plant level.