Grow Digital Voucher / Application Form

The objective of ‘Grow Digital’ is to help Small Businesses leverage digital tools and technologies to increase efficiency, expand reach, and improve business competitiveness.

Applicants must have already availed of the Digital for Business scheme to prepare a Digital Action Plan in order to apply to Údarás na Gaeltachta for a Grow Digital Voucher – the application below must be based on actions identified in the applicant’s Digital Action Plan.

The Grow Digital scheme offers a grant towards project expenditure identified in the applicant’s Digital Action Plan, such as software subscriptions for a period of 12 months and training and configuration of software.

Grow Digital is open to small enterprises (with between 1 and 50 paid employees) who:

• are a company, self-employed individual or partnership carrying on a trade or profession
• are established and trading for at least 6 months,
• are registered, and operate within the Gaeltacht,
• are solvent as demonstrated in the financial statements supplied.

The following enterprises can also apply:

• Sporting bodies that carry on activities which would be chargeable to tax under Case I or II of Schedule D but for an exemption set out in section 235 TCA.
• Charities that carry on activities that would be chargeable to tax as trading income, but for an available tax exemption under section 208 TCA

Businesses must have current tax clearance from Revenue. Businesses must supply a Tax Reference Number and a Tax Clearance Access Number to allow for verification of their Tax Clearance status on Revenue’s online portal.

• Businesses with charitable status, commercial semi-state companies, “not for profit” organisations, trade associations, company representation bodies such as Chambers of Commerce
• Businesses operating in the coal or steel sector.
• Businesses in the primary agricultural, fishery or aquaculture sectors.
• Businesses involved in activities that Údarás na Gaeltachta considers as ineligible or as involving an unacceptable reputational risk. Ineligible activities include activities relating to:
  • The gambling sector, including ‘gaming’ (as defined in the Gaming and Lotteries Act 1956).
  • Adult entertainment.
  • Tobacco and tobacco-related products.
  • Cannabis-based products which are not authorised as medicines.

Note: This is not an exhaustive list. Any queries in relation to the eligibility of an activity should be directed to Údarás na Gaeltachta who will assess the case.

The grant is payable at a rate of 50% of eligible expenditure, excluding VAT, up to a maximum grant of €2,500 per application (there is minimum grant threshold of €500 per application, i.e. minimum project expenditure is €1,000). Enterprises can be approved a maximum of two Grow Digital projects up to a cumulative value of €5,000. Approval of a second Grow Digital project is dependent on the demonstrated achievement of the progression of the business as outlined in the Digital for Business report. Allowable expenditure will be towards supporting the digitalisation progression of the applicant.

Please note: The lifespan of a Digital for Business Report / plan to justify a Grow Digital application is a maximum of two years from the date of the Digital for Business Report / plan.

(a) Software subscription fees

• for eligible business software that is NEW to the business for a maximum of one year subscription (the business must incur the annual subscription cost before the grant can be paid).
• that are “off the shelf”( i.e. not designed or customised for the applicant)
• expanding on the number of existing software licenses for software systems already in use does not qualify.

Eligible software examples include:

• E-commerce software
• Software for Customer Relationship Management
• Online booking, payments or appointments software
• Job tracking including field service management software
• Order management or stock control software
• Industry specific cloud SaaS software (where new to the business)
• Field management or workflow management software
• Electronic invoicing or electronic signature software
• Standard office software (for email, documents, spreadsheets, etc.) where not already in use by the business
• Cloud based accounting or payroll software (if moving to the cloud for these systems)
• Cyber security software (if new to the business)
• 3D modelling software (including building information modelling)
• Analytics software (including AI systems)

(b) Training and/or IT Configuration

Where the business requires expert assistance:

• in the set up; and/or integration of new software systems or ICT processes or
• where the business management or team require training to engage with/maintain the new system to allow for ease of use and to garner most benefit for the business.

(Training and Configuration amount combined can be no more than 50% of the software subscription fees).

• Custom or bespoke software is not eligible for grant support.
• Systems for regulatory compliance do not qualify.