Kildare small businesses can take advantage of the Trading Online Voucher Scheme
Set up by Local Enterprise Office, the Trading Online Voucher Scheme has been launched and designed to assist small businesses in Kildare to trade more online, boost their sales and reach new markets.
Introduced to enhance businesses online trading presence, the companies that have participated in this scheme have reported that, on average they saw their sales increase by 20 per cent, with an 80 per cent jump in sales leads. After the Covid-19 pandemic, businesses are no longer questioning whether to trade online, but just how to start. This scheme gives businesses the boost they need into the digital world.
However, please note that as of 1 January 2021, the co-funding requirement to apply for a Trading Online Voucher shifted from 90 per cent to 50 per cent – this calculates for eligible costs up to the maximum of €2,500.
It is important to note that businesses will also only be considered if:
- They have no more than 10 employees
- They have less than €2 million turnover
- They have been trading for at least six months
- They are located in Kildare
Not only this, here are some of the requirements for this scheme’s applications:
- Only applications received in full with three quotations will be considered
- Applications must be submitted within nine months of completing an information seminar
- Funding is provided by the Local Enterprise Office of the area in which the business operates and provides employment, not where it is registered
The vouchers can be used for a variety of things from IT consultation, development, or upgrade of an e-commerce website, implementing online payments and much more.
However, the vouchers cannot be used for the development of brochure websites, purchasing non-internet related software or anything other than online trading related activity.
To apply for a Trading Online Voucher, you must attend a Trading Online Voucher information seminar to provide you with all the details as to how to apply and how to best use and gain value from the voucher to support your online business.
At McMahon & Co., we pride ourselves in supporting new start-ups or small businesses to ensure we make a real difference to the development of their companies. We do this by advising on matters related to the above and what is best for each individual business. For more help or advice on this scheme and whether you are eligible, contact us today.