I am urging Galway businesses to take advantage of grants of up to €5,000 to help them get online.
The Government has announced an additional investment of €14.2 million in the Trading Online Vouchers Scheme for small and micro enterprises following unprecedented demand.
The Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) that administer the scheme on behalf of my Department, the Department of Communications, Climate Action and the Environment, have seen three years’ worth of applications in just three months as a result of the COVID-19 emergency.
The crisis has demonstrated that being online is an essential tool for business.
It also underlines the fundamental need of all enterprises for access to high-speed broadband.
As the National Broadband Plan is rolled out the demand for online services will grow incrementally so offering support to businesses such as the Trading Online Vouchers Scheme makes absolute sense as we plan for economic recovery.
The Government has invested a total of €20 million in Trading Online Vouchers in 2020, which represents an almost 1,000% expansion of the scheme this year.
The additional funding means we will be able to issue 7,700 vouchers this year compared with 1,200 last year. I strongly urge all Galway small and micro enterprises to apply.
Under the scheme, small businesses can claim up to €5,000 in two grants worth €2,500 each. The scheme also facilitates subscriptions to low-cost online retailing platforms so retailers can quickly establish their presence online.
Galway LEO can be contacted at 091 509090 and
[email protected]