# Business grants in Ireland for small businesses: a plain guide > Grants for Irish small businesses explained: LEO grants, Digital for Business, Grow Digital, Lean, Green, the Energy Efficiency Grant and Enterprise Ireland. Canonical: https://appadvisor.ie/guides/leo-grants/ Last updated: 2026-10-16 Every county in Ireland has a Local Enterprise Office (LEO). Between them they offer two kinds of help: grants that part-fund investment, and programmes that give you expert help, often fully funded. Which one fits depends on your sector and stage. Many service, retail and trade businesses are not eligible for the main grants but can still use the programmes, which is where most owners get the best value. ## At a glance | Item | Detail | |---|---| | Main grants | Priming, Business Expansion, Feasibility and Innovation | | Programmes | Digital for Business, Grow Digital Voucher, Lean for Business, Green for Business, mentoring and training | | Golden rule | Do not spend before you have the LEO's letter of offer | ## The main LEO grants These part-fund investment. They are mainly for manufacturing businesses and services that trade internationally. Retail, personal services, professional services, construction and local services are generally not eligible for this grant aid. - Priming Grant: for businesses in their first 18 months. LEO guidance puts it at up to 50% of the investment, to a maximum of €150,000, with up to €15,000 per full-time job created. - Business Expansion Grant: for businesses past the first 18 months that are growing. Up to 50% of the investment, to a maximum of €150,000. - Feasibility and Innovation Grant: to research demand for a product or service, or develop prototypes and designs. Up to €20,000; the percentage covered depends on your region. Limits and waiting periods have changed over the years and differ between offices, so treat these figures as a guide and confirm them with your LEO. ## Programmes open to most small businesses - Digital for Business: an approved consultant reviews how your business runs and recommends the right software and digital changes. For small businesses with 1 to 50 paid employees, trading for at least six months. - Grow Digital Voucher: after Digital for Business, 50% of new software costs, up to €5,000. See our Grow Digital Voucher guide. - Lean for Business: a Lean adviser works with your team to remove waste and fix bottlenecks, funded by your LEO. See our Lean for Business guide. - Energy Efficiency Grant: after Green for Business, recent LEO announcements put it at 75% of eligible costs, up to €10,000, for energy-saving equipment. - Green for Business: two days of free consultancy with a green consultant, and a report. See our Green for Business guide. - Mentoring and training: one-to-one mentors and short courses, run by each LEO. ## Local Enterprise Office or Enterprise Ireland? As a rule of thumb, businesses with 10 or fewer employees go to their Local Enterprise Office, and larger businesses with export potential go to Enterprise Ireland. Since 2022 LEOs can also give direct grants to some firms with more than ten staff in manufacturing and internationally traded services. The two do not fund the same thing twice. ## Which one should you start with? - Starting a manufacturing or export business: talk to your LEO about the Priming or Feasibility Grant. - An established business that runs on paper, spreadsheets or disconnected tools: Digital for Business, then the Grow Digital Voucher. - Rising energy or waste costs: Green for Business. - Work that keeps getting stuck or redone: Lean for Business. ## How to apply 1. Contact your Local Enterprise Office and speak to a business advisor. 2. Agree which grant or programme fits, and complete the application. 3. Wait for approval. Spending before the letter of offer is generally not eligible for grant aid. ## How AppAdvisor helps AppAdvisor delivers Digital for Business, Lean for Business and Green for Business for twelve Local Enterprise Offices: Roscommon, Westmeath, Offaly, Donegal, Tipperary, Limerick, Clare, Longford, Laois, Galway, Leitrim and Cavan. If you are not sure where to start, book a free consultation and we will tell you honestly which route fits. ## Questions ### What grants does the Local Enterprise Office give? The main grants are the Priming Grant, the Business Expansion Grant and the Feasibility and Innovation Grant. LEOs also run programmes such as Digital for Business, the Grow Digital Voucher, Lean for Business and Green for Business, plus mentoring and training. ### Can a retail or service business get an LEO grant? Retail, personal services, professional services, construction and local services are generally not eligible for the main grants, but they can usually use programmes such as Digital for Business and the Grow Digital Voucher. ### Can I buy equipment or software before my grant is approved? Generally no. Spending before the LEO's letter of offer, or before applying for the Grow Digital Voucher, is not eligible and can make the project ineligible. ## Sources (checked 13 October 2026) - [Local Enterprise Office: What grants are available from the LEO?](https://www.localenterprise.ie/faqs/response/what-grants-are-available-from-the-leo-/) - [Local Enterprise Office Galway: Priming Grant](https://www.galway.ie/en/business-economy/local-enterprise-office/priming-grant) - [Local Enterprise Office: What is Digital for Business?](https://localenterprise.ie/digital/what-is-digital-for-business-.html) - [Local Enterprise Office Roscommon: Grow Digital](https://www.localenterprise.ie/roscommon/financial-supports/grow%20digital/) Schemes change. Always confirm the current terms with your Local Enterprise Office before you apply. ## Related - [Grow Digital Voucher: up to €5,000 towards business software](https://appadvisor.ie/guides/grow-digital-voucher/) - [Lean for Business: how LEO-funded Lean consultancy works](https://appadvisor.ie/guides/lean-for-business/) - [Green for Business and the Energy Efficiency Grant](https://appadvisor.ie/guides/green-for-business-energy-grant/) - [AI for small businesses in Ireland: where to start](https://appadvisor.ie/guides/ai-for-small-business/) - [The EU AI Act for Irish small businesses: what you actually need to do](https://appadvisor.ie/guides/eu-ai-act-for-smes/) - [Questions and answers](https://appadvisor.ie/faq/) - [Book a free consultation](https://appadvisor.ie/book-a-consultation/)