Local Enterprise Offices (LEO) provide a range of financial supports designed to assist with the establishment and/or growth of enterprises (limited company, individuals/sole trader, cooperatives and partnerships) employing up to ten people.

These include:

• Feasibility Study Grants
• Priming Grants
• Business Expansion Grants
• Technical Assistance for Micro Exporters
• European Globalisation Fund
• New Agile Innovation Fund
• Brexit Supports for your Small Business

These financial supports are designed to provide a flexible suite of supports to LEO clients and potential clients.

Eligibility Criteria

LEOs can assist in the establishment and/or development of new and existing enterprises (limited company, individuals/sole trader, cooperatives and partnerships) provided that such enterprises/projects are capable of attaining commercial viability and subject to the following eligibility criteria:

• The enterprise must not employ more than 10 people;
• The enterprise must be established, registered and operate within the geographic location of the Local Enterprise Office;
• The enterprise must operate in the commercial sphere;
• The enterprise must demonstrate a market for the product/service;
• The enterprise must have the potential for growth in domestic and/or export markets and also a potential for new job creation.

Within the above eligibility criteria there are certain priorities and restrictions:

• Priority must be given to enterprises in the manufacturing or internationally traded services sectors which over time can develop into strong export entities and graduate to the Enterprise Ireland portfolio;
• Salary support may be offered to unique tourism services projects that are focused predominantly on generating revenues from overseas visitors and which do not give rise to deadweight and/or displacement in the local economy;
• This grant aid does not support those areas such as retail enterprises, personal services (eg hairdressers, gardeners, reaches, etc), professional services (accountants, solicitors, etc), construction/local building services, as this is considered to give rise to unacceptable deadweight (where the project would have proceeded anyway) and/or displacement (where the projects imply displace business from other players in the market).
• The sector of the economy in which an enterprise is operating or intends to operate
• The size or proposed size of the enterprise
• Any expenditure incurred, prior to receipt of an application form, will not be eligible for grant support.