By Semih Solakoğlu, Co-Founder, Evalon Digital Media. Updated 26 October 2026. We checked every figure in this guide to start up business grants in Ireland against the official LEO, Enterprise Ireland and gov.ie pages on that date.
The short answer. The main start up business grants in Ireland come from your Local Enterprise Office. The Feasibility Grant pays half the cost of testing your idea. The Priming Grant pays up to half of your start-up costs in your first 18 months, and a website counts as one of those costs. If you are leaving a jobseeker's payment, the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance lets you keep that payment while your business grows.
One question, eight different answers
Search for grants to start a business and you get a long list of schemes, each with its own rules. Some pay cash, some lend money and some invest in your company. A few only open once you have traded for six months.
This guide puts them in one place. It shows what each support pays, who it suits and where to apply. It also shows which ones help with the cost of a website, because that is often the first big bill a new business gets.
Start up business grants in Ireland at a glance
| Support | Who runs it | What you get | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feasibility Grant | Your LEO | 50% of the cost of testing your idea, up to €15,000 at LEO Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown | People checking if an idea will sell before they launch |
| Priming Grant | Your LEO | Up to 50% of start-up costs, up to €80,000 in most cases | New businesses with up to 10 staff, in their first 18 months |
| Back to Work Enterprise Allowance | Department of Social Protection | 100% of your welfare payment in year one and 75% in year two | People on a qualifying payment for at least 9 months |
| Short-Term Enterprise Allowance | Department of Social Protection | Your Jobseeker's Benefit rate for up to 9 months | People on Jobseeker's Benefit |
| Enterprise Support Grant | Department of Social Protection | Up to €2,500 for set-up costs, with €500 for a website | People on either allowance above |
| Microfinance Ireland loan | Microfinance Ireland, with your LEO | An unsecured loan of up to €50,000 | Businesses with fewer than 10 full-time staff |
| New Frontiers, Phase 2 | Enterprise Ireland, at a college near you | A €17,500 tax-free stipend over six months for one founder | Founders with an idea that can scale and export |
| Pre-Seed Start Fund | Enterprise Ireland | An investment of €50,000 or €100,000, plus 10 mentoring sessions | Early-stage companies with high growth plans |
LEO start up business grants
Your Local Enterprise Office is the first stop for most start up business grants in Ireland. There are 31 LEOs, one for each local council area, and each one runs the same core grants.
The Feasibility Grant
This grant helps you find out if your idea will work before you put your savings into it. It pays 50% of qualifying costs, and LEO Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown sets the limit at €15,000. It covers market research, design and legal advice, and prototype work. Only payments to outside suppliers count.
The Priming Grant
This is the main grant for starting a business in Ireland. It suits a business with up to 10 staff that is in its first 18 months. Limited companies, sole traders, partnerships and co-operatives can all apply.
The LEO pays up to 50% of your investment, up to €80,000 in most cases. A business that can show it may grow into an Enterprise Ireland client can get up to €150,000. The grant covers:
- equipment and fit-out for your workspace
- the first year of a new employee's salary
- marketing costs, including a website, packaging and trade fairs
- consultancy fees and some first-year rent
It leaves out buildings, land, vans and cars, and laptops, tablets and phones.
Grants for starting a business in Ireland from a jobseeker's payment
Two allowances from the Department of Social Protection let you keep an income while your business finds its feet.
The Back to Work Enterprise Allowance pays you 100% of your welfare payment for the first year and 75% for the second year. You usually need to have been on a qualifying payment, such as Jobseeker's Allowance, for at least 9 months. An Employment Personal Adviser must approve your business in writing before you start.
The Short-Term Enterprise Allowance is for people on Jobseeker's Benefit. It pays the same weekly rate for up to 9 months, and it ends when your Jobseeker's Benefit would have ended.
Both come with the Enterprise Support Grant. It pays up to €2,500 over two years on the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance, and up to €1,000 on a 9-month Short-Term Enterprise Allowance. You put in at least 20% yourself.
Enterprise Ireland and New Frontiers
Enterprise Ireland backs start-ups that plan to sell abroad and grow fast. Its Pre-Seed Start Fund invests €50,000 or €100,000 in early-stage companies and adds 10 mentoring sessions. Because this is an investment, it is a better fit for a company than for a sole trader.
New Frontiers is Enterprise Ireland's programme for founders, run at colleges around the country. Phase 1 tests your idea over 8 to 10 weeks of part-time sessions. Phase 2 is six months full time, with a €17,500 tax-free stipend for one founder. At TU Dublin Tallaght, Phase 2 applications close on 8 November, and the programme starts on 28 January 2027.
Loans and free training
Microfinance Ireland lends up to €50,000 without security to businesses with fewer than 10 full-time staff and a turnover under €2 million. You need a business plan that shows you can repay, and your LEO can help you prepare it.
Most LEOs also run a Start Your Own Business course. LEO Roscommon ran its autumn 2026 course free of charge, over six evenings on Zoom. It covers business planning, marketing, tax and funding, and it gives you a plan you can bring to a grant meeting.
Which start up business grants help pay for a website?
Three start up business grants in Ireland can help with a website, and each one works at a different stage.
| Support | What it pays toward a website |
|---|---|
| Priming Grant | Up to 50% of a website, as part of your marketing costs in your first 18 months |
| Enterprise Support Grant | Up to €500 for website registration, services and production |
| Grow Digital Voucher | 50% of a website platform on a subscription, after six months of trading |
The Grow Digital Voucher has its own rules, and it pays for subscription software rather than a custom build. Our guide to the LEO website grant explains it step by step.
A worked example: a new business website
Here is how the Priming Grant could work with a website. The figures are an example only. Your LEO decides what it approves and at what rate.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| New business website from Evalon | €7,500 |
| Priming Grant at 50%, if approved | €3,750 |
| Your share | €3,750 |
Prices are without VAT. Ask your LEO how it treats VAT on your claim.
Five mistakes that cost people their grant
- Spending first. LEO grants pay only for costs after the LEO receives your application.
- Starting too soon. Your adviser must approve your business in writing before you start on the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance.
- Waiting too long. The Priming Grant is for your first 18 months of trading.
- Picking the wrong scheme. The Grow Digital Voucher needs six months of trading and a Digital for Business report first.
- Counting the wrong costs. Buildings, vans, laptops and phones sit outside the Priming Grant.
How to apply for start up business grants in Ireland
- Call your LEO. Find yours on localenterprise.ie, or ring the National Enterprise Hub on (01) 727 2100, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
- Write a short business plan. The Start Your Own Business course helps you build one.
- Get quotes for each cost. Your LEO wants to see what you plan to buy and what it costs.
- Apply, then spend. Wait for written approval before you pay for anything you want the grant to cover.
Evalon and your new business website
Evalon designs and builds websites for new and growing businesses. Our prices are published, so you can put an exact figure into your grant application.
| Evalon service | Price (without VAT) |
|---|---|
| New business website | €7,500 |
| Refresh the website you have | from €3,500 |
| Custom build or online shop | €11,000 |
| Monthly plan with build, care and growth | from €1,200 a month |
Get a quote you can bring to your LEO. Use our price builder to pick what your new business needs, then download your plan as a PDF in about two minutes.
Build my pricePrefer to talk it through? Book a free call with the founders.
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Questions about start up business grants in Ireland
Are there grants to start a business in Ireland?
Yes. Your Local Enterprise Office offers the Feasibility Grant to test an idea and the Priming Grant for your first 18 months. Each pays up to 50% of qualifying costs.
Can a grant pay for my website?
Yes. The Priming Grant counts a website as a marketing cost, and the Enterprise Support Grant pays up to €500 toward one. The Grow Digital Voucher helps with a website platform on a subscription once you have traded for six months.
Can I get help if I am on Jobseeker's Allowance?
Yes. The Back to Work Enterprise Allowance lets you keep 100% of your payment in year one and 75% in year two, once your business is approved in writing.
Do I need a limited company to apply?
Sole traders, partnerships, co-operatives and limited companies can all apply for the Priming Grant.
Who do I contact first?
Start with your Local Enterprise Office, or ring the National Enterprise Hub on (01) 727 2100.
Sources
- Priming Grant, LEO Wicklow
- Feasibility Grant, LEO Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown
- Back to Work Enterprise Allowance, gov.ie
- Short-Term Enterprise Allowance, gov.ie
- Enterprise Support Grant, gov.ie
- Microfinance Ireland loans, enterprise.gov.ie
- Pre-Seed Start Fund, Enterprise Ireland
- New Frontiers, TU Dublin
- Grow Digital Voucher, LEO Longford