Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail, Damien English today, 4 May 2021, launched a new round of the Covid-19 Online Retail Scheme. Under this call €5 million will be made available to help Irish businesses to upgrade their websites and improve their competitiveness in online retail.
The Scheme will be administered by Enterprise Ireland and is targeted at Irish-based retailers with a physical store and a pre-existing online presence.
The grant can be used to fund fees for service providers to develop and implement a digital strategy supported by in-house training, and to enhance the retailer’s website and related systems.
The latest round of the Covid-19 Online Retail Scheme is open to applications from today, 4 May 2021.
Successful applicants will be awarded funding to support a maximum of 80% of the project eligible costs with a maximum grant of €40,000.
Outlining the importance of the Scheme, the Minister said, “Over the last year, survival for many Irish retailers has been dependent on having an online presence. It continues to be a top priority for retailers to evolve these channels and take advantage of the new and existing local, national and international opportunities that exist through selling online. As Minister, I am determined to support the ambition to expand beyond the physical shop and this Scheme offers retailers the vital financial support to do just that. It is important for the future of retail here that in-store shopping is complemented by an improved online offering so that innovative local businesses can secure a greater share of the overall online retail spend by Irish consumers.”
Typical elements involved in developing a sophisticated and transactional online presence include research, consultancy costs for strategy development, implementation and training.
For retailers starting out on the digital journey Enterprise Ireland have put together this Starter Guide outlining the broad range of considerations to be addressed.
Find out more from Enterprise Ireland
Our Advisory Team can assist you in making an application for this scheme. Contact our UHY FDW Care Team and they will arrange a free consultation with our experts.
+353 42 933 9955 susanmcgeough@fdw.ie