Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 March 2014
598. Deputy Stephen S. Donnelly asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will provide more information on the national scheme relating to the distribution of 1,000 vouchers as per action 78 of the Action Plan for Jobs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13164/14]
View answerThe trading online voucher scheme is a key deliverable under the National Digital Strategy and the Action Plan for Jobs. It is intended to catalyse action among small business owners to invest in the online trading aspect of their business. The scheme will provide individual qualifying businesses with a voucher of up to €2,500 to be used with the company’s own matching funding for the implementation of a trading online component to their business. The scheme is targeted at those small and micro enterprises (with less than ten employees and whose annual turnover is less than €2m), who do not have an online presence or at those who are seeking to improve their online offering by adding, or improving, a trading online dimension. €5 million has been provided for the voucher scheme in 2014 in my Department's Vote. Planning is currently underway for the national rollout of the scheme which follows the completion of a pilot phase in the Dublin area. Under the pilot, 50 businesses were awarded vouchers in a competitive process which was oversubscribed. The successful companies were selected based on their project plan which included expected growth in jobs and exports. The pilot attracted businesses across a whole spectrum of activity including retail, wholesale, product and service providers.
My Department is working closely with the County and City Enterprise Board network (soon to be Local Enterprise Offices) and Enterprise Ireland on the national scheme. Preparations are being scaled up and it is planned that vouchers will be made available initially in Dublin city and county, Cork city and county, Waterford city and county, Kerry and Louth and will then move to national rollout during the summer.
When launched, the voucher scheme will be advertised nationally and on the National Digital Strategy web page of my Department's website. It is envisaged that up to 2,000 small businesses will benefit from this initiative from mid-2014. The eligibility criteria that operated in the case of the pilot are available on the Dublin City Enterprise Board web page at www.dceb.ie/Financial-Assistance/Online-Trading-Voucher and it is likely that very similar criteria will apply in relation to the national scheme.
I have also made arrangements for companies who feel that they may be eligible, and would like to be informed when the scheme is being rolled out, to contact my Department at Benefit@dcenr.gov.ie with their name and contact details and my officials will notify them when the national scheme is open for applications.
