Marketing and sales grants for Irish businesses

Irish marketing grants at a glance

How Irish marketing grants work

• It is part funding, not free money. Most schemes cover up to 50 percent of eligible costs, and the small advisory vouchers up to 80 percent. Your business funds the rest.
• Approval comes before the work. Apply and get approval before the project starts. Costs committed before approval are generally not eligible.
• You pay first, then claim. Grants are usually paid on a claim after the costs are incurred and invoiced, so plan the cash flow for the full project cost.
• Your agency relationship matters. Most Enterprise Ireland supports are for Enterprise Ireland clients. Smaller businesses outside that portfolio usually start with their Local Enterprise Office.
• Grants fund defined projects. Each scheme funds a scoped piece of work with a start and end, so describe the outcome and the deliverables clearly in the application.

Can a grant pay for a fractional CMO or marketing consultant?

Yes, when the work is a defined strategic assignment. Enterprise Ireland's Strategic Consultancy Assignment funds an external strategy consultant at up to 50 percent of costs, to a maximum grant of €35,000, for eligible client SMEs. Market Discovery and New Market Validation funding can also cover outside expertise on go to market work.

Open ended day to day delivery is harder to fit, because grants fund projects with a clear start, end and set of outputs.

Bluerock does not administer grants or prepare applications. Eligibility and approval are decided by the agency. Bluerock delivers the senior marketing work once funding is in place.

Grants for marketing strategy and senior advice

These schemes part fund an external consultant to work on a defined strategic question. They are the closest fit for bringing in senior marketing leadership on a scoped assignment.

Strategic Consultancy Assignment

Enterprise Ireland. An external strategy consultant to develop or implement a strategic initiative, such as a review of one or more business functions, including sales and marketing.

• Amount Up to €35,000
• Rate Up to 50% of consultancy costs
• Who Enterprise Ireland client SMEs with more than 10 full time employees
• Official page

Access Advice, Small Strategic Consultancy

Enterprise Ireland. External advisory support to address a defined, critical business need. A smaller, faster route than a full strategic assignment.

• Amount Up to €5,000
• Rate Part funded, see scheme page
• Who Enterprise Ireland client SMEs and start-ups
• Official page

Grants for digital marketing capability

These schemes fund the systems, skills and outside expertise that let a business generate demand online and run marketing properly.

Digital Marketing Capability

Enterprise Ireland. Engaging a digital marketing specialist to improve your online presence and build digital marketing capability for international markets.

• Amount Up to €35,000
• Rate Part funded, see scheme page
• Who Enterprise Ireland client companies
• Official page

Access Advice, Digital Discovery

Enterprise Ireland. Hiring an expert to put digital foundations in place, or to take a first or next step with artificial intelligence.

• Amount Up to €5,000
• Rate Up to 80% of costs
• Who Enterprise Ireland client SMEs and start-ups
• Official page

Grow Digital Voucher

Local Enterprise Office. Software, digital marketing tools, CRM, automation and AI tools, plus the training to use them. A free Digital for Business session comes first.

• Amount Up to €5,000
• Rate Up to 50% of eligible costs
• Who Businesses with 1 to 50 employees that are not Enterprise Ireland clients
• Official page

Digital Transition Fund

Enterprise Ireland. The EU funded umbrella for Enterprise Ireland's digital transformation supports, including technology adoption and digital capability.

• Amount Varies by support
• Rate See scheme page
• Who Irish enterprises, particularly SMEs
• Official page

Grants for new markets and export marketing

These schemes fund research, go to market planning and early market testing before a business commits to a new territory or product.

Market Discovery Fund

Enterprise Ireland. Research and planning to enter a new international market or launch a new product abroad, including go to market strategy.

• Amount Up to €150,000
• Rate Up to 50% of eligible costs
• Who Enterprise Ireland client companies
• Official page

New Market Validation Grant

Enterprise Ireland. Research, planning and direct customer engagement to test whether a chosen market is commercially viable.

• Amount Up to €150,000
• Rate Up to 50% of eligible costs
• Who Enterprise Ireland client companies
• Official page

Market Research Grant

Enterprise Ireland. Research on buyers, competitors, channels and regulation in an international market before investing further.

• Amount Up to €35,000
• Rate Up to 50% of eligible costs
• Who Start-ups, SMEs and large Enterprise Ireland clients
• Official page

Business Expansion Grant

Local Enterprise Office. Capital investment, marketing activity and new hires for an established small business ready to scale.

• Amount Up to €150,000
• Rate Up to 50% of eligible costs
• Who Manufacturing and internationally traded services businesses trading for at least 18 months
• Official page

International Marketing Programme

IDA Ireland. External marketing consultants to build structured international sales strategies, including research, messaging and localisation.

• Amount See scheme page
• Rate Part funded
• Who Existing IDA Ireland client companies
• Official page

Grants for sales and cross-border growth

These schemes fund sales capacity or consultancy to win customers across the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Acumen Programme

InterTradeIreland. Recruiting a skilled sales resource, or bringing in consultancy, to grow sales in the other jurisdiction.

• Amount Up to €21,562 or £17,250
• Rate Part funded, see scheme page
• Who SMEs in Ireland and Northern Ireland selling cross-border
• Official page

Trade Export Pathway

InterTradeIreland. Funded consultancy at each stage, from research to an export sales and marketing plan and its rollout.

• Amount Staged funding
• Rate See scheme page
• Who Businesses new to cross-border trade
• Official page

Grants for marketing and sales team training

These schemes part fund training so the people already in the business can run marketing and sales to a higher standard.

Build Capability

Enterprise Ireland. Training for management and staff across four productivity drivers, with a broad scope of eligible training costs.

• Amount Up to €70,000
• Rate Part funded, see scheme page
• Who Enterprise Ireland client SMEs and large companies
• Official page

Skillnet Training Support

Skillnet Ireland. Subsidised training through industry networks, including digital marketing, sales and leadership programmes.

• Amount Subsidised rates
• Rate Varies by network
• Who Private sector companies of any size
• Official page

Marketing grant questions answered

What grants are available for marketing and sales in Ireland?

The main options are Enterprise Ireland's Strategic Consultancy Assignment, Digital Marketing Capability, Market Research Grant, Market Discovery Fund, New Market Validation Grant, Build Capability and the Access Advice vouchers, the Local Enterprise Office Grow Digital Voucher and Business Expansion Grant, InterTradeIreland's Acumen Programme and Trade Export Pathway, IDA Ireland's programme for its own clients, and subsidised Skillnet Ireland training.

Can a grant pay for a fractional CMO or senior marketing consultant?

It can, when the work is a defined strategic assignment. Enterprise Ireland's Strategic Consultancy Assignment funds an external strategy consultant at up to 50 percent of costs, to a maximum grant of €35,000, for eligible client SMEs. Market Discovery and New Market Validation funding can also cover outside expertise on go to market work. Open ended day to day delivery is harder to fit, so scope the engagement as a project with clear outputs.

Is marketing grant money free?

No. Most Irish marketing grants are part funding. The business pays its share, usually 50 percent, and typically pays the full cost first before claiming the grant portion back.

Do I need to be an Enterprise Ireland client to get a marketing grant?

For most Enterprise Ireland supports, yes. Businesses with up to 50 employees that are not Enterprise Ireland clients can usually apply through their Local Enterprise Office, for example for the Grow Digital Voucher. InterTradeIreland and Skillnet Ireland have their own eligibility rules.

Which marketing grant suits a small business with fewer than 10 employees?

The Local Enterprise Office Grow Digital Voucher, worth up to €5,000, is the most common starting point. Enterprise Ireland start-up and SME clients can also look at the Access Advice vouchers, also up to €5,000. The Strategic Consultancy Assignment is aimed at Enterprise Ireland client SMEs with more than 10 employees.

Is there funding to hire salespeople in Ireland?

InterTradeIreland's Acumen Programme offers funding of up to €21,562 or £17,250 to recruit a skilled sales resource, or bring in consultancy, to grow cross-border sales between Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Who decides whether my business is eligible?

The agency that runs each scheme. Bluerock Consultancy does not administer or approve grants. Bluerock delivers senior marketing strategy and leadership work once funding is in place and does not prepare grant applications.