Conor McGuinness (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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725. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if the grow digital voucher schemes offered by his Department through local enterprise offices are available to social enterprises and community and voluntary sector organisations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20059/25]

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Social enterprises are an important and growing part of Ireland’s entrepreneurship ecosystem, creating jobs and stimulating local economic activity and are recognised as an integral part of Ireland’s broad enterprise policy landscape. Responsibility for social enterprise is within the remit of the Department of Rural and Community Development.

There are a wide range of businesses supports available to social enterprises through the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs), provided they operate on a commercial basis and meet the eligibility criteria of the scheme for which they wish to apply. Many social enterprises are eligible for the Digital for Business and Grow Digital Voucher schemes.

The Grow Digital Voucher provides funding of up to €5,000 or 50% of eligible costs for improvements such as e-commerce, CRM systems, accounting, cyber security, AI, and cloud-based software subscriptions. Social enterprises can avail of these digitalisation supports, in addition to a wide range of high-quality business and management development programmes that are tailored to meet specific business requirements.