Minister of State for Employment Affairs and Retail Business Neale Richmond has encouraged retailers in Roscommon to apply for funding to enhance their online presence and increase online sales.
In the latest round of the Online Retail Scheme, funded by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and administered by Enterprise Ireland, retailers can access up to €25,000 in grant funding to strengthen their ecommerce capabilities.
Minister Richmond strongly encouraged businesses to apply for the scheme.
“Irish retailers have proven their resilience over the past few years, adapting to changing customer behaviour in many cases by developing an online presence. This not only serves customers in Ireland, but potential customers across the world,” he said.
“An online presence is no longer optional for many businesses, it is a key part of any business model and the benefits are huge. While it may be an intimidating prospect for some, the Government is determined to support businesses on this journey. The Online Retail Scheme is there to help ease this transition and I am delighted that it is again open for applications”.
According to the Department of Enterprise, the Online Retail Scheme has allocated over €28 million in funding in supporting more than 700 projects from Irish retailers.
“Importantly, the Scheme has a national reach with more than 70 per cent of successful retailers from the previous funding rounds based outside Dublin,” the Minister of State said.
“Businesses who have participated in the scheme have reported increased sales, in Ireland and abroad, new employees and an enhanced digital skill set among their current employees. Clearly, digitalisation makes a tangible difference to the success of Irish businesses”.
The Online Retail Scheme is open for applications from April 4th to May 3rd through the Enterprise Ireland website.
