Funding an AI project in Ireland: which support fits which work

Irish businesses can get public money for a first AI project, but each support pays for a different kind of work. Enterprise Ireland’s Digital Discovery pays for expert advice, the Local Enterprise Office Grow Digital Voucher pays for off-the-shelf software, and Digital Process Innovation pays for implementing new processes. Matching the work to the right support matters more than the headline amount.

This guide summarises what the official pages said on 23 October 2026. Terms change with each budget, and eligibility is decided by the agencies, not by us. Confirm every detail with your Enterprise Ireland adviser or Local Enterprise Office before you commit to any spending.

The three supports at a glance

• Digital Discovery.From Enterprise Ireland. Up to 80%, to a maximum of €5,000, for an expert to set up digital foundations or take a first or next step in AI.
• Grow Digital Voucher.From Local Enterprise Offices. 50% of eligible costs, from €500 to €5,000, for new off-the-shelf software subscriptions with limited training and configuration.
• Digital Process Innovation.From Enterprise Ireland. Up to 50%, towards an internal implementation team and external expertise for new production or delivery methods.

Digital Discovery: expert advice for a first AI step

Enterprise Ireland’s Digital Discovery page describes up to 80% grant funding, to a maximum of €5,000, to hire an expert who either puts digital foundations in place or helps a company take its first or next step in artificial intelligence. It is listed for SMEs and start-ups.

This is the closest fit for an assessment of where AI would help and where it would not. Enterprise Ireland’s 2025 AI Discovery brochure describes a staged pathway: consultant-led days to audit data and map skills, then a prototype with an Enterprise Ireland-funded AI centre, then integration supported by Digital Process Innovation. Ask your adviser which stage applies to you and which providers are eligible.

Grow Digital Voucher: software, not custom builds

The Grow Digital Voucher from the Local Enterprise Offices covers 50% of eligible costs, with a minimum grant of €500 and a maximum of €5,000 per application. A business can be approved for up to two voucher projects, with a combined maximum of €5,000.

It is for small enterprises with 1 to 50 paid employees that are not Enterprise Ireland or IDA clients, have traded for at least six months and have completed a Digital for Business project in the previous two years. Applications must be discussed with your Local Enterprise Office and submitted before any spending or commitment.

The important limit is what it pays for. Eligible costs are new, off-the-shelf software subscriptions for one year, including analytics software that contains AI, plus training and configuration up to half the project cost. Custom or bespoke software, bespoke website development and regulatory compliance systems are not eligible. A voucher can help you adopt an AI product; it will not pay for one to be built for you.

Digital Process Innovation: implementing the change

Enterprise Ireland’s Digital Process Innovation offers up to 50% grant funding towards an internal implementation team and external expertise, to implement new production or delivery methods. It is listed for start-ups, SMEs and large companies.

This is the support for turning a tested AI idea into a working part of the business. The AI Discovery brochure places it after the prototype stage. Projects are larger, so the conversation with your adviser comes first.

Which support fits which work?

• You want to know whether AI is worth it at all.Ask about Digital Discovery. A written assessment of candidate processes is the kind of first step it describes.
• You have chosen an off-the-shelf AI tool.If you are a small business outside Enterprise Ireland and IDA, ask your Local Enterprise Office about Grow Digital.
• You need a system built around your own data and processes.Grow Digital does not cover bespoke software. Ask Enterprise Ireland whether Digital Process Innovation, or the AI Discovery pathway, applies.
• You are not sure.The government’s free self-assessment at growdigital.gov.ie gives a digital readiness scorecard and points to relevant supports.

Prepare before you apply

Every support above asks you to describe the project before money is spent. A clear written scope helps: the process you want to change, the people it affects, the data involved, what a good result looks like, and what the project will not do. If you are planning software, LG / Build Brief can turn the idea into an editable specification with requirements and acceptance tests.

Where Leemer Group fits

Leemer Group offers an AI readiness audit, AI systems and AI evaluation from Waterford. We do not claim approved-provider status for any programme on this page, and we cannot tell you whether you are eligible. We can give you a written scope to take to your adviser.

This guide is general information, not financial or legal advice. For the wider picture of Irish adoption, research, compute and the EU AI Act as the official pages read in November 2026, see The state of AI in Ireland.