Key takeaway
Every county in Ireland has a free Local Enterprise Office offering mentoring, training grants, and business advice. Here's what you can access.
What is a Local Enterprise Office?
Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) are the first-stop-shop for anyone starting or growing a small business in Ireland. There are 31 LEOs — one in each local authority area. They're funded by Enterprise Ireland and the Department of Enterprise, and all their core services are free to access.
Free mentoring
The LEO mentor programme pairs new business owners with experienced business professionals — typically people who have run their own successful businesses. You get 6–8 hours of one-to-one mentoring tailored to your specific challenges: business planning, sales, marketing, financial management, or operations. There is a small booking fee (typically €15–€20) to reduce no-shows, but it's refunded when you attend. Apply at your local LEO's website.
Training and workshops
LEOs run regular workshops and training programmes on business planning, financial management, social media marketing, tendering, and more. Most are free or heavily subsidised. Topics and schedules vary by LEO — check your local LEO's events calendar.
Feasibility grants
LEOs offer a Business Priming Grant for businesses up to 18 months old — up to €80,000 toward capital expenditure and salary costs. A Feasibility Study Grant (up to €15,000) helps you assess whether your business idea is viable before you invest heavily. These grants are competitive and require a strong business plan.
Trading Online Voucher
The Trading Online Voucher provides up to €2,500 (matched by 50% co-funding from you) to help small businesses develop or improve their online presence — website development, e-commerce, digital marketing tools. Open to businesses with fewer than 10 employees and annual turnover under €2m.
How to find your LEO
Find your nearest LEO at localenterprise.ie. The website includes a county finder and lists of available supports, events, and contacts. Walk in or call — LEO advisors are accessible and approachable, and an initial consultation is always free.
General guidance only. Always verify with official sources — gov.ie, citizensinformation.ie, hse.ie.