The Local Enterprise Offices in Dublin
The Local Enterprise Office is the first stop for any small business. Training, mentoring and advice are open to everyone. Its cash grants are only for manufacturing and internationally traded services businesses with up to 10 staff. What the Dublin office can and cannot fund.
Local Enterprise Office Dublin City
- Address
- Civic Offices, Block 4, Floor 1, Dublin 8, D08 RF3F
- Phone
- 01 222 5611
- info@leo.dublincity.ie
- Website
- localenterprise.ie/DublinCity
- How to apply
- Online portal. Read the eligibility criteria, then fill in the online Grant Eligibility Assessment Form. The team gets back to you within 10 working days, and if you are eligible you are sent a link to the application portal. A complete application goes to the independent Evaluation and Approvals Committee. The office covers Dublin 1 to 13, 17 and 20, and its Priming Grant is 50% of the investment up to €50,000.
- Courses
- Start Your Own Business courses and other training
Local Enterprise Office Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown
- Address
- County Hall, Marine Road, Dún Laoghaire, Co. Dublin (postal address while the office moves to Moran Park House)
- Phone
- 01 204 7083
- leo@dlrcoco.ie
- Website
- localenterprise.ie/DLR
- How to apply
- Online portal. Send the online Expression of Interest for Funding Supports. The office replies in about 10 working days, and in most cases you then meet a Business Advisor who checks that you are eligible and ready. Only after that meeting do you get a link to the formal application. Walk-in visits are paused until the move to Moran Park House is finished.
- Courses
- Start Your Own Business courses and other training
Local Enterprise Office Fingal
- Address
- First Floor, County Hall, Main Street, Swords, Co. Dublin, K67 X8Y2
- Phone
- 01 8900 800
- info@leo.fingal.ie
- Website
- localenterprise.ie/Fingal
- How to apply
- Adviser meeting first. Contact the office to talk through your proposal in confidence with a Business Adviser before you apply for a grant. The office also runs online Business Supports Briefings, with time for questions to its advisers at the end. Its Evaluation and Approvals Committee assesses every grant application.
- Dates to know
- Next online Business Supports Briefing: Wednesday 7 October 2026
- Courses
- Start Your Own Business courses and other training
Local Enterprise Office South Dublin
- Address
- Work IQ Innovation Centre, Belgard Square North, Tallaght, Dublin 24, D24 E1TT
- Phone
- 01 414 9215
- info@leo.sdublincoco.ie
- Website
- localenterprise.ie/SouthDublin
- How to apply
- Online portal. Fill in the expression of interest form on the office's online portal. A member of the team reviews it and a Business Adviser contacts you with the next steps. Grants are only for businesses inside the South Dublin County area, and the office's website has a map to check your address.
- Courses
- Start Your Own Business courses and other training
Can your business get a LEO grant?
Four taps. The honest answer, and what you can use if the answer is no.
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What Dublin City Council offers
50% of the cost of a ground floor shopfront refurbishment, up to €3,000. In Ballymun and Finglas, painting, repair and greening are capped at €2,000.
Businesses and commercial premises with a street-facing shopfront in the South West Inner City (the Liberties, Kilmainham, Inchicore, Dolphin's Barn, Rialto and Clanbrassil Street to South Circular Road) or in Ballymun and Finglas. You must not owe rates or other charges to the council, and you must be tax compliant. In Ballymun and Finglas an agreed rates payment plan counts, and units in industrial estates, business parks and shopping centres are excluded.
Download the application form, add plans, the design, the specification and contractor quotes, and email or post it to the local area office. An assessment panel recommends awards, depending on the money available. Work must be done within 4 months of approval, or of planning permission where it is needed, and costs you have already paid are not covered.
Closed. Both 2026 schemes closed on Friday 26 June 2026. The council says applications normally open in March.
We found no rates incentive for opening in a vacant premises in Dublin City for 2026. The council also gives no vacancy refund for 2026, so an empty property pays the full rates.
We found no rebate for small ratepayers and no early payment discount on the council's commercial rates pages for 2026.
A free programme that matches local enterprises and social enterprises with teams of 4 to 6 Masters students from Dublin's universities. The students work on a specific business challenge from January to May and present their plans at the ENFUSE finals. Any local business can apply.
Grants, mentoring and promotion for social enterprises in the city, worth about €60,000 a year in total. The awards are funded by the council and the Department of Rural and Community Development, and run by Inner City Enterprise.
What Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council offers
50% of the improvement costs before VAT, up to €5,000 a premises
Owners or lessees of existing independent shops, cafes and similar businesses on the ground floor of a premises that fronts a public street in the county. Large chains and multiples are excluded, and there must be no unauthorised development on the premises. Upper floor work can be included but is not funded on its own.
Apply on the council's grants portal, or send the printable form to Economic Development (01 204 7083, EconomicDev@dlrcoco.ie), with proof of ownership or tenancy, a colour photo of the premises and the plans, design and quote for the work. Apply before you spend anything. The grant is paid when the work is finished, within 6 months of approval or of planning permission, and receipts are in. Any rates or other charges you owe the council are taken off the grant.
Open all year. The council's grants portal says this grant operates year-round, on a first come, first served basis while funds last.
This is one stream of the council's Commercial Property Support Scheme. A business that qualifies under more than one stream can get no more than €15,000 in any 3 years.
A refund of 75% of the rates paid in year 1 (up to €7,500), 50% in year 2 (up to €5,000) and 25% in year 3 (up to €2,500). You pay each year's rates in full first and the grant is processed after that.
New independent businesses that occupy a rated commercial premises that has been vacant for at least 6 months and advertised for sale or lease for the 6 months before you apply. The Local Enterprise Office says the premises' rates valuation must be no more than €60,000. You must own or lease the premises. Large chains and multiples are excluded.
Apply on the council's grants portal with evidence that the unit was vacant, your lease or proof of ownership, and proof that rates, contributions and other council charges are paid. Queries go to Economic Development on 01 204 7083 or EconomicDev@dlrcoco.ie.
Open all year, first come, first served, while funds last. The criteria document carries no year.
8% to 14% of the year's rates bill: 14% on bills up to €3,000 (up to €420), 12% on €3,001 to €5,000 (up to €600), 10% on €5,001 to €10,000 (up to €1,000) and 8% on €10,001 to €20,000 (up to €1,600)
Occupiers of commercially rated property in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown with a yearly rates bill of €20,000 or less. The year's rates and any arrears must be paid in full by 1 May, or you must be paying by direct debit, set up before 1 May.
No application. Direct debit accounts get the grant taken off their final payments in November or December. Accounts paid in full another way get a credit at the start of the following year.
The council renewed the grant in its 2026 budget.
Up to 50% of the cost before VAT of licensed outdoor dining furniture on the public street, such as tables, chairs, umbrellas, heaters and screens, to a maximum of €2,000. It is for small independent businesses that sell food to eat on the premises and hold a Section 254 Street Furniture Licence from the council. Claim within 3 months of buying the furniture. The grant operates year-round.
What Fingal County Council offers
Up to 90% of the approved cost, to a maximum of €2,000 a property. On approved costs of €1,200 the council pays €1,080.
Owners or operators of independently owned shops that front onto public streets in Fingal's town centres, local centres and rural villages, as designated in the Fingal County Development Plan 2023 to 2029. It covers shopfront and brickwork repair, external painting and new signage.
Online application form on the council's website, with at least two photos of the building, the right quotes (one for materials only, or two contractor quotes for materials and labour), the owner's consent if you rent, a VAT number and a tax clearance certificate. Only work done and paid for after the Letter of Offer counts, and cash payments to contractors are not refunded. Send your claim to townregenerationoffice@fingal.ie by close of business on 30 April 2027.
Open. Expressions of interest must reach the council by 12 noon on 23 October 2026.
Owners of protected structures and buildings in Architectural Conservation Areas may also be able to get Fingal's Stitch in Time Grant for other repairs to the front of the building.
We found no rates incentive for opening in a vacant premises in Fingal for 2026. The council also set its vacancy abatement at 0% for 2026, so there is no rates relief for a vacancy this year.
We found no rebate for small ratepayers and no early payment discount on the council's commercial rates page for 2026.
The council has three enterprise centres with industrial and office units: Drinan Enterprise Centre in Swords, BASE Enterprise Centre in Mulhuddart and BEaT Enterprise Centre in Balbriggan. Local Enterprise Office Fingal says they may have incubation space, and you contact each centre directly.
What South Dublin County Council offers
50% of the approved cost. The caps depend on the work: €4,000 to replace a shopfront, €2,000 for painting, €1,500 for new signage or for canopies and awnings, and €1,000 for lighting features.
Owners or operators of independently owned shops that front onto public streets in South Dublin County. The terms say chain store exemptions may apply. Your rates must be paid in full or you must be keeping to a payment plan, and a tenant needs the owner's written permission.
Online application form, or post or email the form with all supporting documents to the County Promotion Unit, County Hall, Tallaght, Dublin 24 (econdev@sdublincoco.ie). Apply before any work starts. The grant is paid after the work is finished, the receipts are in and a council official has inspected it, and you must display the council's shopfront grant sticker. The best designed shopfront gets a further €1,000 award.
Open until 31 December 2026, but the council says the scheme may close without notice if the year's budget is used up.
A contribution of 75% of your commercial rates in year 1, 50% in year 2 and 25% in year 3. No caps are published.
New businesses and micro-enterprises moving into their first commercial premises, not relocating, in an industrial area, on a village main street, in a food hub or in an area that supports Tallaght's evening-time economy. The premises must have been vacant for 3 months or more, and you must not have moved in yet. You must be the ratepayer, tax compliant, and able to provide your lease and rate account details.
Online application on the Local Enterprise Office South Dublin portal, under the council's Business Support Fund. Do not start or arrange any works before approval.
Open, with no closing date. The fund is limited and each application is assessed on its own merits.
We found no rebate for small ratepayers and no early payment discount on the council's commercial rates page for 2026. The council gives no vacancy credit for 2026 either.
Up to 75% of eligible costs, to a maximum of €50,000 a project, to refurbish, convert or divide vacant or underused commercial and industrial premises for business use. Larger projects may be considered if they show significant economic benefit. Part of the council's Business Support Fund, applied for on the Local Enterprise Office South Dublin portal.
Up to 75% of the cost, to a maximum of €5,000, for work on the public-facing parts of your own premises, such as painting, signage, a new shopfront, boundary walls and landscaping. It is for businesses in industrial areas, on village main streets, in food hubs and in enterprise centres. Funding is limited, so the council encourages early applications.
Funding for shopfronts, lighting, signage, outdoor seating and safety work on premises in Tallaght town centre, broadly between Tallaght Village, County Hall and Tallaght Stadium, for new and existing businesses that trade or plan to trade after 5pm.
What would the council take off your rates?
Pick the council and put in the yearly rates bill for the premises.
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LEADER funding in Dublin
LEADER pays grants to rural businesses and community groups. In Dublin it is delivered by one local group, and their staff help you put an application together.
Only set rural zones of Fingal, South Dublin and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown. They include Rush, Lusk, Skerries, Garristown, Donabate and Balbriggan in Fingal, Rathcoole, Saggart, Newcastle and Bohernabreena in South Dublin, and Glencullen, Tibradden and Shankill-Rathmichael in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown. Dublin city has no LEADER Local Action Group.
Takes expressions of interest through an online form, followed by a first meeting with the team. LEADER pays 50% to 75% of project costs, and 100% in some cases, so you need evidence that you can fund the rest.
Phone: 01 807 4282
Help with a business plan if you are on a welfare payment
If you are on a jobseeker's or other social welfare payment and want to start a business, a local development company helps you prepare the business plan for the enterprise allowances.
North east Dublin city, mainly Dublin 3, 5, 13 and 17. Offices on Bunratty Drive, Coolock (01 848 5630) and Greendale Road, Kilbarrack (01 832 0995)
Phone: 01 848 5630
Finglas, Cabra and Ballymun. Head office at Rosehill House, Finglas Road, Dublin 11
Phone: 01 836 1666
Dublin's inner city. A not-for-profit charity at 49/50 Coleraine Street, Smithfield, Dublin 7, which you are referred to by Intreo if you are in its catchment area
Phone: 01 906 1503
Parts of Dublin 4, 6, 6W, 8 and 12. Main office at 3-4 St Agnes Road, Crumlin, Dublin 12
Its enterprise support is free.
Phone: 01 473 2196
Ballyfermot, Cherry Orchard and Chapelizod. Head office at 4 Drumfinn Park, Ballyfermot, Dublin 10
Phone: 01 623 5612
Fingal. Offices in Clonsilla (Dillon House, Coolmine Industrial Estate, Dublin 15), Mulhuddart and Balbriggan
Phone: 01 820 9550
South Dublin County. Head office at County Hall, Block 3, Belgard Square North, Tallaght, Dublin 24
Its enterprise support is free.
Phone: 01 464 9300
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, for people who are unemployed and live in the county. Office at The Old Post Office, 7 Rock Hill, Main Street, Blackrock
Phone: 01 706 0100
Also in Dublin
- The nearest New Frontiers programme for early-stage founders is at TU Dublin (Blanchardstown, Grangegorman and Tallaght campuses), Dublin City University, University College Dublin (NovaUCD) or IADT in Dún Laoghaire.
Good to know in Dublin
Each Dublin office deals only with businesses in its own council area, and their grant rules differ in the detail. Dublin City covers Dublin 1 to 13, 17 and 20, caps its Priming Grant at €50,000, and asks Priming and Business Expansion applicants to be creating at least one new full-time paid job and to have paying customers already. Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown pays Priming as a full grant, with a maximum office contribution of €80,000, and may consider companies with 10 to 50 staff that have international ambitions but are not ready for Enterprise Ireland. South Dublin's overall maximum is also €80,000. Dublin City and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown both say they reply to a first enquiry within about 10 working days.
Rates help from the four Dublin councils varies a lot. Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown refunds 75%, 50% and 25% of the rates over three years, capped at €7,500, €5,000 and €2,500, to an independent business that takes a unit vacant for six months, and its Ratepayers Support Grant takes 8% to 14% off bills of €20,000 or less. South Dublin's Start-up Rates Support gives 75%, 50% and 25% to a business moving into its first premises. We found no rates incentive for vacant units from Dublin City Council or Fingal County Council in 2026.
Shopfront money from Dublin's councils is still open in three of the four areas. Fingal pays up to 90%, to a maximum of €2,000, with expressions of interest due by noon on 23 October 2026. South Dublin pays half, up to €4,000 for a new shopfront, until 31 December 2026 or until its budget runs out. Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown pays half, up to €5,000, all year. Dublin City's two area schemes paid up to €3,000 and closed on 26 June 2026.
LEADER grants for the rural fringe of Dublin are run by Fingal LEADER Partnership in Swords for the Dublin Rural LEADER Local Action Group, which was allocated €4.7 million for 2023 to 2027. Only set rural electoral divisions in Fingal, South Dublin and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown qualify, so check the zone list before you apply. There is no LEADER money for Dublin city.
What every business in Dublin can apply for
- Microfinance Ireland loans for Dublin businesses: State-backed loans of €2,000 to €50,000 for businesses with fewer than 10 staff, start-ups included.
- the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance in Dublin: keep your welfare payment for two years while you start a business.
- the Short-Term Enterprise Allowance in Dublin: the same idea for people on Jobseeker's Benefit.
- the Grow Digital Voucher through the Dublin office: half the cost of software and digital tools for small businesses.
- the Energy Efficiency Grant for Dublin firms: help with the cost of cutting your energy bills.
- the Wage Subsidy Scheme for Dublin employers: an hourly subsidy when you employ a person with a disability.
We can write the business plan for your allowance application
Starting a business in Dublin? We write the business plan and 12-month cashflow that an allowance or a loan application asks for.
- Your business plan under the headings the Department of Social Protection asks for
- Your 12-month cashflow, month by month
- A prep sheet for the meeting with your adviser, and a guide to the form
€99 one-off, VAT included. You put in your figures and check your cashflow, then pay and answer the questions. A person prepares your pack within two working days. 14-day money-back promise. We cannot promise any funder will approve you.
Common questions
Which Local Enterprise Office covers my part of Dublin?
The one for the council area where your business is based. Local Enterprise Office Dublin City (01 222 5611) is in the Civic Offices in Dublin 8 and covers Dublin 1 to 13, 17 and 20. Local Enterprise Office Fingal (01 8900 800) is in County Hall, Swords. Local Enterprise Office South Dublin (01 414 9215) is in the Work IQ Innovation Centre, Tallaght, and has a map on its website to check your address. Local Enterprise Office Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown (01 204 7083) is moving to Moran Park House beside dlr LexIcon, so phone or email it first.
Can a shop or cafe in Dublin get a LEO grant?
Not the main cash grants. Priming and expansion money from the four Dublin offices is for manufacturing and internationally traded services businesses with up to 10 employees. Dublin City lists retail, cafes, pubs, hotels, hairdressers, builders, trades and cleaning services as ineligible, and South Dublin excludes retailing, construction and personal services. A shop or cafe can apply for the Grow Digital Voucher (50% of the cost, up to €5,000, after a Digital for Business consultant's report) and the Energy Efficiency Grant (75% of the cost, up to €10,000, after a Green for Business report). Mentoring, training and a Microfinance Ireland loan are open to it too, as are the council shopfront and rates schemes on this page.
Do the Dublin councils give grants to businesses?
Yes, and each council is different. Fingal's shopfront grant pays up to 90%, to €2,000, with expressions of interest due by noon on 23 October 2026. South Dublin has a shopfront grant open until 31 December 2026, a rates contribution for a first premises and grants of up to €50,000 for vacant premises. Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown runs a shopfront grant, a vacant premises rates refund and a street furniture grant all year, and takes 8% to 14% off rates bills of €20,000 or less without an application. Dublin City's shopfront schemes in two areas closed on 26 June 2026, and we found no rates scheme for businesses there in 2026.
Who helps with a Back to Work Enterprise Allowance business plan in Dublin?
A local development company for your area, once your Employment Personal Adviser at Intreo refers you. In Dublin city that is Northside Partnership (north east), Dublin Northwest Partnership (Finglas, Cabra and Ballymun), Inner City Enterprise (inner city), Dublin South City Partnership (parts of Dublin 4, 6, 6W, 8 and 12) or Liffey Partnership (Ballyfermot, Cherry Orchard and Chapelizod). In the county it is Empower in Fingal, South Dublin County Partnership, or Southside Partnership DLR. They help with the business plan, and a Deciding Officer in the Department of Social Protection decides on the allowance.
Is LEADER funding open in Dublin?
Only in rural parts of Fingal, South Dublin and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, such as Rush, Lusk, Skerries, Garristown, Rathcoole, Saggart, Newcastle and Glencullen. Dublin city has no LEADER group. Fingal LEADER Partnership takes expressions of interest through an online form and then arranges a first meeting. LEADER usually pays 50% to 75% of the cost, so you need to show where the rest will come from. Phone 01 807 4282 or email rdinfo@fingalleaderpartnership.ie.
Where this comes from
- Local Enterprise Office Dublin City, contact page
- Local Enterprise Office Dublin City, how to apply for a grant
- Local Enterprise Office Dublin City, grant eligibility criteria
- Local Enterprise Office Dublin City, Business Start Up (Priming) Grant
- Local Enterprise Office Dublin City, Evaluation and Approvals Committee 2026
- Local Enterprise Office Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, contact page
- Local Enterprise Office Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, grant application process
- Local Enterprise Office Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, eligibility criteria
- Local Enterprise Office Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, Business Priming Funding
- Local Enterprise Office Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, Shop Front Improvement Scheme
- Local Enterprise Office Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, Vacant Commercial Premises Scheme
- Local Enterprise Office Fingal, contact page
- Local Enterprise Office Fingal, home page and upcoming events
- Local Enterprise Office Fingal, criteria for financial assistance
- Local Enterprise Office Fingal, Priming Grant
- Local Enterprise Office Fingal, financial support FAQ
- Local Enterprise Office South Dublin, contact page
- Local Enterprise Office South Dublin, financial supports
- Local Enterprise Office South Dublin, Priming and Business Expansion Grants
- Local Enterprise Office South Dublin, eligibility criteria
- Local Enterprise Offices, Grow Digital Voucher
- Local Enterprise Offices, Energy Efficiency Grant
- Dublin City Council, Shopfront Improvement Schemes
- Dublin City Council, North West City Shopfront Improvement Scheme 2026
- Dublin City Council, Shopfront Information Brochure 2026, Ballymun and Finglas (PDF)
- Dublin City Council, South West Inner City Area Shopfront Improvement Scheme 2026
- Dublin City Council, South West Inner City shopfront scheme details 2026 (PDF)
- Dublin City Council, commercial property rates
- Dublin City Council, supports for local businesses
- Dublin City Council, ENFUSE programme
- Dublin City Council, social enterprise supports
- Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, business financial supports
- Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, Shopfront Improvement Grant on the grants portal
- Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, Shopfront Improvement eligibility criteria (PDF)
- Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, Vacant Commercial Premises Grant on the grants portal
- Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, Occupation of Vacant Premises eligibility criteria (PDF)
- Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, Street Furniture Grant
- Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, Ratepayers Support Grant
- Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, commercial rates
- Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, Budget 2026 adopted
- Fingal County Council, Shopfront Enhancement Scheme 2026
- Fingal County Council, Shopfront Enhancement Scheme 2026 terms and conditions (PDF)
- Fingal County Council, commercial rates
- Fingal County Council, enterprise centres and industrial parks
- Fingal County Council, Rural Development (LEADER) Programme
- South Dublin County Council, Shop Front Grant
- South Dublin County Council, Shop Front Grant terms and conditions 2026 (PDF)
- South Dublin County Council, Shopfront Grant application form 2026
- South Dublin County Council, commercial rates
- South Dublin County Council, Business Support Funds
- Local Enterprise Office South Dublin, Business Support Fund
- South Dublin County Council, Business Support Fund booklet (PDF)
- Local Enterprise Office South Dublin, Micro Enterprise Start Up Rates Support
- Local Enterprise Office South Dublin, Start-up Rates Support 2026 application
- Local Enterprise Office South Dublin, Micro Enterprise Development Fund for Vacant Premises
- Local Enterprise Office South Dublin, Individual Unit Support
- Local Enterprise Office South Dublin, Evening Time Economy Premises Support Scheme
- Fingal LEADER Partnership, Dublin Rural LEADER: apply for funding
- Fingal LEADER Partnership, Dublin Rural LEADER: am I eligible
- Fingal LEADER Partnership, Dublin Rural LEADER: who we fund
- Fingal LEADER Partnership, contact details
- gov.ie, LEADER Local Action Groups and implementing partners 2023 to 2027
- gov.ie, Back to Work Enterprise Allowance
- Northside Partnership, enterprise development
- Northside Partnership, enterprise supports and contact numbers
- Northside Partnership, about us
- Dublin Northwest Partnership, self-employment
- Dublin Northwest Partnership, catchment and office locations
- Inner City Enterprise, about us
- Inner City Enterprise, frequently asked questions
- Inner City Enterprise, contact details
- Dublin City Community Co-op, SICAP in Dublin's inner city
- Dublin South City Partnership, enterprise and social enterprise
- Dublin South City Partnership, about us
- Dublin South City Partnership, contact details
- Liffey Partnership, start a business
- Liffey Partnership, get in touch
- Empower, self-employment
- Empower, contact details
- South Dublin County Partnership, Start Your Own Business
- Southside Partnership DLR, enterprise supports
- Southside Partnership DLR, contact details
- New Frontiers, programme locations
Checked on 3 October 2026. We are an independent guide, not a government service. Closing dates and schemes change, so confirm with the office or the council before you rely on anything here.