David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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91. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment how his Department assists small businesses to boost productivity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43533/24]

Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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My Department, through the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs), provides supports to small businesses to enhance their productivity and improve their competitiveness, as well as assisting businesses in addressing the challenges of doing business. The LEOs' range of competitiveness and productivity supports are designed to help businesses address some of their most challenging issues – namely saving time, money and energy.

As part of the implementation of the LEO Policy Statement, the eligibility criteria and allowable expenditure of these supports has been reviewed and streamlined so that small businesses, in almost all sectors are eligible for productivity and competitiveness funding.

Under the Energy Efficiency Grant, a small business can get funding for a number of practical measures to help reduce their long-term energy costs including upgrading to LED lighting, replacing heat pumps, and upgrading refrigeration units, ovens and dishwashers. The grant amount available under the EEG has been increased up to a maximum of €10,000, with a 75% contribution rate from Government.

The Green for Business programme provides free consultancy that helps a business identify the practical steps they can take to become more energy efficient and sustainable and is a prerequisite of any Energy Efficiency Grant application.

The Digital for Business programme has been opened up to businesses with up to 50 employees across all sectors. This programme provides small businesses with free consultancy from a digital expert to help small businesses prepare and implement a plan for the adoption of digital tools and techniques across the business.

Under the Grow Digital Voucher, funding of up to €5,000 is available to small businesses with up to 50 employees to cover a wider range of digital interventions to support businesses on their digitalisation journey, including e-commerce software, e-invoicing software, cyber security software, as well as analytics software including Artificial Intelligence systems.

There is also a wide range of high-quality business and management development programmes that are tailored to meet specific business requirements available to business owners through their LEO, all of which seek to assist small businesses across the country in identifying the potential to increase their productivity and become more sustainable enterprises.