Digitalisation grants for small businesses in 2026: what's really available in Ireland and Spain
Published on 3 min read
Looking for funding to digitalise a business is frustrating: half the pages online describe schemes that have already closed, and the other half promise grants without saying whether you can apply today. This guide separates what's open from what isn't, as of October 2026, for SMEs in Ireland and Spain.
One honest warning first: funding calls change at short notice. Before making a decision, check the status with the official source we point to in each case. And if a scheme is closed, at the end we explain what to do in the meantime, because waiting without preparing is the worst option.
Ireland: the Grow Digital Voucher
If your business operates in Ireland, the most relevant scheme right now is the Grow Digital Voucher from the Local Enterprise Offices (LEO), which replaced the old Trading Online Voucher. It covers 50% of the cost of a digitalisation project, with grant support between €500 and €5,000. That €5,000 is a lifetime cap: you can split it across up to two projects, but together they can't exceed that amount of grant.
It covers software, training and system configuration: exactly the kind of project a small business needs when it wants a CRM, an online booking system or automated WhatsApp replies.
The main requirements: between 1 and 50 employees, trading for at least 6 months, located in a LEO area, solvent, and not a client of Enterprise Ireland or IDA. There's a mandatory first step many people discover too late: before applying for the voucher you must complete a 'Digital for Business' project with your LEO, a subsidised consultancy that assesses your digital readiness. Start there: you apply on your Local Enterprise Office website (localenterprise.ie).
Spain: the real status of Kit Digital
Kit Digital has been Spain's biggest SME digitalisation programme, with vouchers that paid for websites, CRMs, marketplaces or cybersecurity depending on company size. The situation today: there is no open call for new applicants. The last calls closed in stages, with the final deadline on 31 October 2025.
Is it dead? Not entirely. Order TDF/39/2026, published in January 2026, extended the programme until funds run out and instructed Red.es to reinvest unused funds, which leaves the door open to new calls with the money left over. But as of today there's no date, no amounts and no defined segments.
The official source to watch is acelerapyme.gob.es. Be wary of anyone who tells you today that they'll 'get you Kit Digital': nobody can process a grant without an open call.
Spain: Kit Consulting and regional funding
Kit Consulting paid for strategic advice (including AI strategy) with vouchers of €12,000 to €24,000 at no cost to the business. Its only call closed on 31 March 2025. As with Kit Digital, the 2026 legal framework allows new calls if funds remain, but none is open right now.
What does stay active all year are the regional schemes: agencies such as ACCIÓ in Catalonia, IVACE in the Valencian Community or the Community of Madrid publish their own digitalisation and innovation calls on calendars that differ from the national ones. Each has its own requirements and amounts, so the practical approach is to check your regional development agency's website a couple of times a year or subscribe to its newsletter.
What to do while a scheme is closed
Calls funded by EU money tend to run out fast and ask for paperwork you can't put together in two days. If you wait until a call opens to start, you're already late. What you can prepare today: a diagnosis of which processes eat the most time and which system would fix them, a firm quote for that project, and your company paperwork up to date (tax and social security compliance certificates in Spain, accounts in order in Ireland).
And one point we make to every client: if an automation saves you thousands a year, it usually pays off even without a grant. Funding speeds things up; it shouldn't be the reason for the project. If you'd like to see the numbers for your case, ask for our free digital audit and we'll tell you, with or without a grant.