Complete Guide

    AI Grants Ireland: The Complete Guide for 2026

    •15 min read•By Brian Egan
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    Brian Egan

    Brian Egan

    Founder & CEO, Deep Purple AI Consulting

    AI grants in Ireland are government-funded programmes that help businesses pay for artificial intelligence and digital transformation projects. Agencies like LEO, Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, InterTradeIreland, Invest NI, Údarás na Gaeltachta, and the WDC offer funding covering 50–80% of project costs — from free consultancy worth €2,700 to implementation grants exceeding €400,000.

    As approved providers for LEO, Enterprise Ireland, and InterTradeIreland, we've helped businesses across Ireland navigate grant funding and then delivered the AI systems those grants support. This guide brings together everything we've learned about which grants work best for different situations.

    If you're looking for AI grants in Ireland to help fund your next digital transformation project, you're in the right place.

    Across the island of Ireland, there are multiple agencies offering grants that can cover 50–80% of your project costs. The problem? Most business owners don't know which agency to approach, what they're eligible for, or where to start.

    That's why we created this guide. We've written detailed, individual guides for every major funding body — and this page brings them all together in one place. Whether you have 5 employees or 250, whether you're in Dublin, Belfast, Galway, or Donegal, there's funding available for you.

    This guide will help you

    • Understand which agency is right for your business
    • Compare grants side by side across all 7 funding bodies
    • Find the fastest path to funding for your AI or digital transformation project

    About This Guide

    Verified for 2026
    • All grants, funding levels, and eligibility criteria in this guide have been verified as of January 2026.
    • Ireland's grant landscape for AI and digital transformation remains strong heading into 2026, with most agencies maintaining or increasing their support.
    • We update this guide regularly. Last reviewed: January 2026.

    State of AI Grants in Ireland 2026

    Ireland's position as one of Europe's most generous countries for business AI funding continues into 2026. Across seven agencies, businesses can access grants covering 50-80% of AI project costs — from free consultancy assessments to six-figure implementation funding.

    What's changed heading into 2026 is not the availability of funding — it's the sophistication of what agencies expect. Two years ago, a vague "we want to explore AI" application might have been enough. Today, agencies want to see specific use cases, measurable ROI projections, and evidence that you have the right delivery partner. The bar has risen, but so has the opportunity: agencies are actively looking to fund more AI projects to meet their own digital transformation targets.

    The biggest trend we're seeing is combination strategies — businesses stacking grants from different agencies to fund their full AI journey. A typical path might start with a free LEO Digital for Business assessment, progress to an Enterprise Ireland-funded implementation, and use the R&D tax credit to recoup additional costs. When done right, a business can fund 70-80% of a significant AI transformation through public money.

    One thing hasn't changed: most Irish businesses still don't know these grants exist. Our data shows that fewer than 15% of eligible SMEs have applied for any form of digital grant. That's not a problem — it's your competitive advantage. While your competitors wait, you can be building.

    Find My Grant

    Not sure where to start? This tool will recommend the right grant agency based on your business.

    Find My Grant

    Answer a few questions to find the right funding for your business

    Step 1 of 5

    Where is your business based?

    💡 Insider Tip

    The single biggest mistake we see: businesses applying for the largest grant first. Start with a discovery grant — it's faster to approve, lower risk, and the resulting assessment report becomes the foundation for every future application. A well-structured discovery report makes your next grant application significantly stronger.

    Common Rejection Reasons Across All Agencies

    • Starting before approval: Most grants only cover future costs — work that begins before grant approval is not eligible for reimbursement
    • Vague ROI projections: "AI will improve efficiency" isn't enough — agencies want specific, measurable outcomes like "reduce order processing from 4 hours to 20 minutes"
    • Wrong agency for your company size: Applying to Enterprise Ireland when you have 5 employees, or to LEO when you have 200, wastes everyone's time
    • Routine IT upgrades framed as innovation: Buying new laptops or upgrading your CRM is not innovation — agencies fund projects that genuinely transform how you operate
    • No evidence you can deliver: Agencies want to see that you have the internal capability (or an approved external partner) to actually implement the project

    Grant Comparison Table

    A side-by-side comparison of every major AI and digital transformation funding programme available on the island of Ireland.

    LEO

    Small businesses, 1–50 employees

    Up to €150,000

    Best for: First-time applicants

    Read Guide

    Enterprise Ireland

    Irish-owned, exporting, 10+

    Up to €400,000+

    Best for: Scaling businesses

    Read Guide

    IDA Ireland

    Foreign-owned in Ireland

    Varies

    Best for: Multinationals

    Read Guide

    Údarás na Gaeltachta

    Gaeltacht regions

    Up to €150,000+

    Best for: Gaeltacht businesses

    Read Guide

    InterTradeIreland

    Cross-border

    Up to €40,000

    Best for: All-island businesses

    Read Guide

    WDC

    Western Region

    €50K–€1M

    Best for: Larger capital projects

    Read Guide

    Invest NI

    Northern Ireland

    £5,000–£45,000+

    Best for: NI-based businesses

    Read Guide

    What AI Projects Actually Get Funded?

    Agencies don't fund "AI" in the abstract — they fund specific projects that solve real business problems. Here are three types of projects that consistently get approved across multiple agencies:

    Computer Vision for Quality Control

    A manufacturing company uses cameras and AI to inspect products on the production line — catching defects that human inspectors miss, reducing waste by 15-30%, and speeding up throughput. This is one of the most commonly funded AI projects because the ROI is immediate and measurable. Eligible through: LEO (Digital for Business → Grow Digital), Enterprise Ireland (Digital Process Innovation), IDA (LeanPlus), and Údarás.

    Automated Quoting and Estimation

    A construction or professional services firm builds an AI system that generates quotes in minutes instead of hours — pulling from historical data, material costs, and project specifications. This frees senior staff from repetitive estimation work and reduces quoting errors. Eligible through: LEO (Business Expansion Grant), Enterprise Ireland (Operational Excellence), and InterTradeIreland (Innovation Boost).

    Predictive Maintenance for Equipment

    A food processing or logistics company uses sensor data and AI to predict when equipment will fail — scheduling maintenance before breakdowns happen. This reduces unplanned downtime by 20-40% and extends equipment life. Eligible through: Enterprise Ireland (R&D Fund), IDA (LeanTransform), and Údarás (Digital Process Innovation).

    💡 Notice the Pattern?

    The projects that get funded share three traits: they solve a specific, measurable business problem; they have clear before-and-after metrics; and they're achievable within 6-12 months. Start with one of these patterns and you'll be ahead of 90% of applicants.

    Which Grant Matches Your Goal?

    Instead of choosing a grant by agency, choose by what you're trying to achieve. Here's how the grants map to three stages of AI adoption:

    Your GoalBest GrantsFunding RangeTypical Timeline
    🔍 Discovery
    Find out if AI can help my business    		LEO Digital for Business (free), EI Digital Discovery (€5K), IDA LeanStart (€5K), InterTrade Business Explorer (€63K)Free – €63,0002-6 weeks approval
    🔨 Building
    Implement a specific AI solution    		LEO Business Expansion (€150K), EI Digital Process Innovation (€150K), IDA LeanPlus (€35K), InterTrade Innovation Boost (€68K), Invest NI BIG (£25K)€5,000 – €150,0004-8 weeks approval
    📈 Scaling
    Transform multiple business areas with AI    		EI R&D Fund (€400K+), IDA LeanTransform (custom), Invest NI Grant for R&D (negotiated), WDC Equity (€250K-€1M)€100,000 – €1,000,000+6-16 weeks approval

    The Funding Journey: From Discovery to Scale

    Grants typically fund different phases of a transformation journey. Here's how they map out.

    1

    Discovery & Strategy (€2,500–€5,000)

    Get expert help to assess where AI and automation can actually help your business, before committing to a larger project.

    • • LEO: Digital Start programme (free 3-day consultancy)
    • • Invest NI: Innovation Vouchers (£5,000)
    • • Enterprise Ireland: Digital Discovery (50% funded)
    2

    Implementation (€10,000–€50,000)

    Build automation systems, deploy AI tools, and integrate with your existing software.

    • • LEO: Business Expansion Grant, Innovation Voucher
    • • Enterprise Ireland: Digital Process Innovation, Agile Innovation Fund
    • • Invest NI: Business Innovation Grant (BIG)
    • • InterTradeIreland: Acumen / Co-Innovate programmes
    3

    Scaling & R&D (€50,000–€400,000+)

    For businesses ready to invest significantly in AI-driven transformation, R&D, or new product development.

    • • Enterprise Ireland: R&D Fund, Business Innovation Grant
    • • IDA Ireland: R&D grants for multinationals
    • • Invest NI: Grant for R&D, Technical Development Incentive
    • • WDC: Growth loans and equity investment

    Common Eligibility Requirements

    Most grant programmes share similar basic requirements:

    Tax compliance: You'll need a Tax Clearance Certificate

    Business registration: Must be a registered business in Ireland or Northern Ireland

    Viability: Your business must be trading and financially viable

    Co-funding: Most grants require you to fund 20–50% of the project cost yourself

    Project plan: A clear project plan describing what you want to achieve, the timeline, and expected outcomes

    Not retrospective: You generally cannot apply for funding for work already completed

    Additionality: The project must be something you wouldn't do without the grant support

    Which Guide Should You Read?

    Each agency has specific additional requirements. Here's where to start based on your business:

    How Deep Purple Can Help

    We help businesses across Ireland and Northern Ireland navigate the entire funding process — from identifying the right grant, to writing the application, to delivering the project itself.

    Grant identification

    We assess your business and tell you exactly which grants you're eligible for

    Application support

    We help prepare your project plan, costings, and application materials

    Project delivery

    We're an approved provider for LEO and Enterprise Ireland — we can be named as your implementation partner

    End-to-end

    From initial consultation through to delivered, working AI and automation systems

    Most of our clients don't pay full price

    Because we help them secure grant funding that covers 50–80% of the cost of their AI project.

    Not sure which grant is right for your business?

    Book a free 20-minute consultation and we'll point you in the right direction.

    Our Complete Grant Guides

    We've written comprehensive, standalone guides for every major funding body. Each guide covers eligibility, funding amounts, how to apply, and practical tips for success.

    18 min read
    Brian Egan

    Invest NI Grants: AI & Digital Guide

    Explore 2026 Invest NI grants for AI and digital projects. A complete guide to Innovation Vouchers, BIG, and R&D funding for Northern Ireland SMEs.

    Read More

    Coming Soon: More Funding Guides

    Skillnet Ireland Training Grants

    Funding for upskilling your team in AI and digital tools. Up to 100% funded training programmes.

    Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund (DTIF)

    Large-scale collaborative AI projects with funding of €1.5M+. For ambitious, consortium-based innovation.

    EU AI Act Compliance Funding

    As the European AI Act rolls out, new supports will emerge for businesses to achieve compliance. We'll be the first to cover them.

    Want to be notified when these guides are published? Get in touch at hello@deeppurple.ai

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Your Next Step

    Every business we work with starts with the same thing — a short conversation. We'll ask about your business, what's causing you pain, and whether AI or automation could realistically help. If there's grant funding available, we'll tell you exactly which one to go for.

    No jargon. No pressure. No obligation.

    Or email us at hello@deeppurple.ai

    Brian Egan

    About Brian Egan

    Founder & CEO, Deep Purple AI Consulting

    Brian Egan is the Founder and CEO of Deep Purple AI Consulting. With over 26 years in software and AI — from studying neural networks at Dublin City University, to building intelligent mobile systems for Vodafone, Nokia, and Hutchison 3G, to founding four technology companies that delivered machine learning, computer vision, and predictive AI solutions to real businesses — Brian has been building with AI technologies at every stage of their evolution.

    His interest in artificial intelligence began at DCU, where he studied neural networks and pattern recognition as part of his BSc in Computer Applications. As a Marie Curie Research Fellow in Germany, he worked on EU Framework projects developing intelligent systems for integrating emerging mobile technologies with enterprise software. At Cibenix (2003–2011), he spent eight years designing on-device software for Vodafone, Nokia, Hutchison 3G, Sony Ericsson, and other global operators — work that increasingly involved content personalisation, user behaviour analysis, and adaptive delivery logic.

    In 2012, Brian founded Purpledecks, a software consultancy that evolved with the AI landscape — incorporating machine learning, computer vision, data classification, predictive features, and recommendation engines into client projects years before the current generative AI wave. From Purpledecks came Hype4 (UX research including AI-powered biometric identification for government programmes), Mapall (fibre optic network intelligence with spatial analytics and route optimisation), and Reactable AI (one of Ireland's earliest production deployments of autonomous AI agents).

    An Enterprise Ireland approved consultant, LEO Digital for Business provider, and former Marie Curie Research Fellow, Brian now works directly with established businesses across Ireland and the UK, helping them identify where AI delivers genuine commercial value and guiding them from first assessment through to working system.

    Connect on LinkedIn
    #AIGrantsIreland#DigitalTransformation#EnterpriseIreland#LEOGrants#InvestNI#IDAIreland#InterTradeIreland#WDC#UdarasNaGaeltachta#SMEFunding#GovernmentGrants#AIIreland

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