Starting a Business in Dublin: Company Formation, LEO Grants and Accounting
Dublin is the capital and home to almost 1.46 million people. It is not one council area but four: Dublin City, Fingal, South Dublin and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown. Each has its own Local Enterprise Office and sets its own commercial rate, so the address you trade from decides which office you apply to and what your rates bill looks like. This page collects the county-specific facts, with sources, and shows how to register and keep the books online from anywhere in Dublin.
Local Enterprise Office Dublin
Dublin has four LEOs, one for each council area. LEO Dublin City is at the Civic Offices, Block 4, Dublin 8. LEO Fingal is at County Hall, Main Street, Swords. LEO South Dublin is at the Work IQ Innovation Centre, Belgard Square North, Tallaght, Dublin 24. LEO Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown is at County Hall, Marine Road, Dún Laoghaire. Apply to the office for the council area where your business is based.. Feasibility Grant: up to 50% of eligible costs or 15,000 euro, whichever is less, in the Southern and Eastern region, for businesses with no more than 10 employees (localgov.ie).. Priming Grant: for businesses in their first 18 months, up to 50% of the investment or 80,000 euro, whichever is less, and up to 150,000 euro for exceptional projects with export or Enterprise Ireland potential (localgov.ie).. Business Expansion Grant: after the first 18 months, up to 50% of the investment with the same 80,000 euro standard ceiling and 150,000 euro exceptional ceiling (localgov.ie).. Grow Digital Voucher: 50% of eligible digital costs from 500 euro to 5,000 euro for businesses trading at least six months with 1 to 50 employees that have completed a Digital for Business report. It replaced the Trading Online Voucher, which closed to new applications on 13 December 2024.. All four offices run the Start Your Own Business course, business advice clinics and one-to-one mentoring, and all four list the Energy Efficiency Grant, Market Explorer Grant, Green for Business, Lean for Business and Microfinance Ireland loans.. Office-specific extras: LEO Dublin City lists a Women in Business network and food, craft and creative sector programmes. LEO Fingal runs the Fingal Business Network, Fingal Enterprising Women and the Dublin Food Chain. LEO South Dublin lists a Shop Front Grant, New Frontiers and two networks, NEWS for enterprising women and SCENE for the creative economy. LEO Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown runs the Katapult programme for start-ups with global ambition, a Shop Front Improvement Scheme covering up to 50% of costs to a maximum of 3,000 euro, and an Occupation of Vacant Commercial Premises Scheme.
Register your company online from anywhere in Dublin
Company formation with staxo is fully online. Limited Company from €199 and sole trader registration from €49, ex VAT.