To get 10,000 Irish businesses online for the first time and to get a further 2,000 Irish SMEs trading online over a period of two years, the Government will introduce a “trade-online” voucher scheme as part of the National Digital Strategy.

At present tens of thousands of companies in Ireland do not trade online, with statistics showing just 23 per cent of small companies are engaged in ecommerce sales. These companies are potentially losing valuable opportunities including larger markets, increased revenue and better market intelligence.

The vouchers, which will be capped at €2,500, will be available to small businesses wishing to develop a website or their online trading presence, or to engage in ebanking.

The business owner will need to match the voucher amount received.

The strategy will also involve a “Winning with Web” awareness scheme to highlight the benefits of trading online.