The Local Enterprise Office offer a variety of supports to assist the start-up, development and expansion of micro-enterprises (employing 10 or fewer employees), with priority given to the manufacturing and internationally-traded services sectors.
They also provide general business advice, promote entrepreneurship and support its development in education, in communities and within existing businesses. Their aim is to celebrate successful entrepreneurs and to grow the numbers of people starting and running their own businesses.
The forms of financial assistance, which are available, subject to certain restrictions and conditional on an agreed business plan, include the following:

• Priming Grants
  Priming Grants can cover all business costs directly attributable to starting a new business. You need to be less than 18 months in business.
  Maximum grant payable is 50% of investment or €150K whichever is lesser.
• Business Expansion Grants
  Business Expansion Grants are available to micro-enterprises to grow and develop the micro-enterprise.
  The business needs to be in existence for more than 18 months.
  Maximum grant payable is 50% of investment or €150K whichever is lesser.
• Trading online vouchers
  These have a value of €2,500 where LEO will match 50% of investment.
  They are aimed at micro-enterprises with less than 10 employees and business longer than 12 months trading.
  They are available to multi sectors.
• Feasibility/Innovation Grants
  Feasibility/Innovation Grants are available to micro-enterprises to assist with the cost of necessary pre-start up studies carried out for the purposes of assessing market interest in/demand for a proposed new product or service.
• Technical Assistance & Micro Exporters Grant
  Max grant is 50% of investment or €2,500 whichever is the lesser.
  Technical assistance will part-fund the costs that can be incurred in investigating and researching export markets. (Trade fairs, marketing materials and website development for overseas markets)

Subject to eligibility criteria, Priming and Business Expansion grants may include Salary Costs for first year of employment.
For more information please visit www.localenterprise.ie

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Enterprise Ireland’s investment in its client companies is keenly focused on export and job creation potential. EI has a broad spectrum of supports, which are focused on meeting client companies’ development needs at various stages of development.

In addition to its existing offer for Irish companies, Enterprise Ireland recently launched a series of new supports with the objective of achieving growth in exports and jobs.

• HPSU Feasibility Grant
  Used to support the development of an innovative/high potential start-up and the development of an Investor Ready Business Plan. Eligible costs include; Salaries and Overheads, Consultancy Fees, Foreign Travel and Subsistence, EI approved Business Accelerator Fees, Trade Fair costs and Prototype costs.
• Innovation Voucher
  Innovation Vouchers, worth €5,000, are available to assist early stage companies to work with a registered college or knowledge provider in Ireland and Northern Ireland to explore a business opportunity or solve a technical problem. A CRO number is required.
• New Frontiers Entrepreneur Development Programme
  New Frontiers is Ireland’s national entrepreneur development programme run in partnership with the Institutes of Technology. The programme is designed to support entrepreneurs with innovative business ideas who are planning to establish and run their own company.
  A range of supports including mentoring, incubation space and a €15,000 scholarship payment are provided to help accelerate the development of the business and to equip the promoter(s) with the skills and contacts needed to successfully start and grow a company.
• Competitive Feasibility Fund
  Open calls for applications for Competitive Feasibility funds are held by Enterprise Ireland throughout the year. The funding is designed to assist a new start-up company or individual entrepreneur to investigate the viability of a new significant growth orientated business or proposition are run throughout the year in specific regions and sectors.
• Mentor Grant
  Used to support the cost of a Mentor Assignment. Enterprise Ireland can match you with an experienced business mentor to assist you in your start-up phase or advise on specific areas of your plan.
• Competitive Start Fund (CSF)
  A €50k equity investment designed to accelerate the development of high potential start-up companies by supporting them to achieve commercial and technical milestones such as evaluating international market opportunities or building a prototype.
  The fund is open for applications several times throughout the year with special calls made for specific sectors such as digital media and aviation. In addition specific calls to support the development of female led high potential start-ups are also run under the Female Entrepreneurship initiative.
• Innovative HPSU Fund (Equity)
  The Innovative HPSU Fund allows Enterprise Ireland to offer equity investment to HPSU clients, on a co-funded basis to support the implementation of a company’s business plans. First time and follow-on equity investments in HPSUs are supported under this offer.
• Market Discovery Fund
  The aim of the Market Discovery Fund is to incentivise companies to research viable and sustainable market entry strategies in new geographic markets. It provides support towards internal and external costs incurred when researching new markets for products and services.
• Mentor Grant
  Used to support the cost of a Mentor Assignment. Enterprise Ireland can match you with an experienced business mentor to assist you in your strategy development or advise on specific areas of your plan.
• Excel at Export Selling
  Excel at Export Selling is a series of workshops aimed at rapidly embedding the proven tools of good international selling practice into the sales teams of Irish companies across all industry sectors

For more information please visit www.enterprise-ireland.com

• Employment Investment Incentive Scheme (EIIS)
  The Employment and Investment Incentive (EII) is a tax relief incentive scheme which provides for tax relief of up to 40% in respect of investments made in certain corporate trades.
  The EII scheme allows an individual investor to obtain income tax relief on investments for shares in certain companies up to a maximum of €150,000 per annum in each tax year up to 2020.
  Initially relief is allowed on thirty fortieths [30/40] of the EII investment in the year the investment is made. Potentially, this can result in a tax saving for the investor of up to 30% of the investment.
  Relief in respect of the further ten fortieths [10/40] of the EII investment will be available in the fourth year after the EII scheme investment was made providing that certain conditions are met. Potentially, this can result in a further tax saving for the investor up to 10% of the investment.
  For more information please click here
• R&D Tax Credit
  The Research and Development Tax Credit is a valuable tax-based incentive that is designed to encourage investment in R&D by companies in Ireland.
  A 25% tax credit for qualifying Research and Development expenditure exists for companies engaged in in-house qualifying research and development undertaken within the European Economic Area.
  This credit may be set against a company’s Corporation Tax liability. The first €100,000 of all qualifying R&D expenditure will benefit from the full 25% R&D tax credit from 2012.
  This is of particular benefit to SMEs. For larger R&D expenditure, the tax credit will continue to apply only to the amount by which expenditure in 2012 exceeds that incurred in the base year 2003.
  Click here for further detailed information on the R&D Tax Credit
• SURE Scheme
  Start-up Refunds for Entrepreneurs (SURE) is a tax relief incentive scheme.
  If you are interested in starting your own company, you may be entitled to an income tax refund of up to 41% of the capital that you invest under SURE.
  Depending on the size of your investment you may be entitled to a refund of income tax paid over the 6 years prior to year in which you invest
  For more information please check out www.localenterprise.ie/News-and-Events/SURE.pdf
• Three Year Corporate Tax Exemption
  The scheme provides relief from corporation tax on the trading income and certain gains of new start-up companies in the first 3 years of trading.
  There will be full relief on income and gains relating to the trade where total corporation tax liability in any of the first 3 accounting periods does not exceed €40,000.
  There will be marginal relief where the tax liability falls between €40,000 and €60,000. You can earn €320,000 tax free per year for the first 3 years.
  The relief available is now based on the amount of employers’ PRSI paid by an employer in respect of their employees.

This means that you needs to be a registered employer with employees!

• Back to Work Enterprise Allowance
  If you have been signing on for over 12 months and you would like to become self-employed, the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance (BTWEA) allows you to keep your social welfare payment for 2 years (Year 1: 100%, Year 2:75%).
  To qualify, you must be setting up a business that a Local Integrated Development Company or a Facilitator has approved in writing in advance. Click here for further detailed information on the BTWEA
• Short-Term Enterprise Allowance
  The Short-Term Enterprise Allowance (STEA) gives support to people who have lost their job and want to start their own business.
  It is paid instead of Jobseeker’s Benefit for a maximum of 1 year.
  It ends when the entitlement to Jobseeker’s Benefit ends (that is, at either 9 months or 12 months).
• Optimise
  The Optimise e-Commerce and Website Development Fund was launched in 2011 and has worked shoulder to shoulder with 90 Irish SMEs to provide tangible e-commerce offerings and improvements to their online presence.
  The vast majority of companies are not fully using the internet or online sales opportunities to drive growth in their businesses.
  Over the last six years OPTIMISE worked with 90 Irish business owners to plan, develop and implement significant web enhancements and e-commerce capabilities to their existing websites.
  For more information please visit www.iedr.ie/why-choose-ie/optimise/

• JobsPlus
  JobsPlus is an employer incentive which encourages and rewards employers who employ jobseekers on the Live Register. This incentive replaces the Revenue Job Assist and Employer Job (PRSI) Exemption Scheme from 1 July 2013.
  It is designed to encourage employers and businesses to employ people who have been out of work for long periods. Eligible employers who recruit full-time employees may apply for the incentive.
  The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection pays the incentive to the employer monthly in arrears over a 2-year period. It provides 2 levels of regular cash payments €7,500 and €10,000 depending on how long the candidate has been unemployed.
  For more information please visit www.welfare.ie
• FÁS Wage Subsidy Scheme
  The FÁS Wage Subsidy Scheme provides financial incentives to employers, outside the public sector, to employ disabled people who work more than 20 hours a week.
  A person on the Wage Subsidy Scheme is subject to the same conditions of employment as other employees. These conditions include PRSI contributions, annual leave, tax deductions and the going rate for the job.
  http://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/Wage-Subsidy-Scheme_holder_3176.aspx
• Skillnets
  Skillnets currently fund 65 training networks, supporting over 14,000 companies and 50,000 trainees across the country. Each training network funded by Skillnets is a cluster of companies from the same sector or geographical location, with similar training needs.
  Member companies actively participate in determining their own training needs and how, when and where training will be facilitated. Programmes are optimised to suit the needs of employed learners, through both formal and informal learning that spans further education and higher education provision.
  Find out more about how Skillnets can help your business. www.skillnets.ie

• MicroFinance Fund
  The Government has developed a Microfinance fund aimed at start-up, new or growing enterprises across all sectors, with no more than 10 employees. Loans of up to €25, 000 are available for commercially viable proposals that do not meet the conventional risk criteria applied by commercial banks.
  Applicants will have to demonstrate that they have been refused credit by a commercial lending institution before their application is considered. Borrowers will pay a commercial interest rate of between 6.8% (through your local LEO) or 7.8% through MFI.
  Option of mentor available if loan application successful.
  Loans are typically suited to small early-stage businesses with little track record or those that may have had some credit issues.
  http://www.microfinanceireland.ie/
• Credit Guarantee Scheme
  The Credit Guarantee Scheme facilitates €450m of additional bank lending over 3 years to viable micro, small and medium enterprises to help them obtain the working capital and investment that they need.
  The Government provides the lender with a 75% guarantee for which the borrower pays a 2% premium. Target companies are those lacking adequate security for a normal commercial loan, or where bank understanding of the specialised aspects of the business environment in which they operate is limited.
  http://sbci.gov.ie/sme-credit-guarantee-scheme-cgs
• Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland
  The SBCI was set up to offer loans to SMEs that are up to two per cent cheaper than market rates.
  For example, an SBCI five-year loan of €400,000 will cost an SME between €15,000 and €20,000 less than a typical market loan.
• Credit Review Office
  If you’re a small business, sole trader or farm owner who has had difficulty getting credit or loan facilities of up to the new €500,000 limit or you have had an unfavourable change to your existing credit terms, get in touch with the Credit Review Office for an independent review.
  The banks are required to comply with the recommendation or to give their reasons for not doing so to the Credit Review Office. The Office has overturned the Banks’ decision in 35% of cases to date.
  http://www.creditreview.ie/

A range of services and incentives, including funding and grants, are available to those considering foreign direct investment in Ireland. These are offered by IDA Ireland, Ireland’s inward investment promotion agency, to both new and existing clients.
While investment from overseas manufacturing and internationally traded services are the broad focus of IDA Ireland, the agency continues to work with investors once in Ireland to encourage and assist in expanding and developing their businesses.

FUNDING PROGRAMMES AND INCENTIVES

Funding and grants are offered to both new and existing clients. All funding is negotiated on a case by case basis in compliance with EU and Irish legislation.

• Capital & Employment
  The level and availability of support is dependent on location and size of the company.
• Training Grants
  Available across the country to develop the competitive capabilities of companies already located in Ireland.
• Research, Development & Innovation
  Companies can avail of financial incentives to carry out in-house R&D projects and collaborative projects with third-level institutes and industrial partners. There is also a 25% tax credit available for companies engaging in R&D.

SUPPORTING INNOVATION IN IRELAND INFOGRAPHIC

• Lean/Green
  This is designed to encourage clients to adopt Lean business principles to increase Performance and competitiveness that will sustain and grow its operations in Ireland.
  Support is also available to client companies to introduce good Environmental management practices through its Lean/Green business offer.
• Business Asset Grant
  IDA Ireland‘s Business Asset Grant supports client companies to replace old equipment with new or acquire new technology upgrades.
  The purpose is to help clients increase their capacity and capability to deliver to new and existing markets
• International Marketing Programme
  Assistance with international marketing expertise
• Mentor Programme
  Mentors in our network can provide tailored advice, guidance and support, to help you accelerate growth and build management capability.
• Succeed in Ireland
  The aim of the Succeed in Ireland initiative is to complement the work of IDA Ireland, by rewarding the global population, whether they are Diaspora or anyone else with connections to Ireland, to introduce potential foreign investors to the idea of investing in Ireland.
  Through an online referral network, introductions can be made that will lead to new jobs in Ireland and as a result the person that makes the introduction (connectors) will be financially rewarded after a period of time of the jobs coming to fruition.
  The reward runs from €1,500 to €3,000 per sustainable job depending on the value of the Connection and the timeframe in which the project will come to fruition.

For more information on all of the above please visit www.idaireland.com

The Ireland Strategic Investment Fund, managed and controlled by the National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA), is an €8.0 billion sovereign development fund with a unique mandate.
It has a statutory mandate to invest on a commercial basis in a manner designed to support economic activity and employment in Ireland. The fund’s predecessor was the National Pensions Reserve Fund (NPRF).
With €8 billion available to deploy, the Fund differs from other pools of capital in a number of key respects. It has a long investment time horizon and therefore can act as a permanent or patient source of long-term capital. It has flexibility up and down the capital structure and can therefore meet changing capital needs and gaps in the marketplace.
For more information please visit www.isif.ie

Bord Bia

• Step Change Programme
  Step Change Programme €400,000 fund for small food, drink and horticulture businesses. The grant scheme is aimed at companies, with a turnover between €100,000 and €5 million, embarking on a new project to take their business to the next level. In 2015, Bord Bia expects the ‘Step Change Programme’ will benefit at least eight high potential Irish businesses with individual grants of up to €50,000.
• Marketing Assistance Programme
  Marketing Assistance Programme financial programme provided 186 companies with a total of €976,000 in marketing grant aid in 2014

Teagasc

Teagasc is the agriculture and food development authority in Ireland. Its mission is to support science-based innovation in the agri-food sector and the broader bio-economy that will underpin profitability, competitiveness and sustainability.
Various grant aid is available at www.teagasc.ie .

Bord Iascaigh Mhara

BIM’s mission is to grow a thriving Irish seafood industry; expand the raw material base, add value and develop efficient supply chains that together deliver on the Government’s Food Harvest 2020 targets for seafood and create sustainable jobs.

We help to develop the Irish seafood industry by providing: technical expertise, business support, funding, training and by promoting responsible environmental practices. BIM has 20 schemes aiding Irish seafood industry.
For more information please visit http://www.bim.ie/schemes/

Foodworks Ireland

Bord Bia, Enterprise Ireland and Teagasc are working together to find and foster a new group of entrepreneurs. We’ve pooled our resources to make sure we support you and your vision in the most efficient way possible.
Please visit www.foodworksireland.ie

Fáilte Ireland

Festivals and events have been identified as being an important component of the Irish tourism product offering. Festivals provide opportunities to showcase culture, people and places, thereby greatly improving the visitor experience of Ireland.
They also help improve the distribution of tourism revenue around the country. Consequently, Fáilte Ireland provides considerable support to festivals, investing approximately €4million in 210 festivals and events in 2014
Please visit www.failteireland.ie for more information

Shannon Development is the state agency responsible for supporting the development of manufacturing and internationally traded services companies located/locating in the Shannon Free Zone.
Shannon Development provides funding and supports for companies – from entrepreneurs with plans for a high potential start-up through to large companies expanding their activities, improving efficiency and growing export sales.
For more information please visit www.shannongroup.ie

SEAI provide information in their Business Support Centre on how saving energy can help cut your business costs as well as details on resources and financial assistance available to help companies make savings.
These include a list of ‘Top Ten Quick Wins’ which outline simple changes that can be made immediately to start saving money based on your type of business and the equipment you use.

• Accelerated Capital Allowance
  The Accelerated Capital Allowance (ACA) is a tax incentive for companies paying corporation tax and aims to encourage investment in energy efficient equipment.
  The ACA offers an attractive incentive whereby it allows companies to write off 100% of the purchase value of qualifying energy efficient equipment against their profit in the year of purchase. The ACA has been expanded by 20 new technologies.
  SEAI also provides a range of other grants and incentives for businesses, details of which are available from www.seai.ie
• Developing a Green Enterprise
  In conjunction with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland, the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland has compiled a guide for business on green enterprise supports: ‘Developing a Green Enterprise’. The guide provides information on where businesses can go for State agency assistance and support in relation to water conservation, waste prevention, energy efficiency and clean technology.

InterTradeIreland is a Cross-Border Trade and Business Development Body funded by the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation in Ireland (DBEI) and the Department for the Economy in Northern Ireland.
We support businesses, through innovation and trade initiatives to take advantage of North/South co-operative opportunities to improve capability, drive competitiveness, growth and jobs.

• Acumen
  Acumen Provides funding of up to £15,000/€18,750 to help you source the right expertise and people to target new markets effectively and increase your cross-border sales.
• FUSION
  FUSION Facilitates technology transfer and provides financial support for the specialist skills your business needs. Funding is available up to £31,000/€37,000 for 12 month projects and up to £44,250/€52,800 for 18 month projects.
• Elevate
  Elevate Supports Micro businesses by providing up to £5,000/€6,000 consultancy expertise to help you create winning cross-border sales development plans.
• Help To Raise Finance
  Are you an established business looking for alternative means of Growth Finance, or a high potential start up or early stage company looking for Seed Funding, Business Angel Investment or Venture Capital funding to help you grow and to become more investor ready?
  We can help you by assisting you with the required knowledge and skills to secure other key sources of finance to grow your business.
• Early Stage Funding
  Funding for Early Stage Companies Assisting Start ups and Early Stage companies seeking to raise Venture Capital to grow successfully.
• Funding for Growth
  Funding for Growth Advisory Service Expert advice for established businesses seeking both traditional and alternative funding sources to grow.
• Seedcorn
  Seedcorn With a total prize pot of €280,000, Seedcorn helps New Start and Early Stage companies to become investor-ready.
• Business Angel Funding
  Providing businesses with access to the key Angel Investors and Syndicates across the island.

For more information please visit www.intertradeireland.com

Established in 1980, Údarás na Gaeltachta is the regional authority responsible for the economic, social and cultural development of the Gaeltacht.
The overall objective of Údarás na Gaeltachta is to ensure that Irish remains the main communal language of the Gaeltacht and is passed on to future generations.
The authority endeavours to achieve that objective by funding and fostering a wide range of enterprise development and job creation initiatives and by supporting strategic language, cultural and community based activities.
Údarás can provide a range of financial incentives in the form of grant assistance to assist your varied business needs. Support incentives include:

• Feasibility Study Grant
• Research and Development Grant
• Capital Grant
• Employment Grant
• Training Grant
• Commercial Aquaculture Development Scheme
• Equity Investment
• Consultancy Services Grant
• Development of Market Research Skills
• Trade Fair Participation Scheme
• Innovation Voucher Initiative

(HBAN) Halo Business Angel Network

Halo Business Angel Network is an all-island umbrella group responsible for the development of business angel syndicates on the island of Ireland. HBAN is actively working to increase the number of angel investors who are interested in investing in early stage technology, MedTech, AgriTech & food companies and supporting the early stage entrepreneurial community.
In 2016 HBAN business angels, across the island invested €13.5m into 50 companies. This direct angel investment leveraged a further €20.58M of additional public & private funds into these companies from organisations such as Enterprise Ireland, venture capital companies and founders. These numbers have risen steadily from 2011 when HBAN helped 29 companies raise €12m of which €6m came from angel investors.

The Irish Investment Network

The Irish Investment Network connects entrepreneurs based in Ireland with Angel Investors both locally and internationally. Find an investor for your business, or find potential investment opportunities within our database of business proposals.

• Register
  Sign up now to connect with investors and get funded. We have 163,073 angel investors worldwide with more joining every day.
• Create a Pitch
  Add a pitch for your business using our tried-and-tested template. The on-screen instructions will guide you through the steps. We’ve also got some great resources to help if you get stuck.
• Publish your Pitch
  When your pitch has been approved, it will be listed on the site for prospective investors to browse and evaluate. You can have your pitch emailed to investors and even send personalized messages to individuals.
• Connect with Investors
  If an investor likes your pitch, you will receive an email asking to connect. You’ll then gain access to their contact details to continue discussions, schedule calls, fix meetings and close investment!
• Complete your Fundraise
  You can accept funds from investors at any time – you do not have to reach any funding target. Investors transfer to you directly so there is no commission fee from us.
  For more information go to www.irishinvestmentnetwork.ie

DUBLIN BUSINESS INNOVATION CENTRE:

• AIB Seed Capital Fund:
  The Dublin BIC managed AIB Seed Capital Fund is actively seeking entrepreneurs in tech companies at the seed or early stage. The Fund will invest €100k to €1.5 million in selected viable start-up enterprises.
  Contact: www.aibseedcapitalfund.ie
• LUCEY FUND:
  Brainchild of Ian Lucey plans to invest up to €4m in 30-40 tech startups in 2015. The fund has invested in companies such as MedxNote, a mobile messaging app for doctors and Mart365 allowing real time prices on livestock and crops for farmers.
  The fund was also an early investor in fashion-tech startup Von Bismark, which went to raise €600K in subsequent rounds.
  Contact: http://luceytechnology.com/
• Halo NI
  Halo is the Northern Ireland Business angel network, a joint initiative between Invest NI and InterTradeIreland that works closely with HBAN. The Halo programme provides a matching service between companies seeking investors and business angels. Since 2009, over £11m of private money has been invested in companies with the figure rising to £24m if leveraged investment is included.
  There are over 150 angels and partner investors within the Halo NI. Under the overall umbrella of Halo, a number of angel groups/syndicates have been developed which greatly improve the investment process.
  For more information visit the Invest NI website www.investni.com and contact Grainne Lennon or Annesley Harrison. You can also follow @HaloNIAngels

Crowdfunding is the practice of funding a project or venture by raising money from a large number of people who each contribute a relatively small amount, typically via the Internet.

ICROWDFUND:
An Irish crowdfunding company from the same people that developed iDonate, iFundraise and iRegister.
Rate: 4% commission
www.icrowdfund.ie

FUNDIT:
Fund it is an all-island crowdfunding website for Ireland’s creative projects, giving everyone the power to help good ideas happen. Fund it is based in Ireland, run by Business to Arts, a not-for-profit organisation working to support resilience and transformation in the cultural sector through research, innovation and partnership.
Fund it is designed to support greater individual giving to the creative sector and facilitate pre-sales of creative projects. Crowdfunding serves to strengthen the bond between a creator and their audience which offers the potential for wider-ranging, long-term relationships.
Fund it is based and provides employment in Ireland and has local experts in fundraising and the cultural and creative industries who will work with you to make your project ready for go-live
Fund it is non-profit and so charges a basic fee of 5% to support the running of the site, and 3% to cover the transaction and other costs for processing your pledges. We charge no extra costs per pledge, and no charges are made unless a project reaches its funding targets within the allotted campaign time.
www.fundit.ie

LINKED FINANCE:
Linked Finance offer Irish SME’s a new viable alternative to borrowing from the banks. Real people lend small amounts to great Irish businesses at very attractive interest rates.
Linked Finance is Ireland’s largest lending platform. To date our 16,000+ registered lenders have lent over €32m to support 1,000+ great Irish businesses across every county in Ireland. The process is simple, transparent and efficient!
We allow our lenders to make a difference to Irish businesses and earn better interest rates while businesses are free to keep their focus where it should be: ­on growing their business
www.linkedfinance.com

KICKSTARTER:
Kickstarter helps artists, musicians, filmmakers, designers, and other creators find the resources and support they need to make their ideas a reality. To date, tens of thousands of creative projects — big and small — have come to life with the support of the Kickstarter community.
Having funded over 77,000 creative projects since 2009 Kickstarter are a big global player in crowdfunding.
www.kickstarter.com/ireland

INDIEGOGO:
Indiegogo are another big player in international crowdfunding.
Rate: 9% but they refund you 5% if your project goes ahead.
www.indiegogo.com/