Lean Business Continuity Voucher

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Irish government emergency support scheme providing subsidized access to lean manufacturing and business continuity consultancy services to help small and medium enterprises adapt operations and maintain resilience during the COVID-19 pande
What are the main aims and objectives?

The Lean Business Continuity Voucher aims to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and economic disruption by providing subsidized access to expert consultancy services in lean manufacturing, business continuity planning, and operational efficiency. The program was designed to help businesses continue operations despite pandemic-related challenges by enabling them to optimize processes, reduce waste, improve supply chain resilience, and develop contingency plans for future disruptions. Specific objectives include providing affordable access to lean and business continuity consulting services that would otherwise be financially inaccessible to resource-constrained SMEs, enabling businesses to maintain continuity of operations through the pandemic and subsequent recovery periods, supporting operational improvements that enhance competitiveness and long-term viability, reducing the financial burden on businesses by subsidizing a portion of consulting costs, and facilitating business preservation and job retention across the Irish economy during crisis. The program reflects the Irish government's commitment to providing targeted, practical support to SMEs during the pandemic, complementing broader emergency financial assistance programs by addressing operational and strategic challenges beyond simple financial liquidity.

How does the program work?

The Lean Business Continuity Voucher is available to eligible companies to access up to €2,500 in training or advisory services support related to the continued operation of their businesses during the current pandemic. The voucher operates through a voucher-based subsidy mechanism providing partial financial support for consultancy services, administered through Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs) across Ireland.​

There is a limit of one voucher per company in general, although Enterprise Ireland may offer further vouchers where a company has more than one distinct operation (to a maximum of 3).

Voucher Structure and Subsidy Model:

The program provides vouchers to eligible SMEs that can be redeemed with approved consultancy providers for lean and business continuity services. The voucher structure subsidizes a portion of consulting costs, requiring participating businesses to contribute some percentage of costs themselves, thereby ensuring shared financial commitment and preventing overreliance on subsidies.​

Eligible Services:

Services covered by the voucher include lean manufacturing and process optimization consultancy aimed at reducing waste, improving operational efficiency, and enhancing productivity; business continuity planning services helping businesses develop contingency plans, identify critical functions, and ensure resilience to future disruptions; operational efficiency assessments identifying improvement opportunities across business functions; supply chain optimization consultancy addressing pandemic-related supply chain vulnerabilities; and employee safety and health protocols adaptation consultancy.​

Application and Access Process:

SMEs apply for vouchers through their local Local Enterprise Office, which manages program administration and eligibility assessment in their geographic area. Applications are evaluated based on business viability, demonstrated need for consultancy support, and alignment with program objectives. Upon approval, businesses receive a voucher that can be redeemed with approved consulting providers who have qualified to deliver services under the program.​

Approved Provider Network:

The program operates through a network of approved consultancy providers who have been vetted and registered to deliver lean and business continuity services under the voucher scheme. Providers must meet defined qualifications and service standards to participate, ensuring quality and appropriateness of services.​

Financial Structure:

The voucher covers a portion of consulting costs, with participating businesses required to contribute the remainder from their own resources. This cost-sharing model promotes business commitment to implementing recommendations and prevents program costs from escalating unboundedly.​

Service Delivery:

Consultancy services are delivered on-site at participating businesses, with consultants working with business management and staff to assess operations, identify improvement opportunities, develop plans, and support implementation. Services typically span multiple visits over several weeks, enabling iterative improvement and ongoing support.

What is the overall cost?

No information available.

How was it implemented?

The Lean Business Continuity Voucher was introduced as part of the Irish government's emergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic beginning in March 2020. As businesses faced unprecedented operational disruptions from lockdowns and supply chain disruptions, the government rapidly developed business support programs beyond emergency financial assistance.​

The program was officially launched through Local Enterprise Offices beginning approximately March 26, 2020, according to available documentation mentioning "New Business Continuity Voucher goes live through Local Enterprise Offices." The rapid timeframe reflected the urgent need for business support during the pandemic crisis.​

Rather than creating new administrative structures, the Irish government deployed the program through the existing network of Local Enterprise Offices already operating across the country. LEOs had established relationships with SMEs, existing business support systems, and regional business knowledge that could be quickly leveraged for the new voucher scheme.​

Enterprise Ireland worked with Local Enterprise Offices to coordinate program implementation, set service standards for approved consultancy providers, and manage program administration. This partnership leveraged both national-level (Enterprise Ireland) and local-level (LEOs) capacity.​

The government worked with consultancy providers, lean specialists, and business continuity consultants to establish a network of approved providers qualified to deliver services under the voucher scheme. Accreditation ensured quality and appropriateness of services delivered to participating businesses.​

The program was introduced as an emergency measure in March 2020 and subsequently extended through 2020-2021 as the pandemic continued longer than initially anticipated. Extensions reflected sustained business need for continuity support during prolonged economic disruption.​

The Lean Business Continuity Voucher was positioned as one element of comprehensive government COVID-19 business support, complementing emergency financial assistance, wage subsidies, and other targeted support programs.

What impact has been measured?

No information available.

What lessons can be learned?
  • Rapid deployment prioritized over documented outcomes: The program was deployed within weeks of the pandemic onset to address urgent business needs, but this speed came at the cost of comprehensive outcome measurement infrastructure, making it difficult to assess impact or inform future program design.​
  • Limited public transparency on participation and results: The absence of published data on voucher numbers issued, businesses served, or implementation outcomes constrains public accountability and prevents other policymakers or programs from learning from documented experience.​
  • Leveraging existing infrastructure accelerated implementation: Using existing Local Enterprise Offices rather than creating new administrative structures enabled rapid deployment and reduced overhead, demonstrating the value of established networks during emergency response.​
  • Cost-sharing model encouraged business commitment: By requiring businesses to contribute a portion of consulting costs rather than fully subsidizing services, the program likely increased the likelihood that recommendations would be seriously considered and implemented, compared to fully free services where business commitment might be minimal.​
  • Partnership between national and local government enhanced reach: Coordination between Enterprise Ireland (national) and Local Enterprise Offices (local) combined centralized expertise with local business relationships, enabling effective program delivery at scale.​
  • Potential for voucher-based programs in future crises: The program demonstrates that voucher-based support mechanisms can enable rapid business access to professional consulting services during crises when businesses face operational challenges and need expert guidance.​
  • Emergency programs benefit from built-in evaluation frameworks: The absence of systematic outcome evaluation suggests that future emergency programs should include evaluation infrastructure from inception to capture learning and enable evidence-based refinement.​
  • Program flexibility to address evolving needs: The program's ability to be extended and modified as the pandemic evolved suggests that emergency support programs benefit from flexibility to adapt as circumstances change and new business needs emerge.​
  • Limited evidence on effectiveness relative to alternative support mechanisms: Without comparative analysis of outcomes for businesses that received voucher support versus those that did not, or versus other forms of business support, the program's relative effectiveness cannot be determined.​
  • Scalability questions for future deployment: The program's success during COVID-19 raises questions about whether similar voucher-based consulting support programs could address other business challenges (post-crisis recovery, digital transformation, green transition), suggesting potential for program replication in different contexts.​
Notes + Additional Context

Many and varied government support mechanisms are being announced on an almost daily basis, and are listed on a central information hub. All support systems are being coordinated at national level via the various government departments.  

  • The Credit Guarantee Scheme supports loans up to €1 million for periods of up to 7 years. Applications can be made to AIB, Bank of Ireland and Ulster Bank. Eligibility criteria apply.
  • The new €450m SBCI COVID-19 Working Capital Scheme for eligible businesses supports loans from €25,000 up to €1.5 million (first €500,000 unsecured) with a maximum interest rate of 4%. Applications can be made through the SBCI website at sbci.gov.ie. Eligibility criteria apply.
  • An additional €200 million in COVID-19 funding for the Future Growth Loan Scheme, which will be released in tranches, will provide longer-term loans to COVID-19 impacted businesses.
  • The new Sustaining Enterprise Fund of up to €180 million is specifically aimed at firms with 10 or more employees impacted by COVID-19 that are vulnerable but viable. The fund is operated by Enterprise Ireland, providing repayable advances of up to €800,000 as agreed with the EU under new State Aid rules.
  • The government has announced a National COVID-19 Income Support Scheme. This provides financial support to Irish workers and businesses affected by the crisis.
    • COVID-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme: The COVID-19 Wage Subsidy Scheme enables employees, whose employers are affected by the pandemic, to receive significant supports directly from their employer through the payroll system. The scheme is operated by Revenue and is expected to last 12 weeks from 26 March 2020.
    • Pandemic Unemployment Payment: The COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment is a payment of €350 per week. It is available to all employees and the self-employed who have lost their job due to the COVID-19 pandemic. MyWelfare.ie is the quickest and easiest way to apply for payments - all you need is your email address, PPSN and bank account details.
  • Short-time Work Support: Employees of businesses that need to reduce hours or days worked can avail of the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection Short-time Work Support.
  • General grant supports: The full range of Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, Local Enterprise Office and Údarás na Gaeltachta grant supports continue to be available to eligible firms to help with strategies to access finance, commence or ramp-up online trading activity, reconfigure business models, cut costs, innovate, diversify markets and supply chains and to improve competitiveness.
  • Business Continuity Voucher: The Local Enterprise Office Business Continuity Voucher is designed for businesses across every sector that employ up to 50 people. The voucher is worth up to €2,500 in third party consultancy costs and can be used by companies and sole traders to develop short-term and long-term strategies to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic.
  • Trading Online Voucher: The Local Enterprise Office Trading Online Voucher is a government grant scheme, designed to assist small businesses with up to 10 employees. It offers financial assistance of up to €2,500 along with training and advice to help your business trade online. Businesses that have already received a Trading Online Voucher can now apply for a second voucher, where upgrades are required.
  • Training and Mentoring: The Local Enterprise Offices have moved training programmes, workshops and networking meet-ups online, covering areas such as cash management in a crisis, leading your business through COVID-19 and advice for employers impacted by the crisis. To find out more telephone or email your Local Enterprise Office.
  • COVID-19 Online Retail Scheme: A new COVID-19 Online Retail Scheme will be administered by Enterprise Ireland and will be open to retailers employing over 10 people. The total fund size will be up to €2 million under this competitive call. The objective of the Scheme is to support companies in the indigenous retail sector with a pre-existing online presence to respond to both the domestic and international consumer demand for a competitive online offer. Grants ranging from €10,000 to €40,000 will be awarded under the competitive scheme.
  • COVID-19 Business Financial Planning Grant: The COVID-19 Business Financial Planning Grant, worth up to €5,000, is designed to help companies to develop a robust financial plan, including the preparation of documentation required to support applications for external finance from banks and/or other finance providers. The grant is a new support for Enterprise Ireland clients and those manufacturing or internationally traded services companies that employ 10 or more full time employees.

CURATED BY

Siobhan Finn

CEO
Community Enterprise Association Ireland
Ireland