How Tipperary County Council's Local Enterprise Office Kept Grant Services Running Through COVID-19

When COVID-19 lockdown restrictions hit in 2020, Tipperary County Council's Local Enterprise Office moved its grant applications from paper to Submit.com within weeks. Grant applications rose 34% year on year, and Trading Online Voucher applications jumped from 40 to 419, according to an independent report from the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA).

Most case studies about local authority digital transformation come from the software vendor. This one does not. It is drawn from Local Government Services: Awareness, Engagement and Sentiment, a 2022 research report published by the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA), the state agency that supports Ireland's 31 local authorities. Case Study 7 in that report documents how Tipperary County Council's Local Enterprise Office (LEO) kept its business support and grant programmes running through the COVID-19 lockdown, using Submit.com to move applications online. Source: LGMA (2022), Local Government Services: Awareness, Engagement and Sentiment, p.67 to 68. Read the full LGMA report (PDF).

What challenge did Tipperary LEO face during COVID-19?

The LEO's main challenge was continuity: keeping business support and grant services running when face-to-face engagement with clients was restricted. The LGMA report lists the specific pressures the team faced, including changing how they engaged with clients, supporting sectors outside the LEO's usual remit such as retail, local services and tourism, coping with an increased workload from a variety of new emergency grants, and finding efficient platforms to manage it all. Some staff also split their time between LEO work and local COVID-19 community response teams, which stretched an already small unit further.

The impact was practical and immediate. Internal payments took longer with fewer staff available to process them. External clients experienced longer turnaround times on applications. Communication networks did not work properly at first, and collaboration with other organisations and committees was reduced.

How did the Local Enterprise Office adapt its grant process?

The LEO team brainstormed feasible solutions and moved quickly on the ones that could be adapted. According to the report, this included investing in laptops and other hardware for remote staff, rolling out Zoom for client meetings and training, and developing an online grant application portal. Staff received training to work remotely, procedures were updated to reflect new data protection considerations, and health and safety guidance was introduced for home working.

For the grant and mentor application process specifically, the LEO had already evaluated Submit.com before the pandemic, having reviewed its cost and implementation timelines. When the lockdown created an urgent need for digital transformation, the team adopted the platform to collect, manage and evaluate grant applications online rather than on paper. Staff were trained remotely, and the LEO held its first fully online evaluation committee (EVAC) meeting in April 2020.

What results did going digital produce?

The LGMA report describes the outcome as effective. All application information was held in one central location with restricted access, and workflow was managed more consistently than under the previous paper-based system. In 2020, Tipperary LEO received 59 grant applications, a 34% increase on 2019 figures. The rise was even sharper for Trading Online Voucher (TOV) applications, which grew from 40 in 2019 to 419 in 2020, a change the report attributes directly to moving the application process online.

Having proved the model under pressure, Tipperary LEO extended the same online approach to other business support initiatives, including the Christmas Retail Support Scheme 2021 and the Commercial Vacancy Incentive Scheme.

What limitations did the report flag?

The LGMA report is candid about the limits of the shift, which is worth including here rather than glossing over. It notes questions about sustainability given limited team resources, and states that face-to-face interaction remains important, particularly for building an initial relationship with a new client, something online engagement does not fully replace. Client feedback gathered in the final quarter of 2021 also suggested some fatigue with video calls, with businesses keen to focus on their own development and sustainability rather than more online training sessions.

What can other councils and Local Enterprise Offices take from this?

The LGMA report's own conclusion is that a flexible LEO team, supported by the right systems, can adapt quickly when a crisis forces change. Three practical lessons stand out for other local authorities and Local Enterprise Offices considering the same move.

First, evaluating a digital platform before a crisis hits, as Tipperary LEO had already started to do, shortens the time it takes to respond when one arrives. Second, a centralised system with restricted access gives a defensible audit trail, which matters for public bodies handling public money and reporting to central government. Third, digital tools work best alongside continued relationship-building rather than as a full replacement for it, particularly for new or vulnerable clients.

Tipperary LEO is one of several Local Enterprise Offices in Ireland using Submit.com for grant management. Related reading: Cork City LEO's move from paper to digital, South Cork LEO's mentoring workflow, and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown LEO's evaluation committee process. For the full picture of how the platform supports public bodies, see our grant management software for government and local authorities.

Frequently asked questions

What was the COVID-19 challenge for Tipperary County Council's Local Enterprise Office?

The LEO needed to maintain continuity of business support and grant services when the COVID-19 lockdown restricted face-to-face engagement, while also managing an increased workload from new emergency grant schemes and reduced staff availability, according to the LGMA report.

How many grant applications did Tipperary LEO process after moving online?

In 2020, Tipperary LEO received 59 grant applications, a 34% increase on 2019 figures, according to the LGMA report.

How much did Trading Online Voucher applications increase?

Trading Online Voucher applications rose from 40 in 2019 to 419 in 2020 after the LEO moved its application process online with Submit.com, according to the LGMA report.

Is this case study independently verified?

Yes. It is documented in a 2022 research report published by the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA), Ireland's state agency supporting local authorities, rather than in Submit.com's own marketing material.

Can other councils get similar results with Submit.com?

Results vary by organisation, programme and starting point. Submit.com is designed to let local authorities and other public bodies move grant, permit and business support programmes online without heavy IT work, but the LGMA report itself notes that digital tools work best alongside, not instead of, direct relationship-building with clients.

This case study is based on an independent report by the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA), not on Submit.com's own reporting.