Enterprise Ireland Funded

Enterprise Ireland
Lean Plus

Up to €50,000 in grant funding to implement Lean process improvements — covering external coaching and staff time.

Enterprise Ireland Grant
Up to €50,000
50% of Eligible Costs
Up to 10 Staff
€50kMax Grant
€100kMax Project Cost
50%Of Eligible Costs
10Staff Covered
At a Glance

Everything You Need to Know

Ireland

Who Is It For?

  • Irish-owned businesses
  • Manufacturing / internationally traded services
  • 10+ employees
  • HPSU clients
Grant

What Is Provided?

  • Max €50,000 grant
  • Project costs up to €100,000
  • 50% of eligible costs
Team

What Is Covered?

  • Specific process improvement projects
  • External Lean coach to facilitate the project
  • Part of the salary cost for up to 10 staff members
Not covered

What Is NOT Covered?

  • General consultancy
  • Capital spend on equipment
What Is Lean Plus?

Implement Real Process
Improvements

With Lean Plus, we support you to implement new process innovations that will increase your operational effectiveness to deliver higher quality, faster and with reduced waste.

Enterprise Ireland Lean Plus can help embed a culture of continuous improvement.

After completing Lean Plus, you can continue with Operational Excellence.

LeanTeams can assist with each step of the application and delivery process.

Lean Teams for business process optimisation and efficiency.
Application Process

4 Simple Steps

LeanTeams can assist with each step — from initial scoping through to final grant claim.

1

Contact LeanTeams

We’ll discuss your needs, confirm eligibility, and scope the improvement project together.

2

Apply to Enterprise Ireland

We help you prepare the Lean Plus application and submit it to your EI Development Advisor.

3

Deliver the Programme

6–9 months of structured Lean coaching, process improvement projects, and team development.

4

Claim the Grant

Submit the completion report and claim up to €50,000 back from Enterprise Ireland.

Liam Myers, Colorman
“Lean opens your eyes when you step back and look at the process unfold from start to finish. It helps you understand the wastes and non-productive side of our business. It shows you the rewards that can be achieved and also makes everyone’s job better for the future.”
Liam Myers
Carton Manager, Colorman
Common Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Lean just for manufacturing?
Not at all. While the origins of the Lean approach are from a manufacturing study, Lean applies to any business — including services, admin, finance, logistics, and healthcare. Anywhere there’s a process, the Lean approach can help improve it.
Will Lean mean cutting jobs or downsizing?
In some ways, Lean is an unfortunate word. The approach is aimed at growing businesses and making them more competitive — not reducing headcount.
What exactly is Lean?
Lean is about understanding customer value, engaging the entire team on adding this value and eliminating waste (everything else!). Provide more value, attract more customers and grow the business (and jobs).
We’re already busy — will Lean add more work?
One Lean approach is to ‘stop and fix’. This means shifting our mindset from getting the job done, no matter what, to taking some time to stop the work and begin to fix recurring issues. These issues are generally already known to the team. Fixing issues now often frees up capacity in the future.
How long does it take to see results?
Many teams start seeing quick wins within a few weeks. With consistent effort, Lean can drive noticeable improvements in quality, speed, and teamwork in 2–3 months.
What types of problems can Lean help us solve?
Common areas include bottlenecks, delays, rework, poor communication, cluttered workspaces, inconsistent processes, or customer complaints — Lean helps identify root causes and solve them systematically.
Do we need to use Japanese terms or complex tools?
No. We call Lean “Structured Common Sense”. While Lean includes some Japanese terms like “5S” or “Kaizen,” you don’t need jargon to get results. The focus is on practical improvement using simple tools that your team can learn and apply. It is a non-academic approach.
Can our staff get involved or is this just for management?
Management must support the programme and provide direction. Lean works best when everyone is involved. In fact, frontline staff often have the best ideas for improvement — Lean encourages a culture of continuous feedback and ownership.
What’s the difference between Lean Start and Lean Plus?
Lean Start is a short project (7 days over 3 to 4 months). Lean Plus is a longer, more structured project to embed Lean thinking typically over 6 to 9 months. Both are grant-supported.
How do we get started?
You can begin with a Lean Start project — it’s 80% funded by Enterprise Ireland and gives your team a hands-on introduction. From there, you can decide if Lean Plus is the right next step.
Explore More

Related Programmes

Get Started

Ready to Explore Lean Plus?

Book a free consultation to check eligibility, scope your improvement project, and get help with the application process.

Or contact us directly: stevehalpin@leanteams.com · 087 275 5773