How to get £5,000 free digital funding

22 February, 2017

Are you an SME business owner in the Leeds City Region? You may be eligible for up to £5,000 free digital funding.

What is it?

SMEs that use digital technology in their business have a 22% higher revenue than those with little to no use of the internet. With this in mind, Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP) recently launched a scheme, to help business growth in the region, through digital technology. The Digital Enterprise support programme is aimed at small and medium sized businesses which are focusing on using digital technology to improve their performance and growth.

The programme offers two strands of support for eligible businesses:

• A digital growth voucher scheme, offering funding to eligible firms. These vouchers range from £1,000 to £5,000 and need to be matched by funding from the business too. The scheme offers funding up to 40% of the total value of an investment, with 60% funded by the applicant.
• A programme of workshops, masterclasses and mentoring to support business managers and owners. These are delivered at different venues across the Leeds City Region, and will be available from Spring 2017. These workshops will cover a range of digital topics, such a social media, cyber security, digital marketing and web development. If you’re a business owner looking to get clued up on digital marketing, social media and SEO, why not find out more about some of the masterclasses that we offer at jrc.agency?

Is my business eligible for funding?

There’s a list of different criteria that businesses need to meet to be eligible for the voucher scheme. These are some of the key points:

• Businesses must have their headquarters or main operation centre based in the Leeds City Region (Bradford, Calderdale, Craven, Harrogate, Kirklees, Leeds, Selby, Wakefield or York).
• Have fewer than 250 employees.
• Have an annual turnover below €50 million (based on last published accounts).
• Have not received funding from any national or local public sector scheme, in excess of €200,000, over the previous 3 financial years.
• Businesses must have at least 6 months trading history. A proportion of funding will be targeted at younger firms that have been trading for between 1 and 3 years.
• Applicants will be given 3 months to complete their investment, from the point of receiving approval for a voucher. After this time, Digital Enterprise reserves the right to cancel the voucher.
• Voucher applications can be for either one or for a bundle of solutions. Three written quotations will be required for each solution.

What can I use the digital voucher to invest in?

Businesses can use this funding to invest in a variety of different digital technology solutions, such as:

• Website design and development advice and strategy
• Digital consultancy
• Digital marketing campaigns advice and strategy
• New hardware
• Improved connectivity

How can I apply for funding?

As registered digital suppliers for the scheme, we’re more than happy to guide you through the process of completing and submitting your application.

Why not get in touch with us today to find out how we can help your business grow through website development, digital marketing campaigns and digital consultancy solutions.

Alternatively, feel free to call us on 01133 20 21 21.

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