Are you a small to medium sized business? Are you based in the Leeds city region? If so, did you know that there are plenty of funding opportunities that you could be eligible for?
Digital marketing activity is something that every single company should be doing, but what do you do when you just can’t find the budget? If you’re eligible for funding, then why not use it to grow your business, and put it towards a digital investment. It will be worth it!
We’ve explained some of the available funding schemes, for businesses in the Leeds city region that you might be eligible for, to help you find which is right for you.
Business Grant Scheme by Ad:Venture
Business Grant Scheme by Ad:Venture
Eligibility Criteria:
To qualify for the grant businesses must:
• Be located in and trade from within the Leeds City Region (covering the local authority districts of Bradford, Calderdale, Craven, Harrogate, Kirklees, Leeds, Selby, Wakefield and York (but excludes Barnsley in this case as it falls within Sheffield City Region for the purpose of EU Structural Investment Funds.)
• Have fewer than 250 employees (full time equivalents).
• Have an annual turnover of less than £43 million.
• Have a focus on B2B.
• Have not received State Aid (funding from any national or local public-sector scheme) in excess of €200,000 over the previous 3 financial years.
• Have a business bank account.
• Have 100% of all start-up costs and have the ability to cash-flow these costs. This is because the grant is claimed by the business after the project money is spent.
• Provide a business plan, cash-flow forecast and end of year accounts or similar (if applicable), to show that the business is viable and has growth potential.
• Clearly explain the benefits and the needs for the grant support in the grant application form.
Find out more here!
Digital Growth Vouchers by Digital Enterprise
The funding scheme by Digital Enterprise helps small to medium sized businesses with their digital investment projects. The vouchers are worth between £2000 to £12,500, and can be used to cover the costs of your digital and IT investments.
Digital technology plays a crucial role within the growth of a company, and Digital Enterprise understand this. That’s why their vouchers can be used on a variety of digital investments, including:
- New laptops, desktops or tablet computers, VOIP telephony or networking devices e.g. routers and servers, etc.
- Enhanced digital connectivity – particularly when this leads to download speeds exceeding 30 mbps. However, the grant will only be able to cover the cost of the installation not any on-going revenue costs.
- The acquisition of new software to manage the business including a CRM or ERP. The grant can cover integration and consultancy costs too, but this is capped at 40% of the total project cost.
Here is an example of how the vouchers can help, from Digital Enterprise themselves:
A manufacturing business in Huddersfield is aiming to grow and achieve digital transformation by selling its products online through the commissioning of a new e-commerce website. All products made by firm will be available for customers to purchase.
The website has a total cost of £10,000 (excluding VAT) – which includes costs relating to its design, development and integration. The firm can apply for a Digital Growth voucher worth between £2,000 to £12,500. The business owner expects to see employment growth of 10% and turnover to increase by 20% over the next two years, as a result of this investment.
To see if you are eligible for access to funding, simply visit the eligibility checker and find out.
Find out more here!