Fund to support Stoke-on-Trent businesses to get the most from digital technology

Small and medium-sized businesses across Stoke-on-Trent can now apply for grant funding to help them get the most from digital technology.

The council has already paid out £11.5 million in Additional Restrictions Grant funding to businesses across the city to help them recover from the pandemic, and is now making up to an additional £700,000 available using the remaining allocation of national Additional Restriction Grant funding.

The aim of the grant is to help businesses use digital technology to grow as they emerge from the pandemic. Grants of up to £10,000 are available. Support could include digital marketing, website design, and the use of digital platforms and the purchase of digital equipment.

Councillor Brown said: “We are really pleased to be offering yet another grant scheme to our local businesses to help them recover from the coronavirus pandemic. This is a great opportunity, especially for businesses that have been badly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic to adopt digital technologies and improve their digital capacity. The pandemic has highlighted how businesses have had to adapt, and digital technology can facilitate this change, allowing businesses to trade despite a challenging economic environment.

“We are particularly interested in hearing from new businesses which have been trading for fewer than five years and may be struggling to establish themselves and grow – this is a great opportunity for them to adopt digital technologies and improve their digital capacity. The fund is being offered across all sectors. We are asking businesses to respond quickly as grants need to be claimed by 30 June 2021.

“Our teams will work quickly to get the money distributed, so that businesses will be able to benefit immediately from the funding. As we continue on the road to recovery from this dreadful virus, it is more important than ever that we support local business and boost our local economy.”

Successful applicants will have three weeks to purchase services in order to claim the grant. Businesses must provide receipts and proof of payments to access the funds.

To find out more, visit www.stoke.gov.uk/businessgrants, where the latest information on support grants and the eligibility criteria is available. Grants need to be claimed by 30 June 2021