More than a million businesses now eligible for Help to Grow as software Scheme receives a boost

If you are a business owner, have you made use of the government scheme that has slashed the price of leading software, which will boost the productivity and growth of small businesses in the UK.

The government’s Help to Grow: Digital scheme is available for businesses with 1 to 249 employees. This means your business could now access a £5,000 discount on 30 software solutions from 14 leading technology suppliers of eCommerce, Digital Accounting and CRM software.

With Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software proven to boost firms’ productivity by 18% on average, and businesses which adopt eCommerce software see on average a 7.5% increase in employee sales over 3 years. It really is something to consider if you need to upgrade your software.

Eligible businesses will receive one financial discount towards the purchase of one approved software product up to a maximum of £5,000 (not including VAT) in eCommerce, Customer Relationship Management and Digital Accounting software product categories. The financial discount covers 12 months’ worth of approved software product core costs, exclusive of VAT.

Additionally, the government has announced that Help to Grow: Digital will support one-to-one advice for SMEs on how best they can adopt digital technology. The government will be launching applications for advice platforms to partner with the scheme, and the advice service will go live later this year.

The Government also intends to further expand the range of software on offer through “Help to Grow: Digital”.

For more information about the scheme please visit: https://www.learn-to-grow-your-business.service.gov.uk/

Martin McTague, National Chair, Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) said:

“We are very pleased to have worked hard with BEIS to adopt our ask to expand the eligibility criteria of the Help to Grow: Digital scheme to support more small businesses getting the software they need. Our research shows the smallest firms are least likely to have adopted tech products because of the lack of resources although they would make the most productivity gains through adoption. It’s good that Ministers are listening. Together with the addition of e-Commerce software and one-to-one advice for SMEs on technology adoption, this will help small businesses enhance their operations and drive efficiency and growth.”

So how can you take advantage of the scheme?

To qualify for the financial discount through Help to Grow: Digital, businesses can be from any business sector, but must meet all 4 of the following criteria:

• Be a business based in the United Kingdom registered with Companies House or be a registered society on the Financial Conduct Authorities Mutuals Register.
• Have at least 1 employee who is not an owner, up to a maximum of 249 employees.
• Have been actively trading for over 12 months and have an incorporation date of at least 365 days prior to application.
• Be purchasing the approved software for the first time.

What software is available?

For the latest list of software and discounts please visit https://www.learn-to-grow-your-business.service.gov.uk/comparison-tool