Businesses will have one final chance to access the Help to Grow: Digital scheme as the government has announced the closure of the programme.
Businesses can submit new applications for discounts for eligible software till 2 February 2023.
The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) said the take-up of the programme has been lower than expected, making it difficult to ‘justify the continued cost’ of the scheme to the taxpayer.
The Help to Grow: Digital programme was designed to give 100,000 SMEs free and impartial advice on how technology can help their business and vouchers worth up to £5,000 to cover up to 50 per cent of the costs of buying pre-approved software. Despite a marketing campaign, expanded eligibility of the scheme and positive feedback from users of the scheme, it did not have the take up expected, with less than one thousand vouchers redeemed by SMEs, the BEIS department revealed.
The department said it would refocus efforts towards other support mechanisms for small businesses. The Help to Grow: Management scheme will continue, with the programme receiving positive feedback from participating businesses, it added.
See here details about Help to Grow: Management and Help to Grow: Digital schemes.
