How to access Government backed Help to Grow schemes

In the March 2021 Budget, the Chancellor announced the UK-wide ‘Help to Grow’ schemes, to help small businesses across the UK learn new skills, reach new customers and boost profits.

• Help to Grow: Digital aims to support up to 100,000 SMEs over three years with online advice and guidance, as well as a voucher for software to help them save time and cut costs.
• Help to Grow: Management aims to deliver an intensive leadership and management training programme to 30,000 SMEs across the UK over the next three years.

What is Help to Grow?

Small and medium sized businesses have a vital role to play in the growth and prosperity of the UK economy. Through the ‘Build Back Better’ Help to Grow programme, the government is helping businesses to boost their productivity, with training and software that is proven to get results. This will help UK businesses to reach their full potential after the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Help to Grow is a range of new UK-wide government-backed support, designed to help small businesses grow and reach their full potential as the UK builds back better post pandemic. It gives small and medium sized businesses the edge in leadership and digital expertise to improve productivity, as well as recruit and retain talented staff, find new customers and increase profits.

• Help to Grow: Digital provides free expert advice and support on digital technology solutions proven to boost productivity, eligible businesses can get 50% off, up to £5,000, on approved Digital Accounting and Customer Relationship Management software.
• Help to Grow: Management offers 90% government-funded leadership and management courses at the UK’s leading business schools, supporting businesses to develop a bespoke action plan.

Both Help to Grow: Management and Help to Grow: Digital are now live, further information can be found here.

Who can benefit from Help to Grow: Digital?

Help to Grow: Digital’s online platform is available to all businesses, offering them free, impartial online support and guidance to help level-up business digital technology and skills. The financial discount is available to businesses from any sector that meet all of the following criteria:

• have between five and 249 employees
• are registered in the UK at the relevant Companies House or are a registered society listed on the Financial Conduct Authority’s Mutuals Register
• have been actively trading for more than 12 months, and have an incorporation date of, at least, 365 days prior to the date application
• are purchasing the approved software product for the first time.

Who can benefit from Help to Grow: Management?

UK-based businesses from across all sectors are welcome to apply. To be eligible, businesses must have between five and 249 employees and have been operating for more than one year, the attendee should be a decision maker within the business (e.g. CEO, Finance Director, MD).

You can find further information, previous participants’ testimonials, and how to apply for both schemes here.