The Digital Technology Grant Scheme is now closed and all available funding has been allocated.
Businesses that have not been able to apply for the scheme or would like to explore other options are advised to contact the CPCA Growth Hub who have free resources, support and advice for businesses in the region.
Find out more about the scheme and read about a selection of businesses who benefited from the scheme on our Case Study pages.
The 2021 Digital Technology Grants for Business scheme
In early 2021 Connecting Cambridgeshire secured funding from the European Regional Development Fund and Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority to launch a grant scheme which would support the growth and resilience of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.
The aim of the Digital Technology Grants for Business scheme was to increase the number of local SMEs making productive use of digital technologies to boost their business – by helping them to invest in digital equipment, systems and support. Grants could be used to support the introduction or development of digital technologies to help businesses adapt their operations and secure opportunities in the current, more challenging trading environments.
The scheme has now closed as all available funding has been allocated, but if you want to find out how the Digital Technology Grants for Business scheme has begun to support the growth and resilience of eligible small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough visit our digital case studies page.
How the scheme worked
SMEs based in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough with plans and ideas to grow, improve or sustain their business using digital technology were invited to apply for a grant between £2,000 to £10,000 to cover up to 80% of the total cost of their project.
The Digital Technology Grants were intended to support improvements in information and communications technology (ICT) to aid growth, harness future opportunities and improve resilience in the case of future economic disruption or other pressures on current business models.
Grant amount and match funding
Businesses needed to be able to match fund at least 20% of their project total to be eligible for a grant. This meant that projects needed to have a minimum value of £2,500 to qualify. There was no maximum value to the project, but the largest amount of grant funding that could be requested was £10,000.
SMEs needed to be able to cover the full cost of the project before claiming the grant element.
Businesses had to fund and evidence 100% of the project cost up-front. Up to 80% was then reimbursed to them, as set out in their grant agreement. Ultimately, the business will all have match funded at least 20% of the total project cost (excluding VAT).
If you require further information about the scheme please contact the Digital Technology Grant Management Team on digital.grants@cambridgeshire.gov.uk.
