Government backs small businesses with tech support and digital software as part of the Help to Grow: Digital scheme.

  • Help to Grow: Digital Scheme has launched as part of the government’s flagship support programme for small businesses
  • Scheme provides businesses with discounts of up to £5,000 on approved Digital Accounting and Customer Relations Management (CRM) software
  • Dedicated website providing free, impartial support now open to boost businesses’ digital skills

The Government’s Help to Grow: Digital Scheme is designed to support smaller businesses in adapting digital technologies so they can grow and is now open for applications.

Businesses that use CRM systems to manage their sales and customers see on average an 18% boost to their productivity.

Digital Accounting software makes essential business finance tasks like raising invoices, tracking spend and sharing information easier to manage. Businesses that adopt Digital Accounting software see on average an 11.8% increase in employee sales over 3 years.

Under the scheme, eligible businesses can now receive discounts of up to £5,000 off the retail price of approved Digital Accounting and CRM software from leading technology suppliers in the UK. This software will help businesses to effectively manage their finances and build customer relationships, ultimately levelling up the way businesses are run and helping them to scale up.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak said:

“Small and medium sized businesses are the backbone of our economy, creating jobs and prosperity across the UK.

“When I announced this at Budget I said we wanted to help businesses become more innovative, more competitive and more profitable and I am excited this programme allows them to do that.

“Help to Grow: Digital will help them to grow and flourish by adopting new technologies that are proven to improve processes and boost productivity, levelling up their digital technology skills.”

Qualifying Criteria for Help to Grow: Digital scheme

The Help to Grow: Digital scheme is delivered through a new online platform

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
  • be employing between 5 and 249 people.
  • 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
  • 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 Customer Relationship Management and Digital Accounting software product categories
  • additional software product categories will be available with the discount soon, including e-Commerce software
  • the financial discount covers 12 months’ worth of approved software product core costs, exclusive of VAT

Approved Software Suppliers

The approved software products from technology suppliers on the Help to Grow: Digital online platform for wave 1 are:

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software:

  • Deskpro Ltd
  • Esteiro Business Solutions Ltd
  • Livepoint Software Solutions Ltd
  • Zestia Ltd
  • Zymplify

Digital Accounting Software:

  • E-crunch
  • Intuit Ltd
  • Sage

To find out how your business can get Help to Grow, visit the GOV.UK Help to Grow page.