Enterprise M3 have announced the criteria for the Kickstart Tourism Grant and Restart & Recovery SME Grant funding to help smaller businesses recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Grant schemes will open on 15th September at midday and are available on a first come first served basis.
Businesses with fewer than 250 staff can apply for grants of between £1,000 – £3,000 (up to £5,000 in exceptional circumstances) for specialist advice.
What can the grants be used for?
The grant is available to help SMEs access one-to-one specialist advice to address their immediate needs. The grant must cover 100% of the cost of the service or product and cannot be used to part-fund expenditure. This could include:
- Review of the business strategy
- Strategic review of business models
- HR, financial and legal advice
- Coaching and mentoring in leadership and management development / Change management
- Innovation strategy to adapt and diversify products/services
- The introduction of new technology
- Developing or revising marketing/digital strategies to reach new markets
- Mitigating the impact of social distancing measures
- Rebuilding a viable business model
- Developing product offerings
- Legal and environmental health compliance
- Skills analysis and development plans
- Workforce management
- Employee engagement, welfare and wellbeing
Grants may also be used to purchase minor equipment to adapt or adopt new technology in order to continue to deliver business activity or diversify such as IT hardware or software to support home working , online platforms, equipment for secure remote working or cloud based storage.
How to apply
Full details are on the Enterprise M3 website, including the information you will be required to submit. Find out more here
As grants are provided on a first come, first served basis, if you are thinking of applying please do read the application criteria carefully and prepare as much information as you can beforehand.
