Are you aware that your company could claim up to £3,000 for faster broadband

We all know that broadband is viewed as a universal right and is now essentially the 4th utility, however your business can now get a connection voucher of up to £3,000 for faster, better broadband through the Government’s Broadband Connection Voucher Scheme which is operated by the Department of Culture Media and Sports (DCMS)

The scheme is active in 50 cities across the UK and is administered by each city through over 400 registered suppliers.

Upgrading your broadband brings real business benefits. A better connection can help you to boost your bottom line by:

• Increasing your profits by offering better services to more satisfied customers
• Improving your customers’ experience with quicker, communication and faster file-sharing thanks to higher upload and download speeds, especially for large files
• Reducing software and hardware costs by helping you switch to online data storage solutions
• Enhancing the way you communicate and collaborate through online video conference and cloud-based information sharing
• Future-proofing your business with the latest technology to meet your customers’ needs

Broadband Connection Vouchers are available to Small or Medium Enterprises (SMEs) if:

• Your business is within an eligible area one of the 50 cities taking part in the scheme. Check your postcode to find out if you’re eligible
• You are a SME, registered charity, social enterprise or sole trader
• Installation of your new broadband connection will cost over £100
• The connection is for your business premises. You can apply for a connection at home if this is your main work base, but this does not apply if you work from home occasionally
• You are willing to sign up to a minimum 6 month contract with your broadband supplier
• The broadband service you select delivers a speed or performance improvement on your current connection. There are some detailed requirements on speed that you should check before applying
• You have not received more than €200,000 in grants in the last 3 years

You can also take a look at our eligibility checker.

The BIG issue, is what happens if you are not within the eligible areas, should this offer be open to all SMEs and not just based on location. Businesses in both urban and rural environments across all sectors should be able to leverage the scheme, so we all hope that whatever happens following the general elections next month, the new government extends the offer to all SME size companies.