Harrogate businesses urged to utilise broadband voucher scheme

Small businesses, sole traders and social enterprises in the Harrogate district need to apply for a grant of up to £3k towards the cost of upgrading to better quality, high speed broadband, before the scheme comes to an end.

The average UK business is estimated to need 10 times their current bandwidth within the next five years, meaning that high speed broadband is becoming an absolute necessity for businesses.

The broadband connection voucher scheme, funded through the Government’s ‘Super Connected Cities’ programme, helps enterprises meet upfront capital costs of a faster, better and more stable broadband connection to their premises, which allows them to offer customers improved service, increased reliability, and transforming the way they do business.

Scheduled to end in October, the scheme is operating on a ‘first come, first served’ basis, therefore local small businesses are being urged to take advantage now so they don’t miss out.

Since the grant scheme started in April, over 170 businesses in the Harrogate district have received £270k toward the cost of upgrading their broadband.

The vouchers will cover the installation cost of the broadband connection from £100 up to a maximum of £3k. It is also possible to receive a larger overall grant if groups apply and combine the overall value of their vouchers to improve a connection to a shared building, street or business park.

Councillor Richard Cooper, leader of Harrogate Borough Council, said: “The broadband connection voucher scheme is a wonderful opportunity for businesses to upgrade their broadband and future proof themselves for the digital challenges of tomorrow.

“Faster, better broadband is essential for business success and can benefit organisations in a number of ways – whether it’s helping them to grow and so get into new markets, increasing their security through fast data back-up, or improving customer services through faster upload and download speeds.

“It can also have a positive impact on customer confidence, help businesses save money and drive growth - not just for individual businesses, but across the Harrogate district. Harrogate Borough Council is proud to be involved in this worthwhile scheme and I would urge local businesses and charities to take advantage of this tremendous opportunity before it’s too late.”