Scotland announces fund to grow digital economy

A new £25m investment will help businesses in Scotland utilise digital technologies and enhance workforce skills, with the aim of supporting economic recovery.

The DigitalBoost Fund offers small to medium-sized businesses grants on a 50/50 investment basis, worth between £2,500 and £20,000.

The fund has already helped more than 2,200 businesses to invest in hardware, business management software, e-commerce and data analytics, with the additional investment allowing businesses to access expert advice on how to adopt the technology and skills needed to increase their success.

Economy secretary, Kate Forbes, said: ‘The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated just how important digital technologies are for businesses. I am delighted that so many businesses have adapted to working with new technology and innovated how they work at great pace.

‘This additional £25 million investment in the DigitalBoost Fund will support even more businesses to invest in their digital capacity. This 100-day Scottish Government commitment reinforces our determination to support businesses to improve their digital skills and technologies to ensure they can help drive forward our economic recovery and support net-zero.’

Managing director of The Power Within Training, which was awarded DigitalBoost funding in January 2021, James Fleming, said: ‘The support we received through the Business Gateway DigitalBoost programme has been essential for the growth of our business during the pandemic. Our operations during this time were significantly impacted because of lockdown, with 97% of our revenue disappearing almost overnight.  The grant helped us build a new virtual training platform, with an inbuilt CRM system and an e-commerce system.

‘This has helped us reach new markets and ensure our training materials are more accessible to a greater range of customers. The funding has accelerated our growth and ensured we have built greater resilience into our business operations. We are very excited about the future now that we have improved our digital offering.’

You can find out more about the scheme and whether your business is eligible here.

In related news, the Scottish government has announced a multi-million-pound package of support to help tourism and hospitality businesses recover from the Covid-19 pandemic.

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