The Help to Grow Scheme

1 month, 1 week ago by Oliver Atkinson

As part of the government’s post-COVID 19 growth strategy, two courses were launched in 2022 under the ’Help to Grow’ banner, aimed at providing expertise to small UK businesses.

The two courses launched were Management and Digital and are both part-funded by the government to provide businesses with an affordable way to learn new practices and technologies. The ultimate aim of the courses is to increase the profitability of SME’s and in turn, help get more people into employment. Both courses are currently still running, so let’s take a quick look at what they offer:

Help to Grow: Management

In partnership with the Small Business Charter, the Help to Grow: Management course last 12 weeks and is 90% funded by the government, costing £750 per person for the entire programme. This includes 1:1 mentoring, 50 hours of training covering area like finance management, strategy, organisation and marketing, and is ultimately aimed at delivering a tailored plan for SMEs to grow their business, whatever the business might be.

The course is available for business owners, directors, and any other senior decision-makers, with the caveat that the small business must have already been trading for a year and employ a minimum of 5 people. The course can be viewed in more detail and registered for here.

Help to Grow: Digital

Help to Grow: Digital is the part of the government’s drive to bring more businesses online by providing discounted commercial software, eLearning opportunities and tools to help a business work out where software might be able to assist and them, and how to implement it.

There are variety of software packages covered – everything from Customer Relationship Management software to eCommerce and Accounting – and the discounts available can be up to 50% or £5,000 (ex VAT) depending on the package. This comes with guidance, step by step implementation plans and support to assist businesses adopt new software and technologies.

Whilst new applications for this course close on 2nd of February 2023, there is still time to apply before the deadline here, as well as more information on eligibility and what is offered through the scheme.

This was also covered earlier this year here.

Contact our team here if you have any questions.