Asked by: Matt Rodda (Labour - Reading East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps her Department is taking to support small businesses to accelerate the adoption of digital tools to improve productivity, in the context of the closure of the Help to Grow: Digital scheme.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Since the closure of the Help to Grow: Digital scheme in 2023 we have been considering how best to help small businesses to adopt basic digital technologies. We know digital tools can improve firm-level productivity and a businesses’ ability to grow.
This is why in the Autumn Statement we announced that we would be setting up an industry-led taskforce to rapidly explore how best to support Small and Medium-sized Enterprises with adoption of digital technology. We will be launching the taskforce shortly
The Government continues to support small businesses in other ways, such as through the Help to Grow: Management programme and the Government-backed British Business Bank’s Start Up Loans. These schemes help business leaders to start and grow their businesses.
Asked by: Matt Rodda (Labour - Reading East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Help to Grow: Digital scheme in (a) Wales, (b) Scotland, (c) Northern Ireland and (d) England.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
At the time of the closure of the scheme, 1,507 applications had been made for a discount voucher through the Help to Grow: Digital website.
A full assessment of the take up, regional breakdown and effectiveness of the Help to Grow: Digital scheme was published and can be found in the evaluation report on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/help-to-grow-digital-evaluation-report
Asked by: Matt Rodda (Labour - Reading East)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment she has made of the level of take up of the Help to Grow: Digital scheme.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
At the time of the closure of the scheme, 1,507 applications had been made for a discount voucher through the Help to Grow: Digital website.
A full assessment of the take up, regional breakdown and effectiveness of the Help to Grow: Digital scheme was published and can be found in the evaluation report on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/help-to-grow-digital-evaluation-report