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Online digitalisation

Evidence shows that businesses that do more online, are more likely to grow and succeed; reaching a wider audience, becoming more efficient, and become better engaged with their customers, saving time and money. There are a number of measures to help businesses become more digitally active.

Become digitally active

Barclays Eagle Labs

Barclays have been awarded a £12 million digital growth grant by the government, to create several support programmes  that will assist tech businesses across the UK. These programmes will run for two years and are aimed at boost the growth of UK tech start-ups and scaleups.

They have the following programmes:

  • Product Builder Programme - A challenge based programme for early stage startups so they can learn about the fundamentals of designing and testing a minimum viable product.
  • Funding Readiness Programme - Designed to help growing businesses understand and navigate the UK’s funding landscape.
  • Scale up Programmes - Delivered by expert partners to provide rapidly growing businesses with the support they need to further scale their growth.
  • Industry Bridge Programmes - Bridging together larger businesses and start-ups within industry sectors to share strategic thinking and to co-create solutions and innovation.
  • Black Founder Venture Growth Programme - Targeted support for established Black Founder-led businesses to help them drive growth and scale.
  • Female Founder Accelerator - A programme that connects and supports Female-founded technology businesses in their growth journey, whilst building a community of likeminded entrepreneurs

You can learn more about these free support programme:

East Midlands Cyber Resilience Centre

East Midlands Cyber Resilience Centre (EMCRC) provide free membership, support and help to protect small and medium businesses across the region against cyber crime through a structured collaboration. EMCRC works in conjunction with local universities, businesses and the 5 East Midlands police forces - Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, and Northamptonshire.

Enterprise Nation Business Connected

Business Connected provides a series of free workshops, webinars and e-learning modules, designed to help businesses kick start digital change, adopt new technology, and stay safe.

iProgramme 1.2

This is a free digital skills course. Topics include, working in “the new normal” digital world, Microsoft Office flexi-course, remote management, digital marketing, online customer service, online English and Maths, bespoke digital skills for your business. All qualifications are up to level 3 standard.

Amazon Small Business Accelerator

This is a free online educational programme for anyone who wants to start or grow a business online. Aspiring business leaders will be able to access more than 20 courses and 50+ videos of content on essential topics, such as ‘how to build a business online’, ‘supercharging operations’, ‘growing sales’ and ‘creating a social media presence’, bringing the best in class from the country’s small business experts and Amazon leaders.

Digital Academy - Enterprising Ashfield

Delivered by Nottingham Trent University to help small and medium enterprises in Kirkby in Ashfield and Sutton in Ashfield up-skill their employees, and upgrade their digital technologies. They offer free workshops to graduates to support productivity and innovation covering website design, social media marketing and search engine optimisation (SEO).

East Midlands Chamber free digital webinars

The East Midlands Chamber offer free webinars, funded by D2N2. You can view upcoming webinars on the business events page of the Chamber website. The webinars cover a range of digital topics including online marketing, websites and digital advertising. Places can be booked on the webinar events without being a member of the Chamber.

Gigabit Broadband voucher scheme

Small and medium enterprises, and social enterprises located in rural areas can get a voucher worth up to £3500 for a business to help cover the costs of installing gigabit broadband. Small and medium enterprises for this scheme are classed as having up to 249 employees and an annual turnover of no more than £36 million and/or an annual balance sheet total not over £18 million.

Page last updated: 24/05/2023