Businesses in Huddersfield are being urged to apply for new vouchers worth £1,000 towards the costs of upgrading their broadband connection.
The new Connectivity Vouchers will be available to small and medium-sized firms under the Digital Enterprise programme, which this year has invested £1.7m in digital projects set to deliver a £5m boost to the Yorkshire economy.
The vouchers are the newest initiative from the publicly-funded programme, which was set up in September, 2016, to help businesses in the region grow by improving their connectivity and digital infrastructure.
More than 1,200 jobs are expected to be generated by Digital Enterprise funding that has been delivered to businesses in the region so far this year.
Digital Exchange manager Muz Mumtaz said a growing number of broadband suppliers were now supporting the scheme. The funding could be used towards expenses such as construction costs, if a road or pavement needs to be dug up as well as hardware such as a new router or firewall.
Connectivity Vouchers are available for small and medium-sized firms across the Leeds City Region, which covers Kirklees and Calderdale.
They are aimed at small businesses with current download speeds below 30 mbps, firms in areas with poor network coverage and those involved in high levels of data transfer with a defined business need for improved upload and download transfer speeds.
Businesses can check their eligibility and find out more about the scheme at www.digitalenterprise.co.uk .
Said Mr Mumtaz: “A rapid internet connection is a basic requirement for almost any business to succeed and grow these days.”
He added: “Since Digital Enterprise launched in February, we have worked with some fantastic businesses across the Leeds City Region who have seen efficiency and growth take off as a result of some savvy investment in digital technology.”
