SMEs across Northern Ireland to be Offered Grants of up to £3,000 for Superfast Internet

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  • Broadband voucher scheme to be extended across NI

     

    Small and medium size enterprises (SME’s) across Northern Ireland are today being urged to take advantage of the government’s newly extended ‘Broadband Connection Voucher Scheme’ to offer more cost effective super-fast internet connections.

    The Broadband Delivery UK initiative is providing additional funds to councils across Northern Ireland to offer small and medium companies grants of up to £3,000 towards connection and construction charges* for a range of services from communication providers.

    The scheme is currently available in Belfast and Derry-Londonderry and until March 2016 it will be made available on a first come, first served basis.

    Welcoming the extension of the scheme, Enterprise Minister Jonathan Bell said: “This UK Government initiative is timely as over the past five years over £90 million has been invested in rolling out next generation broadband technology. We know that high speed broadband is crucial to ensuring Northern Ireland’s continued economic growth and is no longer a luxury for businesses, it’s a necessity they rely on to succeed in competitive environments.

    “I strongly encourage councils to promote the vouchers scheme and businesses to take the opportunity to invest in this technology from a range of suppliers operating in Northern Ireland. I know that such investments can boost their competitiveness, work more efficiently, attract new customers or strengthen relationships with existing customers.”

    Frank McManus, head of wholesale sales and services at BT added, “Today, over 92% of premises are connected to a high speed fibre enabled cabinet, making Northern Ireland one of the best connected regions in Europe. This scheme will help small and medium firms to take a vital step forward in business and in turn allow them to take advantage of the huge benefits offered by super-fast internet access.

    “Through our rollout of high speed broadband across the UK we’ve seen many examples of communities that have thrived through the adoption of next generation technology. Every local business that switches to faster broadband is a greater boost for Northern Ireland overall and this scheme will directly support those firms that may currently find the cost of upgrading prohibitive.”

    In order to qualify for the scheme, businesses must be a small or medium sized enterprise (SME) as defined by the European Commission: employ between 1 and 249 persons, with an annual turnover not exceeding €50 million or an annual balance sheet total not exceeding €43 million**. In addition, businesses are deemed eligible if:

    - If their new broadband connection will cost over £100 and they haven’t received more than £120,000 in government grants in the last 3 years
    - They’re willing to sign up to a 6 month contract with a broadband supplier and the broadband service they select delivers a speed improvement on their current connection
    - They’re an SME, registered charity, social enterprise or sole trader

    Once a business has checked they are eligible via their local city council, and understood the full terms and conditions of the programme, they will either need to place an order for one of the pre-approved packages on the web site or alternatively complete an application form. If they complete the application form, they will then receive a provisional offer regarding the amount of funding they can expect, following an assessment by the council, and be asked to get quotes from two providers.

    For further details about the scheme and how BT Business can help, please visit www.bt.com/BDUKvoucher. For further information on superfast broadband, its benefits and how to install it visit www.nibroadband.com

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