Press release

Welsh businesses encouraged to claim £3,000 grants for better broadband

Businesses in Cardiff and Newport have until March 2015 to apply for a UK Government grant of up to £3,000 to access faster internet speeds.

• From: Office of the Secretary of State for Wales and The Rt Hon Alun Cairns
• Published: 22 September 2014
• Last updated: 22 September 2014 — See all updates

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

The scheme allows businesses to apply for grants of up to £3,000 each to cover the costs of installing faster and better broadband.

So far, more than 170 businesses in Cardiff and Newport have received grants, with many more currently going through the application process.

The grant, in the form of a voucher, is part of the transformation of broadband that the Government is delivering across the country.

The aim is to help cities to create and attract new jobs and investment and make the UK the best place in the world to do business.

Wales Office Minister Alun Cairns said:

This Government knows that small businesses are the backbone of the Welsh economy. They are the engine of job creation at the moment, driving growth right across Wales.

Access to faster and better broadband is essential to enable our businesses to grow and compete in the global race. That’s why we’re giving businesses this grant to relieve set-up costs and allow them to take advantage of the business opportunities that superfast broadband brings.

Benefits to businesses as a result of faster, better broadband include:

• Growing and accessing new markets through better communication with customers and suppliers
• Increasing security through fast secure back-up of data
• Increasing productivity and improving customer service through faster upload and download speeds
• Reducing the costs of software and hardware by benefiting from the option of online applications and data storage
• Enhancing the way you communicate and collaborate by accommodating colleagues, clients and partners on real-time video calls, and by sharing information on cloud-based software

Businesses can find out more about this offer and apply through the broadband connection vouchers website

The Superconnected cities programme is running alongside the UK Government’s rollout of superfast broadband to rural areas, which has already delivered superfast access to more than 1 million homes and businesses. By 2017, 95% of the UK will be able to access superfast speeds.

Published 22 September 2014
Last updated 22 September 2014 + show all updates

1. 22 September 2014

   Added Welsh language translation.

2. 22 September 2014

   First published.