COVID-19 Digital Selling Capability Grant

Grants of up to £10,000 available (based on 50% of spend)

Aimed at helping retail and wholesale businesses grow online sales, DSCG is part of a broader COVID-19 support package to help eligible companies progress recovery plans, strengthen supply chains, develop new products and access finance.

DSCG can help any small or medium-sized Northern Ireland retailer or wholesaler prepare for growth, develop their customer base and find new markets by enhancing their digital offering, building e-commerce capability and increasing online sales.

A quick summary of the key points:

• Max grant of £20,000 based on 50% of eligible costs
• Minimum spend of £10,000 (attracting up to £5000.00 grant
• Can be used for researching, developing and building or improving an online sales and digital marketing capacity.
• Does not include computer hardware or software
• Does not include media cost such as pay per click advertising
• Must be NI based company employing 10 or more full-time staff
• Must have some form of current digital/online presence
• Must sell a physical product (services not eligible)
• Project to be delivered before 26th March 2021

What Is Available?

Businesses can access a maximum grant of £20,000 to support 50% of eligible costs for projects with a minimum eligible expenditure of £10,000.

Eligible activities include consultancy services or expertise from a digital marketing or e-commerce supplier to:

• Carry out best practice research to identify relevant benchmarks
• Review current digital marketing capabilities and online sales channels
• Develop a digital marketing strategy to maximise online presence
• Create an e-commerce strategy to drive sustainable growth in online sales
• Implement an enhanced online e-commerce system or improvements to your existing e-commerce solution for the business
• In-house training and knowledge transfer to develop the digital marketing and e-commerce capability of the employees for the business
• Improve integration and automation with existing e-commerce systems

What Activities Are Not Covered?

• Upgrades to existing online channels that would happen organically or could be considered business as usual.
• The purchase of computer hardware and equipment and software licences and subscriptions.
• Pay-per-click or display advertising costs for online advertising on platforms such as Google, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram, or purchasing mailing or membership lists.
• Offline marketing costs.
• Consultancy and/or supplier costs from related parties.

Eligibility

DSCG is open to all small or medium-sized retailer or wholesaler looking to grow their business online.

Who Is Eligible?

As a small or medium-sized retailer or wholesaler, you are eligible if:

• Your business operation is based in Northern Ireland.
• You are a small or medium-sized business employing 10 or more full-time equivalent staff in Northern Ireland.
• Your company has an existing online presence, such as a business website or social media channels.
• Your business has a physical product, or a range of physical products, that can be sold online and shipped to customers.
• In the past 12 months, more than 50% of your revenue has come from offline sales instead of online sales.
• Your project is not receiving any other public funding such as government or European Union funding.
• You can deliver your project, pay the costs in full and submit your claim to Invest NI before 26 March 2021.

If you are a business, which is part of a group structure with the same ultimate ownership, you can only submit one application across the group.

Who Cannot Apply?

The following businesses are not eligible to apply:

• Companies involved in the primary production of agricultural products, fisheries and aquaculture.
• Businesses providing hospitality and leisure services such as hotels, pubs, cafes and restaurants.
• Businesses involved in the provision of a service such as travel agents, mechanics and tyre fitting services, grooming and beauty services, hair salons, tattoo artists, funeral directors, medical, dental and veterinary practices, accountancy, legal and financial services and insurance broker services.
• Franchisees of retailers for whom the franchisor provides material online support such as online marketing or e-commerce expertise.
• Businesses involved in activities that Invest NI considers as ineligible or as involving an unacceptable reputational risk, such as gambling, adult entertainment, tobacco products and cannabis-based products, which are not, authorised as medicines.
• Businesses that cannot demonstrate they have a viable and profitable operation.

What To Do Next.

More info

Enquiry Form:
https://www.investni.com/covid-19-digital-selling-capability-grant-enquiry-form

What is an SME?
https://ec.europa.eu/growth/smes/sme-definition_en

Check your eligibility:
https://www.investni.com/covid-19-digital-selling-capability-grant-eligibility-check

Keywords: e-commerce | website design | ecommerce | Northern Ireland | grant 

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COVID-19 Digital Selling Capability Grant - eCommerce and digital services relating to building on-line sales. | COVID-19 Digital Selling Capability Grant