On 26 March 2021, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Paul Scully MP, responded to a written question on the Help to Grow programme.
The question, asked by Alexander Stafford MP, Conservative MP for Rother Valley, inquired into the potential merits of allowing micro businesses with fewer than five employees access to the Help to Grow programme.
Scully’s answer can be read in full below:
Help to Grow Programme
Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy
26 March 2021
Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of allowing micro businesses with fewer than five employees access to the Help to Grow programme.
Paul Scully: The Help to Grow programmes will support UK small businesses to scale and grow as they recover from the pandemic. Help to Grow: Management will provide intensive management skills support to 30,000 small businesses. Help to Grow: Digital aims to support 100,000 small businesses, through an online platform to support businesses to adopt technology and a voucher for software costs.
The eligibility criteria ensures funding is used where it will have the greatest overall impact in saving time and money across businesses, and strikes the best possible balance between helping a large number of businesses and promoting the greatest productivity benefit per business. Firms with fewer employees can still benefit from free, impartial advice through the online platform.