What is the Business Support?
The UK government is committed to delivering lightning-fast, reliable gigabit-capable broadband to everyone in the UK as soon as possible, working hard with broadband providers to accelerate their commercial development plans.
For hard to reach areas where broadband is more costly to build, the government is investing £5 billion to ensure places are not left behind.
The rollout to hard to reach areas of the UK will be subsidised by government contracts, awarded to broadband providers over the next few years, until the whole of the UK is connected. The rollout has already begun and you can find out more about it here.
If you and your community are not included in any commercial rollout plans and you do not want to wait for your area to be connected through the Project Gigabit rollout, you can apply for UK Gigabit Vouchers through this scheme.
To apply, you must go through a registered supplier. The checker on this page will direct you to suppliers you can speak to about making an application.
You can find out more about the process on this page.
What is a gigabit connection?
For the fastest and most reliable broadband, capable of delivering gigabit speeds, a full-fibre connection is required. One gigabit is the same as 1,000 megabits – so it’s a big leap forward in connection speeds that could benefit you into the future. Gigabit-capable broadband also supports symmetrical connections – meaning your upload and download speeds can be the same.
What is the incentive/subsidy on offer?
Gigabit vouchers can be used by small businesses and the local communities surrounding them in rural areas to contribute to the installation cost of a gigabit-capable connection. Businesses can claim up to £2,500 against the cost of connection either individually or as part of a group project. Residents can benefit from the scheme with a voucher worth £500 as part of a group project.
How much is the incentive/subsidy?
The maximum voucher value for an SME is £2,500 and the minimum value is £500. If your installation charges are above £2,500, then you will be liable for paying the difference to the supplier. If the installation cost falls below £500 your connection will not be eligible for voucher support.
Restrictions
You are responsible for checking that you meet the eligibility requirements for the Scheme. You will be asked to self-certify that you meet the SME definition criteria (where applicable) and are eligible to receive funding under the De Minimis Regulation.
You cannot benefit from a voucher to support the costs of a connection you already have or to replace a connection which is already gigabit capable. Anything you spend before the date of your voucher offer cannot be claimed back.
How to find out more
Please visit the website for more information.
Contact information:
Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport
