UK Gigabit Voucher – grants

DCMS launched their “UK Gigabit Voucher” scheme on 8 April. This was announced the previous month as part of the wider £5bn ‘Project Gigabit’ programme. This new voucher scheme builds on the Rural Gigabit Voucher Scheme and is aimed providing micro grants of up to £1,500 for households and £3,500 for businesses in the hardest to reach rural areas (with current speeds of less than 100Mbps) to support the cost of installing new gigabit-capable connections when part of a group scheme.

To help raise awareness and drive uptake of the UK Gigabit Voucher, the voucher website includes a new premises level postcode checker that enables you to establish whether you are eligible for the Voucher, and information on other support that may be available.

To qualify for a business voucher, you will be asked to self-certify that you are an small or medium size enterprise (SME)

  • Up to 249 employees and annual turnover no greater than £36 million; and/or
  • An annual balance sheet total not exceeding £18 million.

You will also be asked to:

  • provide evidence of your status as a SME or sole trader
  • self-certify that you will have received less than 325,000 Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) in public grants over any period of three fiscal years including the current year, including the voucher contribution (this includes all coronavirus-related grants).

Read more about the Gigabit Voucher here.