The Digital Transformation Programme will assist 100 businesses located within the Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council Area over a 3-year period. Each business selected to participate will receive up to 40 hours of tailor-made support to help them on their Digital Transformation Journey.
The Digital Transformation Programme aims to:
- Support “traditional” businesses to transform and grow with digital platforms and technologies, to enhance customer engagement, increase sales and ultimately create jobs.
- Enabling “Digi-Tech” businesses across the Borough to make advances in capability, accelerate growth and create jobs. A “Digi Tech” business is defined as business which provides “a digital technical service/product/platform/hardware, or heavily relies on it, as its primary revenue source”
The Programme will provide support in two main areas:
- Digital Marketing Support including SEO, Social Media, Online Advertising, Content Creation, Email Marketing and Web Design
- Digital Innovation Support for “Digi Tech” businesses including virtual reality, cyber security, big data, internet of things, software development, fintech, edtech and healthtech.
Business Eligibility
To be eligible, as of December 2017 businesses must be able to verify they are:
- Located in the Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council Area
- Have less than 50 employees
- Actively trading and not in receipt of similar assistance from elsewhere
*Information disclosed on this application Form will be shared in the strictest confidence with funding partners for monitoring and evaluation purposes.*
Assessment of Applications
Applicants should note this is a competitive application process and demand is expected to be high. Please ensure you provide complete and comprehensive answers to all the questions in the form as marks are awarded for each section. Applicants may be required to provide more information as part of a short follow on interview.
Eligibility
This will be screened using the information provided in Section 1, Business Details. Applications which do not conform their compliance with the above eligibility criteria will be deemed ineligible.
Selection
This will be assessed and scored using the information provided in Sections 3 Job Creation, Section 4 Commitment and Section 5 Digital Assets.
Business Participation
Prior to receiving any support, business selected to participate are required to sign and return a short ‘Letter of Offer’ to confirm that by accepting a place on the Digital Transformation Programme the successful participating businesses will agree to the following:
- Will commit to having their first meeting within 1 month from the date stated on their ‘Letter of Offer’ (If not the offer will be withdrawn and the place reallocated)
- Will provide all relevant data (including financial) to the delivery team to facilitate programme monitoring. (Data provided will be considered strictly confidential)
- Complete a State Aid Declaration Form to conform the total level of support the business has received
- Consent to being involved in publicity materials supporting the programme including a video case study, photographs and magazine articles.
