SME Technology Adoption Accelerator

We welcome applications from organisations that already operate in the SME digital adoption or SME business support space, with an existing record of support activity, expertise and delivery infrastructure. This includes not‑for‑profit, public and private sector organisations, and consortia. 

If applying as a consortium, you must identify a lead organisation that must complete the application, and will be accountable to BIST for overall delivery, reporting and financial management. 

We are looking for: 

• Existing delivery infrastructure: the ability to launch and deliver at pace, building on existing capabilities rather than building from scratch. 

• Convening credibility: the standing to coordinate contributions from multiple large businesses and government departments into a coherent offer. 

• Reach into the target group: demonstrable routes to smaller SMEs in Retail, Hospitality and Leisure, nationally and locally. 

• Delivery capacity and governance: clear governance structure, named leads, and resourcing sufficient to deliver online and in-person across the UK within pilot timelines. 

• Monitoring and evaluation capability: the ability to collect, manage and report data, and to produce credible interim and final evaluation products. 

• Data protection capability: information management arrangements that meet public sector expectations. 

Applicants must be solvent and not subject to insolvency proceedings. Any actual or potential conflict of interest — including commercial relationships with prospective industry partners — must be declared at application.

• Coordinate a fragmented landscape. Link a new, curated service to recognised brands, networks and platforms — ‘Backing Your Business’, Growth Hubs, the Business Growth Service and the Business Academy — so that support reaches SMEs through channels they already recognise and trust, and so that grant funding buys delivery rather than infrastructure.  

• To address three key digital adoption barriers. SMEs face barriers of lack of awareness and information, resources and skills. The pilot will be designed to help small businesses overcome these three key barriers by delivering curated support both online and locally in-person. 

• Encourage the industry to offer as much as it can. Convert partner willingness into committed contributions within an offer that is simple and efficient, coordinates the landscape, is vendor neutral, has a local and personal dimension, and builds confidence and changes behaviours.  

• Generate evidence. Evaluate activities to determine the most effective ways to deliver digital adoption support to UK SMEs, enabling continuous improvement during the pilot and informing decisions on whether to continue, modify or expand the offer.

What the delivery partner will be funded to deliver

• Collate and curate information for SMEs. Clear, curated information that raises awareness of the benefits of digital technology and helps SMEs select and implement the right options — delivered in ways that meet SME needs, including sector guides, case studies, targeted events and content suitable for use by an AI-powered support tool, integrated with the Business Growth Service. 

• Tackling resource barriers. Coordinating and integrating cost‑related help contributed by industry partners — discounts, free trials, demos, vouchers — delivered in ways that maximise impact, for example by linking an offer to completion of an e‑learning module. 

• Develop a learning offer. Develop a coherent, modular learning offer using expert content from industry partners, delivered online (case studies, guides, e‑learning, webinars) and in person (events, peer networking, mentoring), and that is integrated with the Business Growth Service and Business Academy. 

• Coordinating network partners. Driving and leveraging networks to secure contributions from industry partners and from government, including alignment with other relevant offers, while maintaining vendor neutrality. 

• Marketing and promotion. Promoting the offer using ‘Backing Your Business’ branding and existing networks, including Growth Hubs and industry partner networks. 

• Monitoring, reporting and evaluation. Monthly reporting to BIST on KPI performance, milestone progress, and risks and issues; maintaining a delivery dashboard and risk register; participating in agreed governance; and producing the interim and final evaluation products. Delivery Partner expected to cooperate with BIST on providing annual Assisted Areas data as and when requested.   

• Compliance. Delivering in line with the Public Sector Equality Duty and Environmental Principles — for example accessible event venues, online content meeting accessibility guidelines, and encouraging use of public transport.

The pilot will run from April 2027 to March 2028. Application Opening Date:  2 November 2026 10:00Application Closing Date: 11 December 2026 23:59Application Outcomes: Early February 2027

Follow the Application link to the Grants Hub Portal. Sign up to complete your application. 

Before you apply 

We recommend having the following information to hand before you start your application: 

• Your organisation’s registered name and address, plus Companies House, VAT and charity registration numbers where applicable. Consortium leads must provide these details for every partner. 

• Your annual turnover and employee count, using combined figures for a consortium. 

• Details of public funding received by your organisation in the past 3 years. 

• Details of actual or potential conflicts of interest, including commercial relationships with prospective industry partners. 

• A quarterly cost breakdown showing how you propose grant funding will be spent across cost categories, split across FY 2027/28. (attachment) 

• A one‑page organogram showing the roles involved in delivering the pilot, in FTE or subcontracted terms. (attachment) 

• Screenshots or graphics of the CRM or management systems you will use to manage performance and reporting. (optional attachment) 

• Up to two case studies evidencing your organisation’s or consortium’s relevant SME delivery experience. (attachment)

Funding framework 

• Legal basis: assistance provided under Section 8 of the Industrial Development Act 1982. The Applicant will be expected to cooperate with BIST to provide annual data on assisted areas. 

• Grant Funding Agreement: the BIST standard Grant Funding Agreement template will be used, proportionate to the value and risk of the scheme, subject to final agreement with the selected delivery partner.  

• Leverage: grant funding is expected to be supplemented by in‑kind contributions from industry partners — venue space, mentoring hours, content, marketing activity — and by existing government platforms and assets. Applications should be clear about what the grant buys and what partners contribute. 

• Award is subject to compliance with applicable subsidy control requirements and internal government spending approval. 

• Conflicts of interest, including commercial relationships with prospective industry partners, must be declared at application and will be managed so as not to affect selection, management or payment processes.