Businesses can apply for grants under SME Brexit Support Fund

The £20 million SME Brexit Support Fund enables traders to access practical support, including training for new customs, rules of origin and VAT processes.

The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Michael Gove, announced the fund in February as part of the latest round of government support for UK trade.

To be eligible, businesses must import or export goods between Great Britain and the EU, or move goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

This follows the government setting out a new timetable for introducing import border control processes to enable UK businesses to focus on their recovery.

Full import border control processes will now be introduced on 1 January 2022, six months later than originally planned.

The government encouraged small and medium sized businesses that trade solely with the EU – and are therefore new to importing and exporting processes – to apply for the grants.

“We recognise that changes to customs rules have been challenging for small and micro businesses, and this is why we are encouraging business owners to apply for support through the SME Brexit Support Fund,” said HM Revenue and Customs directors general for borders and trade, Katherine Green and Sophie Dean.

“We do not take for granted that the UK’s small businesses – from designers creating bespoke handmade pieces from their kitchen tables, to those selling sweet treats – are vital to the growth and prosperity of our economy, so we look forward to supporting them with practical help to do business with our European partners, on top of a wide range of support available from the government.”

Federation of Small Businesses national chairman Mike Cherry said the vast majority of UK small firms that do business overseas trade with the EU.

“Not only are they trying to stay afloat as lockdowns gradually ease, they now have new, unfamiliar paperwork and costs to navigate when they buy from, or sell to, Europe,” Mr Cherry said.

“That’s why we asked the government for targeted funding to help them navigate these fresh demands, and it’s brilliant to see that funding go live today.”

Eligible businesses can apply for grants under the SME Brexit Support Fund by clicking here.