Who is it aimed at?

  • It is aimed at SME businesses who incur costs for training or professional advice to deal with their customs excise, import/export VAT or safety and security declarations.

What is the size of the grant?

  • It provides grants of up to £2,000.
  • It could be a training grant or one for profession advice or both. The total grant cannot exceed £2,000

What is the eligibility criteria for a business?

  • It must be established in the UK.
  • It must have been established in the UK for at least 12 months before submitting the application, or currently hold Authorised Economic Operator status.
  • The business must not have previously failed to meet its tax or customs obligations.
  • It must have no more than 500 employees and have no more than a £100 million turnover.
  • The business must import or export goods between Great Britain and the EU, or move goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
  • It should complete (or intend to complete) import or export declarations internally for its own goods or
  • Use someone else to complete import or export declarations but requires additional capability internally to effectively import or export (such as advice on rules of origin or advice on dealing with a supply chain).
  • Expenditure would have to be evidenced and submitted by the applicant within two calendar months of the grant offer being issued and by 31st August at the latest.

When must applications be made by?

  • It runs until the earlier of 30th June 2021 or when the funds (£20million) allocated to the scheme has been paid out.

How do I make an application?