What is Digital Enterprise?

Digital Enterprise is a well-established business support programme that launched in 2016, and since then we’ve been helping businesses across West Yorkshire to invest in the right digital technologies to support their growth plans.

About DE3

With our match-funded grants and advice from our team of specialist Digital Advisors, we’ve helped businesses across a wide range of sectors to improve performance, increase productivity, become more competitive, and offer new products and services.

We understand there isn’t a one-size fits all strategy with regards to digital technology, and the real value comes from providing impartial advice to make sure your project and the technology you buy meets the needs of your business now, and in the future, which is how we’ve been helping businesses over the past seven years.

We’ve secured our third round of funding (hence Digital Enterprise 3) to continue providing this vital support and offer grants for up to 50% of project costs ranging from £2,000 – £25,000. New for Digital Enterprise 3, we’re also offering a small number of match-funded grants to support digital projects worth between £25,000 – £100,000 that will have a significant and transformational impact on your business.

If you’re considering investing in a new digital project to accelerate the growth, or transform your business, then you can find out more information by clicking below.

Digital Accelerator Grant > Eligible digital projects >

Who’s Eligible

At Digital Enterprise we support businesses from a wide range of sectors across West Yorkshire.

Applications for Digital Enterprise are highly competitive, when assessing applications, we will use an eligibility framework as described below.

For Digital Enterprise 3, we can support your business if you’re focused on growth, have been trading for a minimum of 3 years, you’re based, or have operational premises, in West Yorkshire, whether that’s Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds or Wakefield, and you’re VAT registered (or can demonstrate an annual taxable turnover of £85,000+).

We’ll predominately support businesses with 5 – 100 employees. Depending on the impact the project will have on a business we may use our discretion to support businesses with more or less employees. If your business has fewer than 5 employees, you’ll need to demonstrate clear and substantial plans for growth. If your business has more than 100 employees, you’ll need to demonstrate that your project couldn’t be completed within a reasonable timescale without support from Digital Enterprise.

We can support your business if it trades in a Business-to-Business (B2B) environment and/or a Business-to-Consumer (B2C) environment. If you’re a B2C business, then we can offer you funding if you can demonstrate that more than 50% of your turnover comes from customers outside of West Yorkshire, or that your project will significantly boost turnover from your customers based outside of West Yorkshire.

Find out more about the application process >

De3 Funding

How is Digital Enterprise funded?

Digital Enterprise is funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

The UKSPF is led by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. Digital Enterprise is being delivered in partnership with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is a central pillar of the UK government’s Levelling Up agenda and provides £2.6 billion of funding for local investment by March 2025. The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills. For more information, visit UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

From 2016 – June 2023 Digital Enterprise was part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

Our Success Stories

Here are just a few of the businesses we’ve helped — some in complex or challenging circumstances, others in urgent need of funding.

VTR North

The development and improved capabilities of digital devices such as smart phones and tablets have, in recent years, removed the barriers to producing a range of media content, from photos to videos and voice recordings. Yet according to Spencer Bain, Managing Director at Leeds-based

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Involution

Digital transformation brings different benefits to businesses. One of the things that is almost universal is the time savings that come from introducing technology and building systems that automate day-to-day business processes. Having made some serious progress on its own journey into the digital ...

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Livewell

Digital technologies have broken down the barriers to innovation and enabled businesses of all shapes and sizes to reinvent themselves. For just a fraction of what it would cost without these tech tools, SMEs are now developing new products and services, accessing new markets, ...

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ShopAppy

Pre-pandemic, ShopAppy spent years promoting the importance of shopping local and supporting independent businesses. But as of 23 March 2020, their digital offering went from being optional to essential for retailers across the country. Huge numbers of businesses were forced to close their shops completely, ...

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XR Games

As a young boy, creating video games as a career seemed near-impossible for Bobby Thandi. But now, as the Founder of XR Games, he is bringing those dreams to reality for himself and others. Here, he discusses how the business now occupies a coveted ...

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Our Partners and Funders

Digital Enterprise is funded by the UK Government and supported by the following organisations