South Yorkshire Productivity Grants – Unlock Growth in 2026 with DeeperThanBlue

Boost Your Business with Renewed South Yorkshire Funding

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across South Yorkshire can continue to access match-funded grant support up to £12,500 through the Business Productivity and Digitisation Grant Scheme, which has been renewed with additional funding. This initiative, supported by Sheffield City Council, Barnsley MBC, Rotherham Council, and Doncaster MBC, and backed by South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority and the UK Share Prosperity Fund, is designed to help businesses invest in productivity, process improvement, and digital innovation. The scheme is delivered locally by Business Sheffield and partner councils.

There are 2 types of grants to apply for:

• productivity – apply for a grant of between £5,000 and £12,500
• digital – apply for a grant of between £2,500 and £5,000

Businesses can apply for either one or the other.

We work alongside you and Business Sheffield to turn this funding into a practical digital transformation roadmap – and deliver the technology change that actually moves the needle on efficiency, profitability, and customer experience.

What the current grant can support

Through the latest phase of the Business Productivity and Digitisation Grant Scheme, eligible SMEs can typically apply for match‑funded grants (50% of project costs) to support projects that tackle a clear productivity challenge. While exact limits and criteria are set out on the council website and may evolve, projects usually fall into areas such as:

• Improving processes and operational efficiency (for example reducing manual work, errors, or waste through better systems).
• Embracing new digital tools and technologies to support growth, resilience, and competitiveness.
• Investing in systems and infrastructure that enable automation, integration, and data‑driven decision‑making.
• Upgrading or replacing legacy systems that are holding the business back, limiting scalability, or increasing risk.

Because the funding is match‑funded, your business contributes at least the same amount as the grant towards the total project cost, and the grant is normally claimed after the project is completed and paid for. This makes it ideal for well‑defined projects where you can clearly evidence productivity gains and commercial impact.

For the most up‑to‑date details – including current grant bands, deadlines, and full eligibility – you should always refer to the official Business Productivity and Digitisation Grant Scheme page on the Sheffield City Council website.

How DeeperThanBlue can help you use the funding

DeeperThanBlue is a specialist digital transformation consultancy based in Sheffield, helping organisations design and deliver technology‑led change that improves productivity and supports long‑term growth. We help you shape a project that fits both your business goals and the grant criteria, then deliver it with the right mix of strategy, architecture, and implementation.

Typical funded projects we can support include:

• Digital strategy and roadmap – clarifying where technology can unlock productivity, prioritising investment, and defining a realistic implementation plan that aligns with grant timescales.
• AI and automation – integrating AI to streamline operations, automate repetitive processes, and improve forecasting or decision‑making.
• eCommerce platforms (B2B and B2C) – launching or upgrading online stores and customer portals, including integration with ERP, CRM, and fulfilment systems.
• Application modernisation and integration – developing apps and re‑architecting legacy applications, consolidating tools, and integrating systems and data to remove manual re‑keying and data silos.
• Data and analytics – improving data quality, reporting, and dashboards so leaders and teams can gain faster insights, and make evidence‑based decisions.

We can also work with your Business Sheffield advisor to ensure your project plan, costings, and expected outcomes are clearly documented, improving your chances of a successful grant application.

Who can apply?

While the detailed criteria are published by Sheffield City Council and its South Yorkshire partners, the scheme is generally aimed at SMEs that:

• Are based in South Yorkshire, with fixed premises in Sheffield or one of the partner local authority areas.
• Are actively trading and able to complete and pay for the project within the timescales set out in the current scheme guidance.
• Can demonstrate a specific productivity challenge and how the proposed project will address it.
• Can provide match funding and evidence of project spend in order to claim the grant.

Funding is limited and applications are usually assessed on a first‑come, first‑served basis within the published deadlines, so it is important to scope your project early and engage with Business Sheffield as soon as possible.

For the latest eligibility rules, sector focus, and any additional conditions, please check the Sheffield City Council Business Productivity and Digitisation Grant Scheme page before applying.

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