You can apply for 2 grants to help your business complete customs declarations, in preparation for the UK leaving the EU.

You can apply to get funding for:

• training that helps your business to complete customs declarations and processes
• IT improvements to help your business complete customs declarations more efficiently

You can use the funding to reimburse what your business has spent on relevant IT improvements and training since 31 July 2019, as well as in the future.

Who can apply

Your business must:

• be established in, or have a branch in the UK when the grant is paid to you
• not have previously failed to meet its tax obligations – we’ll check our records to decide if we can offer your business a grant

You can apply for just one of the grants, or both.

Training grant

To apply for the training grant, your business must either:

• complete customs declarations for yourself or someone else (or intend to in the future)
• import from, or export to the EU and complete customs declarations (or intend to complete customs declarations in the future)

IT improvements grant

To apply for the IT improvements grant, your business must:

• currently complete customs declarations for importers and exporters
• have 250 employees or fewer
• have an annual turnover of less than €50 million

What you must use the grants for

Training

The training must give you or your employees the skills to:

• complete customs declarations
• carry out customs processes – this can include relevant training in safety and security
• help other businesses with import and export processes

The training does not have to lead to a formal qualification.

If you want to arrange the training internally, you can use the funding for the cost of delivering the training, like related stationery, room hire and catering.

If the training will be delivered by an in-house trainer, you can also use the funding to cover the (reasonable) day rate of the trainer.

You cannot use the funding:

• towards the existing costs of current training
• for other unrelated training

IT improvements?

You must use the funding to buy software that will help your business to complete customs declarations more efficiently.

It must be a ready-made solution - you cannot use the funding to commission bespoke software.

You can also use the funding to:

• buy hardware that’s needed for the software to run
• install and configure the software and hardware
• buy the first year licence
• train employees to use the software

You cannot use the funding for unrelated networking costs.

Amounts of funding available

Training grant

The grant will give you up to 100% of the cost of training for your employees, up to a limit of £2,250 for each course.

It will also cover the cost of training you run internally, up to a limit of £250 for each employee on the course.

IT improvements

The grant will give you up to €200,000 (the maximum amount of state aid available).

What you’ll need

When you apply, you’ll be asked for your business’s:

• registered name and number
• contact details
• VAT number (if this applies)
• Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR)
• most recent utility bill

Depending on which grant you’re applying for, you’ll also need to provide some information about what you’ll use the funding for.

Training grant

You’ll be asked for:

• a quote for the cost of the training
• the CV of the trainer if the training will be delivered internally

IT improvements grant

You’ll be asked for:

• details of the software you intend to buy
• quotes for the cost of:
  • buying and installing the software
  • buying and installing related hardware
  • training employees to use the software

How to apply

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) is administering the grants for HMRC.

Apply online through PwC.

After you’ve applied

If your application is successful you’ll receive a grant offer letter.

You’ll need to submit proof of how much you’ve spent on IT improvements or training within 2 months of getting the grant offer letter.

You’ll then get the grant within 30 days. It’ll be paid by Bacs to a UK bank account in the name of the person who applied.

Source: GOV.UK