Enterprise Nation and Salesforce have joined forces to launch a £5,000 grant aimed at small businesses that have been negatively affected by the pandemic.

The grants are intended to support these companies as they try to restart following the lockdown and adjust their day-to-day operations to fit in with the ongoing restrictions. Those who run a small business and want to apply for one of them must undergo a process of selection, which starts with a basic application and is then followed by a pitch made via video for those that make it onto the shortlist.

This pitch needs to provide details about your company, how COVID-19 has damaged it, why the grant will be useful to you and what you will use it for, and how receiving it will be beneficial to your local community. The grants are open to any companies that have between 2 and 50 members of staff and have not received any previous COVID-19 support, but not all will be able to apply straight away.

The first stage of the rollout sees them being made available to Northern Ireland-based small firms, with the Midlands being next, followed by the South of England, Scotland, Wales and finally the North of England.

Given that applications will not be possible for companies there until July 27 at the earliest, and the North looks set to be the last to benefit, business owners might want to seek the financial advice of a small business accountant if in South Yorkshire.