Tech giant Google is looking to help struggling UK small businesses in the wake of the coronavirus crisis by providing millions of pounds worth of grants for them to use on advertising.

The company will be awarding those firms that are eligible for the help grants with a maximum value of £800 that will be added to their Google Ads accounts. In total, Google is set to hand out £25m to small firms in the UK through this scheme, and it is just one of a number of measures that it will be taking to support these firms as they try to recover from the virus crisis. Others will include free online mentoring services and help to improve their search engine optimisation.

To be eligible for one of the grants, a company will need to have an existing Google Ads account and have used it to buy advertising during 10 months of last year or the first two months of this one. Should they qualify and receive one of the grants, the deadline for using it is 31st December.

Google will determine which firms get the grants – which small businesses can use for the likes of ads on YouTube videos – so business owners will just need to wait to see if they are among them. Those who want to take a more proactive approach to recovery might speak to a small business accountant in Goole or their specific locale. That way, they can get advice on offerings that could improve their finances, like tax relief.