Technology business support and updates during COVID-19

COVID-19 is impacting the technology industry, like many others, and presents its own challenges for individuals and organisations of all sizes. However, technology also has a huge part to play in the fight against this pandemic as the tech ecosystem has the opportunity to help find new solutions to challenges, to inspire new and exciting applications, and to contribute to rebuilding an economy for recovery on the other side.

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted every person and organisation in the country – including Digital Catapult. Since the outbreak started business continuity measures have been put in place following guidance from the UK Government and public health advice. Digital Catapult’s offices are currently closed for all meetings and visits, staff are now working remotely and virtually for the foreseeable future, and all events have been moved online.

Digital Catapult is carrying on with business as usual – running a large programme of industry events and business support activities and contributing actively to the innovation strategies of many UK companies. This support continues.

Times like these reveal the power of collaboration and mutual support to overcome the most extreme and unexpected challenges. Digital Catapult is committed to supporting a number of national initiatives in response to the COVID-19 virus outbreak, using in-house expertise and connections to the ecosystem to assist these efforts and more.

It is great to see the high-tech response from startups, large businesses and individuals in the UK, working together and innovating to help save lives, banding together to help the most vulnerable and trying to keep businesses afloat.

Some things may have changed for good but, as we start to look beyond the immediate crisis, we hope that we can retain some of the positive elements that have emerged from these extraordinary challenges. We will eventually return to a new normal with a focus on supporting UK economic recovery, developing a new resilience and finding new ways to reduce carbon emissions in the longer term. Hopefully we will retain some of the best aspects of recent technology adoption and create new agile ways of adapting and operating as the economy is restored to growth.

Digital Catapult has collated some resources, including advice, guidance, and how to navigate business during this period:

• The Government has launched a portal for the registration of offers of help, which can be found here
• Government support for employees, employers and businesses affect by COVID-19 can be found here
• Government advice on financial support for businesses can be found here
• The UKRI launched an open call for research and innovation ideas to address COVID-19, inviting proposals with no set end date
• Innovate UK, as part of UK Research and Innovation, will invest up to £20 million in innovation projects in response to COVID-19 – closes 17 April
• New Government Future Fund announced for innovative startup & scaleups – loans will range from £125,000 to £5 million

These are extraordinary times, as we navigate a way through this challenging period. Digital Catapult will continue to support the UK’s high-growth businesses towards recovery.