AND Digital secures £50k funding to help SMEs

AND Digital, which works with firms to boost their tech skills and has a key base in Edinburgh, has secured £50,000 in funding from Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency, to develop its digital enablement platform.

Paramjit Uppal, founder and CEO. Picture: contributed.

The firm said the offering – known as RapidPivot – is the first of its kind in the market, and will help smaller firms “rapidly take their businesses online, aiding national efforts to rebuild the nation’s economy post-Covid”.

The project’s development plan is already in motion, and once operational, in around September, the platform’s creators hope to connect UK small businesses with providers such as iZettle, WordPress, Paypal and Deliveroo.

RapidPivot encompasses AND Digital's aim to foster digital skills, says Uppal. Picture: contributed.

AND Digital founder and chief executive Paramjit Uppal said: “A core part of our ethos is to empower and upskill our clients in digital skills, and this is exactly what RapidPivot encompasses.“The events of Covid-19 have shone a spotlight on the digital skills gap in the UK, as many SMEs attempt to shift processes online. Lacking the budgets to invest in new websites and, in some cases, the digital know-how to take the best approach, small companies are facing huge disadvantages as they attempt to stay afloat.“Projects such as RapidPivot support companies by enabling them to diversify and improve their digital capabilities quickly, helping to bridge the digital divide. We are proud to play a role in supporting the nation at this time, and I am hopeful that this is the first of many of our projects to provide real, tangible help for the business community with support from Innovate UK.”Innovate UK executive chair Ian Campbell, said: “Businesses from all over the UK have answered our call rapidly to meet the challenges we face today and in the future through the power of innovation. The ideas we have seen can truly make a significant impact on society, improve the lives of individuals, especially those in vulnerable groups and enable businesses to prosper in challenging circumstances.”

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