Digital transformation specialist ANS has created a £2m funding pot to support SMBs through the cost-of-living crisis, rising inflation and a looming recession.
The ANS Ambition Fund is designed to help small and medium-sized organisations deliver on their digital ambitions and drive their businesses forward during the current challenging economic conditions.
Businesses can apply for funding to cut the costs associated with digital transformation projects across a range of technologies, including Public Cloud platforms and Microsoft Dynamics CRM.
ANS has mobilised its ecosystem of suppliers and partners to contribute to the pot, while also offering direct discounts itself. The £2m funding pot is available for the next 12 months and businesses with fewer than 300 employees can apply for a contribution to eligible projects contracted to be undertaken by ANS.
Three-quarters of small and medium-sized UK companies are worried about the long-term impact of the cost-of-living crisis, soaring energy bills and rising inflation, according to recent research by Barclays.
ANS CRO Richard Thompson said: “With the current economic conditions, it’s understandable that some SMBs are considering pausing digital investment. But these projects are often absolutely critical for businesses to compete during the tough times – making them faster, smarter and more efficient. Thanks to the strength of our relationships up and down the channel, we’ve been able to activate our partners to release a huge amount of funding that SMBs simply wouldn’t have been able to access alone. We’ve also put our own hand in our pocket to offer discounts, remove up-front costs and strip away complexity with fine-tuned automation.”
Core to ANS’s business model and strategy is a commitment to ‘democratise’ technology, making innovative tech accessible to all organisations. The firm recently announced the launch of a new Public Cloud service for SMBs, cutting the cost and complexity of Public Cloud adoption for small businesses. It also offers a simplified, automated and tailored Dynamics 365 sales CRM for SMBs at a fraction of the usual cost.
CEO Paul Shannon added: “Already this year we’ve released a range of services that help SMBs, so the ANS Ambition Fund is the next natural step. We’ve pledged to always be there for the underdog, and when times are tough that’s the moment for us to step up. Business owners can’t afford for inflation to stifle their digital ambitions, or cause them to lose a yard against the competition. We want this fund to fuel, enable and accelerate the digital growth of UK SMBs, and I’m confident it will do just that.”
ANS Group, which is owned by Inflexion Private Equity, formed following a merger between the former ANS and UKFast businesses in 2021 and employs around 650 people. Find out more about the fund, eligibility and application on the ANS website.
