Back in March - see below - Facebook announced it was to offer $100M in cash grants and ad credits for businesses affected by COVID-19. This week, the scheme has opened for UK, Ireland, Norway, Sweden & Denmark.

The deadline to apply for the UK is 5pm on 1 October 2020. To be eligible to apply, your business must:

  • Have an office in London
  • Be a for-profit business
  • Have between 2 and 50 employees
  • Have been in business for over a year
  • Have experienced challenges from COVID-19

To apply, head over to the grants programme page here, select your country at the bottom and continue on to the partner site.

Finally, some good news! In the face of the global outbreak of COVID-19, Facebook has announced it is to offer $100M in cash grants and ad credits for up to 30,000 eligible small businesses in over 30 countries.

The particulars and criteria are yet to be announced, but Facebook states the programme will work to keep workforces going, help with rent costs, and cover operational costs during the pandemic.

Speaking in an Instagram post, Facebook's COO, Sheryl Sandberg, said “Small businesses are the heartbeat of our communities, and many of the people who run these businesses are heavily affected by the crisis – especially as more and more people sensibly stay home. That is why Facebook is investing $100 million to help 30,000 small businesses in over 30 countries where our employees live and work.

Whatever happens next, we will be working to help businesses weather this storm. Please keep safe and look out for those around you.”

As soon as more information becomes available, we will update our teams and clients who may be eligible. Applications are expected to open in the next few weeks. In the meantime, you can sign up to receive updates when they become available here