GovWire

Innovate UK is offering businesses Cyber Security Innovation Vouchers worth up to 5,000.

They can use these vouchers to pay for an external expert to give them advice on protecting their business against cyber attacks and on potential accreditation to Cyber Essentials. They can also use this advice to protect new business ideas and intellectual property in cyber security.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is investing 500,000 in the scheme with equal funding from Innovate UK.

How Cyber Essentials certification works

The Cyber Essentials programme helps organisations develop a secure platform for their business activities. They can also get accreditation to show that theyve taken these precautions.

Suppliers bidding for a government contract may need this accreditation. Since 2014, all suppliers handling certain sensitive and personal information need Cyber Essentials accreditation.

There are 2 levels of certification available through the scheme:

• Cyber Essentials an external assessor reviews the organisations responses to a questionnaire
• Cyber Essentials PLUS - an external assessor carries out tests of the organisations IT security systems

Details of the Cyber Security Innovation Voucher competition

This round of Cyber Security Innovation Vouchers closes at noon on 5 January 2016. Eligible applications will be entered into a draw and the winners chosen at random.

To qualify for a Cyber Security Innovation Voucher organisations must:

• be starting up or running a micro, small or medium-sized UK business
• have not worked with this expert before
• need help with something thats a real challenge for their business, not just a small improvement or change
• have not had an Innovation Voucher from Innovate UK or the Technology Strategy Board before

Innovate UK will help winners access an expert from one of the following:

• universities and further education colleges
• research and technology organisations
• technical consultancies
• Catapult centres
• design advisers
• intellectual property advisers

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