BUSINESSES in South Craven could receive cash aid to connect to superfast fibre or wireless broadband.

Vouchers for up to £3,000 are being made available to small and medium-sized firms, social enterprises and charities.

"This is a huge boost to businesses in Craven," said Andrew Laycock, Craven Council's project delivery officer.

"Superfast broadband is a business-critical resource for many companies and these vouchers take just minutes to apply for and don't require any match funding."

Mark Durham – of Superconnected West Yorkshire, which administers the scheme – said the initiative had previously been available to businesses in the Leeds and Bradford districts and he welcomed its expansion.

"We have worked hard to ensure as many Yorkshire businesses as possible get access to this funding," he said.

"Nationally, £40 million is available for businesses until March 2016 on a first-come first-served basis. I hope many Craven businesses benefit from this opportunity.

"Great high-speed web connectivity is one of the easiest and most effective ways to transform the efficiency of a business and broaden its capabilities."

Visit superconnectedcraven.co.uk or call 0113 3950357 for more details.