SMALL businesses in Ayrshire could land themselves £20,000 worth of advertising on Sky TV.

Sky Media, the advertising sales arm of Sky, has today announced the return of SME100, a £2million support scheme for small businesses, giving them free access to the power of TV advertising through AdSmart as they recover from the pandemic.

And 100 businesses will be gifted advertising plus a free 12-month superfast business broadband and digital phone package, courtesy of Sky Connect – Sky’s new B2B telecoms business.

Sky wants to help small businesses succeed and stay connected to their customers, boosting their recovery as the nation emerges from lockdown. The return of SME100 takes Sky’s contribution to more than £4.5million in advertising support for small businesses since the start of the pandemic.

Following a raft of success stories in 2020, including more than 30 across Scotland, SME 100 is open to any small business that has been running for at least one year in the UK, with up to 50 full time employees; from florists and car garages, to hairdressers and accountancy firms.

The businesses that are selected will be representative of the UK both from a geographic and diversity perspective. Aligned to Sky’s 2025 targets, it is aimed that 20 per cent of winners will come from a minority ethnic background.

Claire Logan, head of digital and ecommerce at Arran Sense of Scotland, said: “We had never previously considered TV advertising as a viable option for a business of our size, but the process through SME100 couldn’t have been simpler or more impactful.”

Once selected, the 100 winning businesses will be put in touch with creative agencies in their local area to design and create their TV campaigns before hitting the small screens.