Digital Catapult has received £1.1m in funding from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
The funding will be used to deliver Cyber 101, a business advice and mentoring scheme to help new UK cybersecurity firms scale.
As part of its mission, the programme will seek to increase the size of the UK’s cybersecurity market and to help improve the success rates of early-stage businesses in the field.
The funding, announced today, is part of the government’s £1.9bn National Cyber Security Strategy to help protect the country against potential cyber threats.
Speaking about the announcement, minister of state for digital and culture Matt Hancock said: “I’m delighted to announce up to £1.1m Government funding to help our small and medium cyber security firms get the support they need to grow their businesses. This will help keep us at the forefront of the global fight against cyber threats and attacks.
“We’re determined to make sure the UK remains a world-leading digital economy, the best place for innovative firms to start up and scale up, and that we are the safest place to live and do business online. This funding, delivered by the Digital Catapult consortium, and working alongside the new National Cyber Security Centre, will play a vital role in delivering those aims,” Hancock added.
According to a statement, the programme is intended to run for four years starting with a pilot project delivered between February and March this year.
Dr Jeremy Silver, CEO, Digital Catapult, added: “Cybersecurity is a tier one threat in the UK with the threat landscape evolving at a rapid pace. The government is committed to supporting the UK’s ability to defend itself from cyber-attack and take action against cybercriminals.
“A significant part of this comes down to removing barriers to growth and supporting innovation in this space, in turn helping foster leading cyber security companies in UK. The Cyber 101 programme is specifically designed to help achieve these aims,” concluded Silver.
The Cyber 101 programme will kick-off in Northern Ireland and London as a pilot programme before being scaled-up to sites across the UK.