Facebook has set aside £84m to help small businesses affected by the coronavirus outbreak.

The social media giant will be offering a share of $100m - £84m - as a grant to eligible small businesses in more than 30 countries where it operates.

The funding is earmarked to help cover rent and operational costs, as well as to help them connect with new customers.

Facebook's business hub has also been opened up to all businesses - a tool which was previously limited to Facebook employees, and has also pledged to create new ‘virtual training’ to support businesses operating during the coronavirus outbreak.

The programme is expected to start accepting applications in the coming weeks.

For more information and to sign up for updates on how to apply for the grant, visit the following link: www.facebook.com/business/boost/grant.

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