The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), Britain's largest business organisation, has teamed up with IT specialist Dell to offer small businesses hit by the recent summer flooding new IT equipment at significantly reduced costs.

The scheme - which is designed to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) get back up and running - will also ensure that the items that they need most quickly replaced.

John Wright, FSB National Chairman, explained: "The FSB has led the way in supporting businesses hit hard by the recent flooding. Our flood relief fund is providing FSB members with interest-free loans to get them through this trough time and now, thanks to our sponsors at Dell, we are able to offer them even more assistance to get back on their feet.

"With our loans and computer schemes we have two more reasons to show why small firms should join the FSB."

According to the latest figures from the Association of British Insurers (ABI), the total cost of flood claims approaching £3 billion. Almost one third of all claims have been commercial, with 7,000 being placed in June and 7,500 in July, at an average cost of £90,000 each.

The flooding highlighted the need for businesses to think about their disaster recovery systems.

Research for Connect in 2007 found that 88 per cent of UK businesses were interested in Disaster Recovery systems primarily to protect their critical applications and data.