The support available through the Business Development stream is tailored to the needs of your business, depending on the stage of its development journey.
For new businesses: priority will be given to individuals aged 18–30, women, people from ethnic minority communities, and disabled people who want to start a business or who are in the early stages of developing their business idea.
For established businesses: support will focus on developing operations, expanding into new markets, introducing new products or services, and improving business performance.
The streams contain two steps, which also vary depending on what type of business is applying. Businesses who are successful in Step 1 will be invite to move onto Step 2.
New Businesses
A period of practical support to ensure that applicants have developed their business idea to an appropriate standard and are in a strong position to submit a comprehensive, high-quality application for a grant.
The support provided during this period will include, but will not be limited to:
- guidance on developing a business plan;
- support on marketing matters and the market position;
- basic information about financial management and business actions;
- practical support when completing the grant application form.
Businesses will not be eligible to present a grant application unless they have fully completed this support process, in accordance with the requirements of the plan.
Submit the grant application for assessment. Please note that submitting an application does not guarantee that a grant will be awarded. All grant applications will be assessed by a panel to ensure they are complete, eligible, and robust before any funding approval is considered.
Any grant awarded through this package is limited to addressing a need identified by the adviser during the support period. This need must be essential to the development of the business and must not be available to the applicant through any other source of support or funding.
Established businesses
A period of support to develop current activities / new ideas and to strengthen the business' development plans, and ensure that their proposals are robust, realistic and in accordance with the objectives of the plans.
The support provided during this period will include, but will not be limited to:
- support to develop and refine growth or expansion plans;
- guidance on marketing strategies and developing markets;
- support on financial planning and projections;
- practical support when completing the grant application form.
Businesses will not be eligible to present a grant application unless they have fully completed this assistance process, in accordance with the requirements of the programme.
Submit the grant application for assessment. Please note that submitting an application does not guarantee that a grant will be awarded. All grant applications will be assessed by a panel to ensure they are complete, eligible, and robust before any funding approval is considered.
Any grant awarded through this package is limited to addressing a need identified by the adviser during the support period. This need must be essential to the development of the business and must not be available to the applicant through any other source of support or funding.
Success criteria and more information
The business headquarters must be in Gwynedd. Your headquarters is the premises where the vast majority of the business’ activities take place.
Sectors:
Priority will be given to applications from businesses operating within one of the priority sectors identified by the North Wales Regional Skills Partnership. These sectors are:
- Advanced Manufacturing
- Construction
- Creative and Digital
- Energy and Environment
- Financial and Professional Services
- Food
- Health and Social Care
- Tourism and Hospitality
While applications are welcomed from businesses across all sectors, those operating within these priority sectors will be viewed more favourably during the assessment process.
New business:
A new business is defined as a business that has not yet been formally registered (HMRC nor Companies House) or has not started trading at the time of submitting the application.
Established business:
The following types of businesses are eligible:
- sole traders
- registered partnership
- limited company (including companies that do not distribute profit)
To confirm the status of the business, a Unique Tax Reference (UTR) (HMRC) or a company number must be provided, as well as a copy of a recent bank statement when submitting an application to the Fund.
We can support businesses that meet the following criteria as small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs):
- Employ 250 or fewer people (including the owner(s))
- Have a balance sheet total of less than £38 million or an annual turnover of less than £44 million.
If the business is part of, or legally linked to, another business, Cyngor Gwynedd will consider the individual circumstances before deciding whether it is eligible for support.
To be eligible, a business must be located in Gwynedd and have a registered office address within the county. Exceptions to the registered address requirement may be considered in cases where a business is registered at the address of an accountant outside Gwynedd; However, evidence may need to be provided to confirm that the business is primarily located and operates within the county.
In the case of sole traders / partnerships, the business' operation site will be in Gwynedd (the owner's home is considered as the location of the business, if they do not have a specific site).
New businesses:
At the end of the support period, applicants will be able to apply for a grant of £2,500 up to £5,000, which represents up to 80% of eligible costs stated within the application for new businesses.
Businesses will be required to pay the eligible costs upfront. Once the expenditure has been incurred and appropriate evidence has been submitted, businesses may claim reimbursement of up to 80% of the eligible costs through Cyngor Gwynedd.
The business will be required to contribute the remaining 20% of the total grant amount.
We expect you to contribute at least 10% of the project costs from private funding, namely savings or a loan - you will have to show proof that this funding is available to you before we are able to assess your application.
This fund is partly funded through the Welsh Government's Local Growth Fund. Should you wish to use other grant funding as part of the remaining 10% of your project costs, you will need to show evidence that the funder is happy for you to use the funding as match funding for the Welsh Government's Local Growth Fund funding.
Established businesses:
At the end of the support period, applicants will be able to apply for a grant of £2,500 up to £12,000, which represents up to 70% of eligible costs identified within the application.
Businesses will be required to pay the eligible costs upfront. Once the expenditure has been incurred and appropriate evidence has been submitted, businesses may claim reimbursement of up to 70% of the eligible costs through Cyngor Gwynedd.
We expect you to contribute at least 20% of the project costs from private funding, namely savings or a loan - you will have to show proof that this funding is available to you before we can assess your application.
This grant is partly funded through Welsh Government and UK Government Local Growth Fund support. Should you wish to use other grant funding as part of the remaining 10% of your project costs, you will need to show evidence that the funder is happy for you to use the funding as match funding for the Welsh Government and UK Government’s Local Growth Fund.
All items must be a capital investment that supports a new business, growth, innovation or increases productivity.
Specifically, we are looking for applications that:
- Contribute towards the growth and productivity of the business
- Add long-term value
- Support innovation or new development within the business
- Show a positive impact on sustainability and resilience
- Can implement these and complete them within the timetable noted
- For new businesses: support establishing the business and make it operational (e.g. essential equipment or systems)
- For new businesses: show clear potential for growth, attract customers and generate income
Every project will be required to be completed within three months of receiving the grant offer letter, after completing the series of business support sessions. Therefore, ensure that you do not apply for goods that are unable to be ordered, received or paid for within that period.
The following are not eligible:
· Purchasing land and/or domestic property
· Domestic/residential property excluding holiday accommodation that meets the Welsh Government's definition of a commercial property, namely: a property that is available to be let for at least 252 days and is being let realistically for at least 182 days in any 12-month period. Evidence must be provided that the property in question satisfies the definition.
· Vehicles
· Repair work, maintenance and/or general business running costs
· Purchasing equipment that is required to comply with statutory regulations
· Staffing costs
· Recoverable VAT
· Equipment that will not be located in Gwynedd
· Purchasing stock
· Purchasing assets under Hire Purchase (HP) agreements, Lease or Extended Credit Agreements
- Publish the application package to give businesses the opportunity to prepare to make an application: 12 August 2026
- Open: 14 August 2026
- Close: 30 September 2026
- Announce the results: 7 October 2026
Should there be a need to amend the timetable when proceeding, changes will be announced in the Busnes@Gwynedd Bulletin
How to apply?
Applicants will be required to complete and submit an online Expression of Interest form. The form will collect information about the applicant, the business, and business development objectives.
This information will be used to assess the suitability of the application for the programme and to score applications against the stream’s eligibility and assessment criteria.
What should be included with the Expression of Interest Form?
After submitting the online form, applicants will also be required to complete a Subsidy Control Form (opens in new tab).
The completed form should be emailed to: Busnes@Gwynedd.llyw.cymru
When submitting the form, applicants should include the reference number provided at the end of the EOI submission process to enable the two applications to be linked.
The Menter Gwynedd: Business Support Programme 26/27 is allocated on a competitive basis. Applications will be assessed against the scoring criteria set out below, with consideration given to the following:
- Suitability for the programme
- Potential and impact
- Quality of the business idea / proposal
- Applicant readiness and capability
Applicants will be required to complete the business support programme before being invited to submit a grant application.
| Element | Description | Score |
| Suitability for the Programme | Does the applicant meet the eligibility criteria? (Consideration to any stated priorities) Does the proposal align with the aims of the programme (i.e. a business or business idea with growth potential)? | 0–1: No clear alignment / ineligible 2–3: Some alignment, but not particularly strong 4–5: Strong alignment and a significant contribution to the programme objectives |
| Potential and Impact | Is there potential for the business to grow significantly? Is the idea/proposal scalable? Is there potential to create jobs or generate additional income over time? Will the project involve the development of a new product or service? | 0–1: Impact is unclear or very limited 2–3: Moderate impact, but not quantified 4–5: Clear, measurable and significant impact |
| Quality of the Idea/Proposal | How clear is the description of the business/idea? Does the applicant demonstrate an understanding of the market and competition? How innovative or unique is the proposal? | 0–1: Lack of clarity / poor-quality proposal 2–3: Good idea, but lacks detail or supporting evidence 4–5: Clear, well-thought-out and compelling proposal |
| Readiness and the Individual | (Section 3, Q4) Skills and experience of the applicant/team Is the development goal realistic and achievable? | 0–1: Unrealistic / no clear capability to deliver 2–3: Some risks identified but not fully addressed 4–5: Realistic proposal with demonstrated capability to deliver successfully |
| Does the individual demonstrate commitment and motivation to learn and improve? | Section 3, C1,2,3 | 0–1: Weak example provided 2–3: Acceptable example provided 4–5: Excellent example provided that clearly demonstrates commitment, motivation and a willingness to learn and improve. |
| Does the individual demonstrate resilience? | Section3, C5,6 | 0–1: Weak example provided 2–3: Acceptable example provided 4–5: Excellent example provided |
| Does the individual demonstrate creativity? | Section 3, C7 | 0–1: Weak example provided 2–3: Acceptable example provided 4–5: Excellent example provided |
| Does the individual demonstrate an ability to work effectively with others? | Section 3, C8 | 0–1: Weak example provided 2–3: Acceptable example provided 4–5: Excellent example provided |
| Can the individual demonstrate that they are a responsible person? | Section 3, C9 | 0–1: Weak example provided 2–3: Acceptable example provided 4–5: Excellent example provided |
This programme is competitive - i.e. the applications will be scored and assessed against the other applications received within their categories (New businesses and Established businesses)
The Scoring Guidance, which explains in detail how each application is assessed, is available separately.
When assessing the Expression of Interest form, Cyngor Gwynedd will consider whether the programme will help the business to:
- Start or establish a new business (New Businesses)
- Develop new products or services
- Grow and expand the business activities
- Improve produce or a service that already exists
- Strengthen the business' long-term viability and sustainability.
- If you are an established business, work with Business Wales to complete a Carbon Reduction Plan.
When submitting a full application, at the end of the support process, Cyngor Gwynedd will consider whether the business is willing to commit to:
- Paying the Real Living Wage if they employ staff (over 18 years old) by December 2027 at the latest.
- Commit to undertaking specific activities to improve use of the Welsh language. As part of your application, you will need to propose three specific activities to improve the use of the Welsh language within your business. These activities will be monitored, and if they have not been implemented by March 2027, Cyngor Gwynedd has the right to reclaim any grant funding.
The activities that you propose are assessed when scoring your application, in terms of the impact they are likely to have (see the Full Grant Scoring Guidance for more details). You can offer activities that are suitable to your business, but examples of improving your use of the Welsh language can include the following:
- Arrange for members of non-Welsh-speaking staff to receive Welsh lessons
- Arrange for Welsh-speaking staff members to attend a Language Refresher course
- Hold specific activities within your business to promote the Welsh language
- Create produce with a Welsh name
- Ensure that every resource has been printed in Welsh or bilingually (signs, menus, pamphlets, etc.)
Important factors to note
Each individual item must cost at least £300
Quotes must be provided as follows:
- Items that cost less than £10,000 (including VAT) - one quote
- Items that cost more than £10,001 (including VAT) - three quotes
- Items that cost more than £100,000 (including VAT) - Open tender
You are unable to purchase equipment or goods with cash.
Wait until you have received an official grant offer and then return it to us before purchasing any equipment that is part of your application. We are unable to repay any expenditure that has taken place before we give an official grant offer and receive it back from you.
This grant is provided under the Minimum Financial Assistance (MFA) of the Subsidy Control Act (2022). The funding does not exceed £315,000 over a three-year fiscal period as 'Minimum Financial Assistance' (MFA), in accordance with the Subsidy Control Act (2022).
Therefore, to confirm that you are eligible to access this support, as set out in section 36(1) of the Subsidy Control Act (2022) you must declare the full amount of the EU State Aid de Minimus/SAFA/SPEI/ICA support that you have received in the last 36 months.
You are required to complete the relevant Subsidy Control form separately as part of this application process.
To support the local supply chain, we ask you to consider using suppliers from Gwynedd. This element will not impact the assessment of your application, but you are expected to explain which steps you have taken to find a supplier from Gwynedd, and your reasons for not using them if you decide to use another supplier.
Note that Cyngor Gwynedd has full discretion to support an application to the Fund and the Council's decisions are final. Cyngor Gwynedd's decisions will be subject to the anticipated benefit and will fully depend on the availability of finance.
We expect high demand for this grant and unfortunately, we will only be able to support a proportion of the applications received.