Business Support Programme 2026/27: The Application Process

1. Expression of Interest
2. Business Support
3. Grant application
4. Processing the application
5. Application support sessions

Stage 1: Expression of Interest Form

he first step is to submit an Expression of Interest Form to give a brief overview of your business and the proposed project, whether it be a new business or a business that is already established.

The information is used to assess your initial competence and to score your application against specific criteria. On this basis, applications will be prioritised and only the strongest applicants will be invited to move forward to the business support programme.

Here are copies of the questions in the EOI form:

• Business Development (opens in new tab)
• Decarbonisation (opens in new tab)
• Adopting New Technology (opens in new tab)

Stage 2: Business Support

The businesses that are successful in step 1 will be invited to move on to stage 2 of the programme (grant application)

Grant application

Following completion of Stage 2, businesses will be invited to submit a full grant application. Support from a business adviser will be available throughout the application process to help ensure that a high-quality application is submitted.

It is important to ensure that you fill your application form in full and that you include all the necessary documents. These include:

We are unable to start processing your application until all relevant information has been received. It is your responsibility to ensure that you submit all information with your application.

We will ask you to confirm that you ⁠need the grant funding, i.e. without the grant, it would not be possible to do what is being outlined in your application:

• whatsoever
• to the same extent
• within a reasonable timeframe.

The Council may withdraw a grant offer, or reclaim funding that has already been paid:

• if you do not use the funding, or the equipment/services that you purchase, to do what you have outlined in your application form
• ⁠if we find that something in your application is incorrect
• if there is unreasonable delay as you move forward to purchase the equipment/service or put it into practice.

Processing the application

On receiving your full application, the Council will:

• Check that all details provided are in order and if there is information missing, we will contact you to ask for additional information
• Conduct checks that could include:
  • Undertake a search with a credit referral agency in connection with your business. The agency will keep a record of that search, and they might share information with other agencies
  • Make enquiries about company directors with Credit referral agencies
  • If your application is not complete, we will offer you a short period to provide the missing information. In fairness to other applicants, if the missing information is not received by the end of the specific period, your application will not be assessed.

Notification of the Decision

We will inform you of the decision by e-mail.

If your full grant application is successful following the completion of the support period, we will inform you of the amount of funding being offered and any specific conditions attached to the grant. You will also receive a Terms and Conditions agreement, which you must comply with. The agreement must be signed and returned within 14 days to accept the grant offer.

Timetable for Action

The whole project must be completed, and the funding claimed by Cyngor Gwynedd within 3 months of receiving your offer letter. We are unable to repay any claims that are received after this date.

Making a Claim

The grant is paid on a reclaim basis, and therefore the applicants must pay for the items beforehand prior to submitting a claim to recover the costs.

⁠When claiming a grant, you must provide proof of the expenditure. This includes all the invoices and receipts (do not include any expenditure that was made before you returned the formal grant offer). The Council will also need copies of bank statements that show payments going out of the company's accounts. If you pay for something with a credit card or similar, you must show evidence that you have repaid the credit company in full.

Remember - do not pay for any equipment associated with the grant with cash.

The Council will need to ensure that the grant funding has been used to pay for the right equipment, and that they are used in a way that complies with the terms and conditions of the grant, and any additional conditions if relevant. This could include inspecting the work, visiting your business or any other appropriate way. Once the Council is satisfied that the grant has been spent appropriately, the Council will release the funding to your business' bank account through a BACS payment.

⁠Monitoring

For a period of ten years following the date of our final payment to you, the Council, or anyone on behalf of the Council, may visit your property to conduct an inspection to monitor the business and the equipment that you purchased with the grant.

If the equipment purchased with the grant is nearing the end of its life within this period, contact us to inform us. We may need to see evidence of this.

If you intend to upgrade the equipment within this period, contact us - we may need to see evidence that you have purchased new equipment as a replacement.

If you have reported that you have created jobs, the Council will need evidence of the employment, this may include:

• Payroll records (before and after the award)
• Employment contract
• A dated first payslip
• ⁠Online service record HMRC PAYE
• P60 Certificate

There is no need to include the names of individuals on employment records - you can hide or delete them.

In other cases, the applicant must either show evidence that the grant award has increased the business turnover or show how it has impacted the business.

Application Support Sessions

If you are unsure which option is most suitable for your business, support sessions are available to help you explore the different funding streams before submitting an Expression of Interest. Please use the links below to find out more.

If you are unable to attend a support session but require assistance, please contact Busnes@Gwynedd.llyw.cymru