Gwynedd Business Resilience Grant

Business location

The headquarters of the business must be in Gwynedd. Your headquarters is the property where a large part of your business activity takes place

The registered offices of limited companies must be in Gwynedd. In the case of sole traders / partnerships the operating site of the business will be in Gwynedd (the owner's home is considered the location of the business if it does not have a specific site).

Type of business

The following types of businesses are eligible:

• sole trader
• a registered partnership
• a limited company (including companies that do not distribute profits)

To confirm the status of the business it will be necessary to provide a HMRC Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR) or company number together with a copy of a recent bank statement when applying to the fund.

Size of the business

We can support businesses that meet at least two of the following criteria:

• employ 250 or less (including the owner/owners)
• with less than £18 million on its balance sheet
• annual turnover (total sales) under £36 million is a small / medium business

If the business is part of another business, or is legally linked to another business, Cyngor Gwynedd will consider the individual circumstances before deciding whether it is eligible to receive support.

Between £2,500 and £15,000 of support is available.

The fund offers support of up to 70% of the total eligible costs identified within the application. Therefore, any application will be required to be based on at least £3,570 of eligible costs.

We expect you to contribute at least 20% of the project's costs from private money, namely savings, or a loan - you will need to show proof that this money is available to you before we can assess your application

Should you wish to use other grant money as part of the remaining 10% of your project costs, you will need to show evidence that the funder is willing for you to use the money as a match for the Shared Prosperity Fund funding.

This fund is run on a competitive basis – i.e., we will be receiving applications in rounds, and assessing them against the other applications within the same round.

To be assessed an application will have to come from an eligible business and for suitable costs as described in this guide.

In assessing the application, Cyngor Gwynedd will consider:

a) Will the grant help the business to:

• Protect existing job(s) or create new job(s)?
• Create a new product?
• Improve a product or service which already exists?
• Reduce its carbon footprint?
• Be more resilient or to grow?
• Improve its use of the Welsh language?

The Scoring Guide, which explains in detail how applications will be assessed, is available separately.

b) Is the business willing to commit to:

• Commit to paying the Real Living Wage (opens in new tab) if employing staff (over 18 years of age) no later than February 2026 (Living Wage Foundation accreditation is not required)
• To undertake specific activities to improve their use of Welsh. As part of your application, you will need to suggest 3 specific activities to improve your use of the Welsh language within your business. These activities will be monitored, and if they are not implemented by February 2026, Cyngor Gwynedd has the right to reclaim any grant funding.
• The activities you suggest will be assessed when scoring your application, in terms of how much impact they are likely to have (see the Scoring Guide for more detail).

You can suggest activities that are suitable for your business, but examples of improving your use of Welsh may include:

• Ensuring that all resources are printed in Welsh or bilingually (signage, menus, pamphlets, etc.)
• Arranging for non-Welsh speaking staff to receive Welsh lessons
• Arranging for Welsh-speaking staff to undertake a language improvement course
• Carrying out specific activities within your business to promote the Welsh language
• Creating a product with a Welsh name

We are also working on a scheme to accredit Gwynedd businesses for their use of the Welsh language. You will be expected to undertake this process when it is ready to be implemented.

c) Working with Business Wales to complete Carbon Reduction Plan

Please note that Cyngor Gwynedd has complete 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 entirely dependent on the availability of funding.

We expect great demand for this grant and unfortunately, we will only be able to support a proportion of the applications that we receive.

Grants will be awarded on a competitive basis. We intend to follow the timetable below:

Round 1

Open – 01 July, 2025
Close – 15 August, 2025
Results announced – By 30 September, 2025

Round 2
Open – 02 September, 2025
Close– 17 October, 2025
Results announced – By 28 November, 2025

If the timetable needs to be adjusted, changes will be published in Bulletin Busnes@Gwynedd.

You can apply for a grant to purchase any capital or revenue equipment or services that want to help you to improve the resilience of business.

In particular, we are looking for applications that:

• Improve marketing and communication of your business
• Enable digital developments within your business
• Improve your business's access to business fundamentals (e.g. accounting software, purchase of HR service etc)
• Increase the sustainability of your business
• Enable access to new markets Increase the use of the Welsh language in your business
• Improve business premises, for the purpose of developing the business

All projects must be completed within 3 months of receipt of an offer letter. Ensure, therefore, that you are not asking for goods or services that cannot be ordered, received, and paid for within 3 months.

Vehicles

We are happy to accept applications for:

• Electric or hybrid cars or vans – 70% grant
• ULEV vans or cars (produces no more than 75g of CO2/km) - checked through this website (opens in new tab) - grant of 70%
• Diesel vans registered since September 2015 that meet EURO 6 output requirements – 50% grant
• Vans must be 3-seater commercial vans and not recreational vehicles that can be used for recreational purposes
• We are not willing to accept applications for car-derived vans

Remember, as with all grant fund applications, you will need to explain how the vehicle in question will increase the resilience of your business

Costs that are not eligible for funding:

• Purchase of land and/or domestic property
• Residential / domestic property other than holiday accommodation that meets the Welsh Government's definition of commercial holiday property: Property available to let for at least 252 days and actually let for at least 182 days in any period of 12 months. It will be necessary to provide evidence that the property in question meets the definition.
• Repairs, maintenance and/or general business running costs
• Purchase of equipment or services required to comply with statutory regulations
• Staffing costs
• Recoverable VAT
• Stock purchase
• Purchase of assets under Hire Purchase (HP) agreements, Extended Credit Agreements or Leases

Quotes

Each individual item must cost at least £300

Quotes must be provided as follows:

• Items costing less than £4,999 – one quote
• Items costing more than £5,000 – three quotes

Cash purchases

You cannot purchase equipment or goods with cash.

Retrospection

Please wait until you have received an official offer of the grant and have returned it to us before purchasing any equipment or services that are part of your application. We cannot repay any expenditure that has been made before we made an official offer of the grant, and receive it back from you.

Statutory Authority Subsidy Management

This fund is registered as part of the Gwynedd Business Development Fund (registration number SC11279), in accordance with the Subsidy Management Act (2022).

Buying Local

In order to support the local supply chain, you are asked to consider using a Gwynedd based supplier. This will not form part of the assessment process, but you will be expected to explain what steps you have taken to find a Gwynedd based supplier, and your reasons for not using one if you decide to use a different supplier.

Yr Iaith Gymraeg

As part of your application, you will need to offer 3 specific activities to improve your use of the Welsh language within your business. These activities will be monitored, and if they are not implemented by February 2026, Gwynedd Council has the right to reclaim any grant funding.

The activities you offer will be assessed when scoring your application, in terms of how much impact they are likely to have (see the Scoring Guide for more detail). You can offer activities that are suitable for your business, but examples of improving your use of Welsh can include:

• Ensure that all resources printed in Welsh or bilingual (signage, menus, pamphlets etc)
• Arrange for non-Welsh speaking staff to receive Welsh lessons
• Arrange for Welsh speaking staff to attend a Welsh improvement course
• To carry out specific activities within your business to promote the Welsh language
• Creating a product with a Welsh name

We are also working on a scheme to accredit Gwynedd businesses for their use of the Welsh language.

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

We cannot begin processing your application until all relevant information has been received. It is your responsibility to ensure that you submit all the required information with your application.

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

• at all
• to the same degree
• within a reasonable time-frame

The Council can withdraw a grant proposal, or reclaim money that has already been paid out if:

• you do not use the money, or equipment/services you will purchase, to do what you have outlined in your application form
• we find that there is something in your application that is incorrect
• there is an unreasonable delay as you proceed to purchase or implement the equipment/service

On receipt of your full application the Council will:

• Check that all the details that have been provided are in order and if information is missing, we will contact you to request additional information
• Carry out checks which may include:

1. Conducting a search with a credit reference agency in relation to your business. The agency will keep a record of that search and may share information with other agencies.Make inquiries about company directors with credit reference agencies

If your application is not complete, we will offer a short period to submit any missing information. In fairness to other applications, if the missing information is not received by the end of this period we will not assess your application.

Notification of the Decision
We will inform you of the decision by email. If successful we will let you know how much funding we are offering you and any specific conditions associated with the grant. You will also receive a Terms and Conditions agreement that you must comply with. The agreement must be signed and returned within 14 days of receipt of the grant offer.

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

When claiming a grant you will need to provide proof of expenditure. This includes all invoices and receipts (do not include any expenditures made before you returned the formal grant offer). The Council will also require copies of bank statements showing payments going out of company accounts. If you pay for anything by credit card or similar, you will need to show evidence that you have paid the credit company back in full.

Remember – do not pay for any equipment or service linked with the grant by cash.

The Council will need to ensure that the grant funds have been used to pay for the right equipment and services, and that they are used in a way that is in line with the terms and conditions of the grant, and any additional conditions if applicable. This can include inspecting the work, visiting your business, or any other appropriate way. Once the Council is satisfied that the grant has been properly spent, the Council will release the funds into your business bank account through a BACS payment.

Requests for changes to approved eligible items will not be accepted, except in the case of similar item-for-item changes such as changing brand or supplier. We will not cover any additional costs associated with any similar item-for-item changes.

Until 2035, the Council, or anyone on behalf of the Council, may visit your property to carry out an inspection to monitor the business and equipment or services you purchased with the grant.

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

If you plan to upgrade the equipment within this period, please contact us – we may want to see evidence that you have purchased new equipment to replace it.

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 agreement
• First dated pay slip
• PAYE HMRC online service record
• P60 Certificate

There is no need to include individuals' names on employment records – you can hide or delete them.

In other cases, the applicant will either have to show evidence that the grant award has increased the turnover of the business or show how it has affected the business.

In accepting the grant you commit to acknowledge this funding when implementing your project. This document sets out how you will be expected to do this.

Logos

You must use the following logo strip n all communication materials and public-facing documents relating to the funded activity::

Download the logos here (opens in new tab)

This includes and is not limited to:

• Advertisements, job advertisements and press releases
• Plaques and signs
• Procurement materials, case studies, promotional items
• Electronic materials e.g., email footers, presentation slides

You may add your own logo, as long as you ensure equal sizing and spacing between each logo.

Digital materials including website and social media

Digital channels can provide a quick way to reach audiences and promote your project. Where details of your project are published on a website, a clear and prominent reference to the funding from Cyngor Gwynedd and the UKSPF is to be included as follows:

"This project is part-funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund,and part-funded by Cyngor Gwynedd"

Where you have developed specifically a website for your project, then you must display the logo strip on the homepage.

Where you are placing details of the project on a website, which is not exclusively for the project,e.g. your own website featuring other activities, the logo strip must be placed on the main project-specific page.

Where practical, you should also include a link to the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (opens in new tab) web page, and Busnes@Gwynedd, along with the following text (which must also be used for notes to editors):

"The UK Shared Prosperity Fund aims to foster a sense of pride of place, and to increase life opportunities across the UK, investing in communities and places, and supporting local businesses, people and skills. For more information, visit here (opens in new tab)"

When describing or promoting Fund activities on social media such as X or Instagram, the following hashtags (#) should be used:

#UKSPF
#CyngorGwynedd
#Busnes@Gwynedd

Press and media including press releases and notes to editors

A cost-effective way to promote Fund activities is through the media. It is good practice to develop press releases at the launch of activities, and subsequently to announce key milestones and achievements.

Press releases must include a clear and prominent reference to the UKSPF, in the main body of the press release as follows:

"‘[This project/name of project] has received £ [INSERT AMOUNT] from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund"

It is a requirement to also use set notes to editors in all media activities. The text to use has been provided above in the Digital Materials section.

You will be expected to submit copies of any marketing and publicity materials with your claim, together with a photograph of the plaque and should also be retained by the project deliverers for monitoring and audit purposes.

Please ensure that you keep the Gwynedd Business Support Team informed of any future publicity opportunities.

1. All businesses should be financially viable.

2. The business should comply with all appropriate regulations, all enforcement policies and service standards that apply to their business sector, including being registered with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) for tax payment purposes.

3. All professional work (e.g., electrical) must be carried out by qualified contractors.

4. The Council reserves the right to contact any of the businesses submitting quotations in connection with your application if further clarification is required.

5. You will not be eligible to receive funding for any work you intend to carry out or that has already been completed by your business (whether the business is wholly or partly owned by you).

6. The Council must be informed of any personal, family or business contact between you/your agent and any supplier or contractor.

7. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have obtained or complied with all planning permission and any other relevant statutory permission before you submit your application. You must provide documentary evidence of this. Your business or the work you carry out must also comply with any other relevant licences/permits/requirements e.g., Health and Safety, and the equipment must not be used, or the use of the equipment permitted, contrary to the law or any regulations/byelaws in force at the time.

8. When giving you a grant, the Council is not approving anything beyond the purchase of the equipment or service(s) in the application.

9. No work should begin on any building until you have obtained all necessary approvals or consents.

10.Money cannot be paid for work that has already started or for any equipment that has already been purchased

11. The Council will not give grants to applicants who have significant debts to any department of the Council.

12. The Council can check if there is a County Court Judgment against you.

13. When a project involves renovating or modifying a leased building, the remaining life of the lease must be at least 5 years on the day the application is received by the Council. We will also need evidence of the landlord's consent.

14. Any materials or services that will be seen by others who have received grant money must be bilingual (Welsh/English).

15. You are responsible for ensuring that any taxes, assessments, charges or any other expenditure that is payable in relation to the use of the equipment or services that are purchased with the grant.

16. You must on all reasonable occasions give permission to an authorised Council agent to enter the property to inspect the estate and condition of the equipment and any books of financial transactions, records or documents relevant to the use of the equipment or the service that has been purchased with the grant.

17. You must not assign, rescind, sublet, or dispose of ownership of the equipment in whole or in part.

18. You must insure the equipment that has been bought with the grant, continue to insure it against loss or damage up to its full replacement value. If damage occurs during the period of the grant agreement and in the opinion of the insurer it is not economical to make good for such damage, all the insurance money will be used to make good for the loss or damage. All premiums will have to be paid and you should provide the receipts to the Council if requested. You should do everything necessary to keep the insurance cover fully operational and not to do anything that would invalidate the insurance.

19. The grant will be paid when: A project which includes construction work has been fully completed and there is certification from the Council's Construction Management Faculty (or similar) that the work is acceptable. Relevant supporting documents have been submitted to the Council.

20.If creating or protecting jobs, the definition of 'job' is any full-time job in the business in whatever capacity, a new self-employed job or jobs created by businesses moving into the county. 'Full time' means at least 30 hours per week. It is acceptable to count two part-time jobs that together offer a total of 30 hours per week as one full-time job.

21. Businesses must trade for a minimum of 30 hours per week to be eligible.

22. You must agree not to do, refuse to do, or suffer to do, anything that may mean that the equipment is forfeited or repossessed or that could pose a risk of that happening.

23. It is acceptable to buy second-hand machinery, machinery or equipment provided the price is fair and it has not originally been purchased under a scheme funded by another grant.

24.The Council reserves the right to publicise the awarding of the grant.

25. Any publicity arranged by you relating to the receipt of the grant should indicate the scheme’s financial support. This also applies to any marketing materials/websites. Publicity Guidelines will be provided as a part of any official funding offer.

26. Once the grant has been approved you cannot include any additional items in the claim unless this has been agreed by the Council.

27. If the total expenditure is less than what was predicted, the grant award will be reduced pro rata.

28. VAT can be claimed as part of the total grant if the applicant is not registered for VAT purposes.

29. The Council must be notified in writing if there is any change to the way you use the equipment or service that has been purchased with the grant.

30. Until 2035, the Council can visit your property in order to carry out a monitoring inspection of the business asset(s) funded by the grant.

31. Cyngor Gwynedd holds absolute discretion in terms of the terms, eligibility and decisions of grant awards and reserves the right to amend the criteria at any time.

32. All successful applicants must to undertaking specific activities to improve their use of the Welsh language. These activities will be monitored and if they are not completed, any grant monies may be reclaimed.

33. All successful applicants must commit to paying the living wage to staff over 18, by February 2026. Details of the scheme can be found on this website (opens in new tab)

34. All successful applicants must undertake a Carbon Reduction Plan, with support from Business Wales

35. All applicants must adhere to the principles of the Gwynedd and Eryri Sustainable Visitor Economy Plan (opens in new tab)

We would also consider factors such as:

• Previous support (we would prioritise applicants who have not received financial support before/recently)
• Geographical range of projects

Should several applications receive the same score, Cyngor Gwynedd reserves the right to introduce more scoring measures in order to reach a decision.

Please note - When submitting an application form, you are stating that the information provided is correct. We will monitor what you state in your application form, and if you do not meet what has been stated, we may look to either cancel your grant offer, and/or reclaim any grant amount that has been paid