 |
 New
to this site?
About
us - GRA Ltd
Our
Success Stories
Grant
Applications
Terms
of Business
ASK
GRA NOW
FOR GRA'S EXPERT CONSIDERATION OF THE
POSSIBILITY OF YOUR PROJECT ATTRACTING GRANT AID OR OTHER FUNDING LET
US HAVE DETAILS USING THE FORM BELOW.
GRA
QUESTIONAIRE
|
|
|
GRA
- UK Company Grants Resource - Advertising by Google
Wales - Grants
& Funding
In Wales, financial assistance towards large
capital investment projects was previously offered by Regional Selective
Assistance Cymru (RSA) in Tier 1 and Tier 2 areas, with additionally
the possibility for Small and Medium Sized companies (SME's) to be
funded by the Assembly Investment Grant (AIG) in all areas throughout
Wales (see below). The latter had a maximum support ceiling
of £75K.
From 17th April 2008, these have been absorbed into a new
business support programme delivered through a Single
Investment Fund encompassing elements of both
grants and other business support and funding schemes.
Whilst automatic grants such as RDG which ceased in
1988 no longer exist; ALL grants, which form part of the new scheme
continue to be discretionary, require an applicant to prove a genuine
need, and that a project for which funding is sought will create and/or
safeguard jobs. A grant cannot be claimed as a right - it has to be
the result of an application for aid.
The Single Investment Fund, with
a budget pot of around £92m,
is a merger of a number of continuing capital
grants, including Regional Selective Assistance, the
old Assembly Investment Grant, property development, and tourism industry
section 4 grants. In future there will only be one application form to
complete; and to implement the scheme, the Welsh Assembly Government
plans to have in place some 200 Customer Relationship
Managers who will provide its points of initial contact for businesses
seeking support.
A new mechanism for assessing the return on investment from business
support awarded forms part of an effort to reduce grant dependency within
Wales, therefore 'return-on-investment' monitoring to ensure best value
for money will also feature within the scheme. This will look at improved
profit margins of companies in receipt of support, as well as increased
employee income levels.
The discretionary nature of the grant regimes and strict
criteria by which eligibility is determined, as well as the other
aspects detailed above, suggests that you should speak first with GRA
or other professionals to avoid giving information prematurely which
could then prejudice your potential case for Grant Aid when final application
submissions are reviewed during the formal appraisal process.
Taxpayers' money was
not given away lightly in the past - under the Single
Investment Fund, Officials' scrutiny will be much more rigorous
as a clear expectation of WAG policy.
In summary the available Capital Expenditure grants which form part
of the Single Investment Fund remain as:
| RSA |
available for capital expenditure projects taking
place within Wales in Tier 1 and Tier 2 Areas, and which will create
and/or safeguard jobs. Grants from £100K upwards, and running
into millions are possible since there is no maximum stipulated
by the RSA scheme. |
| AIG |
available for capital expenditure projects undertaken
by small and medium companies throughout Wales. It is limited to
a maximum award of £75,000, but is not job creation dependant.
|
INNOVATION
Grants for Innovation known previously as formerly SMART
CYMRU are also part of the Single Investment Fund scheme.
See Other Funding for
details of Innovation grants.
|
|
News of Wales (3)
|
|
IN
THE NEWS |
|
|
Keeping up with the Jones's
SIF - the END
Ieuan Wyn Jones
with First Minister,
Carwen Jones
Minister for the Economy and Transport,
Ieuan Wyn Jones, announced on 16th April 2008, that the new Single
Investment Fund has now gone live, replacing the current
system of numerous capital grants and business support programme.
Now on 5th July, 2010, he has announced 'The Single Investment Fund
will no longer operate' unveiling a new strategy of 100%
repayable grants available only to a limited number of companies
within six key sectors. as part of the new Economic Renewal Programme.
GRA understands certain Inward
Investment projects could still get grant aid - would be grant
seekers should note GRA can help and advise.
UPM get £1.7M SIF Grant
Paper
giant UPM is to invest £17m
in the development of a materials recovery facility at its Shotton
paper mill in North Wales. The facility will sort dry recyclables,
such as plastic bottles, cardboard, newspapers, magazines and metals,
and enable the mill to source high-quality paper from co-mingled
sources. Construction on the site will start immediately and is estimated
to be complete by Jan 2011.
Once up and running at full capacity, 160 jobs will be created in
order to sort 200,000 tonnes of recyclable material, of which 120,000
tonnes will be newspapers and magazines.
David Ingham, UPM Shotton general manager, said: "Our vision
for UPM Shotton is to be the frontrunner in creating value from renewable
and recyclable materials. Building a materials recovery facility
at the site is a natural step towards this vision."
Cheryl Gillan appointed Welsh secretary.
Cardiff-born
Mrs Gillan, 58, Conservative MP for Chesham and Amersham,
has served as shadow Welsh secretary since 2005 and becomes the
first woman in the job. Previously
Mrs
Gillan served as a Conservative spokesperson on trade and industry,
foreign affairs and home affairs before succeeding Bill Wiggin,
an opponent of the Welsh assembly, as Shadow Welsh Secretary in
December 2005. She had earlier served as a junior minister in John
Major's government.
Mrs Gillan said: "As
a politician with proud Welsh roots, it is a great honour to be
appointed Secretary of State for Wales .
Mrs Gillan said she would be seeking to meet Carwyn Jones as "soon
as possible" to discuss the Welsh economy and a referendum
for further legislative powers for Wales.
Meanwhile, the assembly
government's deputy first minister said they have "no plan" to
deal with an estimated £220m cut to the Welsh budget this
year. The Conservative-Lib Dem coalition at Westminster has announced
it will press ahead with billions of pounds of cuts immediately,
to start dealing with the UK budget deficit.
The Welsh budget will be cut by £162.5m
First Minister Carwyn Jones
meets David Cameron recently in Cardiff
As a part of the £6.2bn spending
reductions unveiled by Chancellor George Osborne, the Welsh Assembly
Government budget will be cut by £162.5M. This was the figure
announced by George Osborne on 24th May. He said "urgent
action" was
needed to address the budget deficit. It said that recycled savings
worth £24.4m will
reduce the impact from the original figure of £187m. The
assembly government has the option to defer the cuts to next year,
but this may not be taken up.
Welsh Secretary Cheryl Gillan said: "These have been hard
and difficult decisions, but it is only right and proper that Wales
makes its contribution to helping reduce the massive fiscal deficit
that has been left as the legacy of the previous government. "I
am pleased that we have been able to limit the savings in Wales
to 1.2%, significantly less than many government departments. "This
is a fair and proportionate deal for Wales."
Single Investment Fund
Ieuan Wyn Jones
Minister for the Economy and Transport, Ieuan Wyn
Jones, announced on 16th April 2008, that the new Single
Investment Fund has now gone live, replacing the current
system of numerous capital grants and business support programme.
The single investment strategy was first unveiled by former Minister
for the Economy and Transport Andrew Davies, but his successor Mr
Jones has taken the project forward and ensured its delivery, with
key support from director of policy and strategy at the department
of the economy and transport James Price.
RSA Cynru continues as an element of
the scheme for those whose requirements are to seek grant funding for
Capital Projects - but there is now little detail in the public domain
as to how to set about making a grant application - would be applicants
are encouraged to talk to WAG Customer Relationship Managers acting
as sole points of contact for all businesses seeking support under
the new scheme, which may not be in the best interests of the applicant.
Alternatively - would be grant seekers
should note GRA can help and advise.
FORD get Single Investment Fund Grant
of £13.4M
Announcing a £70M Investment, Ford have decided
that it will manufacture its 1.6litre low carbon petrol engines exclusively
at Bridgend with the help of a £13.4M Single Investment Fund
Grant from the Welsh Assembly Government. .
The new engines will go into production within two
years. They will be up to 20% more fuel- efficient. It is hoped the
decision will safeguard more than 600 jobs,
New First Minister Appointed
Carwyn Howell Jones (born 21 March
1967) succeeded Rhodri Morgan as First Minister
for Wales on 1st Jan 2009.
The third official to lead the Welsh Assembly
Government, Mr Jones has been Assembly Member for Bridgend
since 1999. In the coalition government of Labour and Plaid Cymru,
he was appointed Counsel General for Wales and Leader of the House
on 19 July 2007.
InBev get £3.3M
RSA
Iechyd da, Magor!
With the help of a £3.3M grant,
InBev (formerly known as Interbrew - the world's leading brewer)
is investing £11m
in a new state-of-the-art bottling facility at Magor near Newport,
South Wales.
GRA worked closely with InBev UK to prepare the grant application,
and advised in the negotiation of the successful RSA Cymru grant offered
by the Welsh Assembly to enable Magor management to get project go
ahead
from its Belgian Board.
 £143M
in grants awarded historically to businesses in Wales
Since the Single Investment Fund was
introduced little publicity has been given to grants awarded in Wales,
but for the record it is interesting to note that some 270 Welsh business
were offered grants by the WAG in the financial year ended at 31st
March, 2001. 13,173 jobs in Wales were created or safeguarded as a
result..
Figures for later years to date in 2010 are expected to be similar - perhaps
its just that they are keeping quiet lest the good news gets out, and more
companies seek grant aid..
WOULD BE
grant seekers should note GRA can gladly help and advise to ensure a SUCCESSFUL
application .
NEWS ALERTS by eMail
A new service to Welsh GRA site subscribers is launching
soon...
 5.7.10 © GRA
2003-2010 |
|
|
|
|
