Carmarthenshire County Council Funding Opportunities

There are 7 different types of funding currently open for applications. The funding available can be seen listed below:

Refreshing Town Centres Fund

The funds are targeted at providing opportunities for organisations within Carmarthenshire’s Town Centres to add vibrancy to their shop fronts. £2,000 is available for each eligible property and is based on 80% of eligible project costs. Freeholders and leaseholders are eligible. Types of eligible spend include decoration of buildings, lighting, painting, gutter cleansing etc.

For more information please contact: towns@carmarthenshire.gov.uk or visit: https://www.carmarthenshire.gov.wales/home/business/funding/refreshing-town-centre/

Business Research and Development Grant

This grant intervention is to strengthen Research & Development and innovation in the local entrepreneurial ecosystems and support businesses at early stages of development of new products/process.

For more information please contact: BusinessFund@carmarthenshire.gov.uk or visit: https://www.carmarthenshire.gov.wales/home/business/funding/research-and-development-grant/

SPF Business Engagement

The SPF Business Engagement project can support businesses with accessing CCC contacts and works, improving local supply chains, one to one specialist support and business workshops.

For more information please contact business@carmarthenshire.gov.uk or visit: https://www.carmarthenshire.gov.wales/home/business/funding/

SPF Business Launchpad Bursary

The bursary is a fully funded payment of up to £1,500, which is available to any Carmarthenshire-based individual over 18 who are interested in test-trading a business idea. This fund is open to individuals who are in full time or part time study or employment, who wish to ‘have a go’ in business.

For more information please contact businessengagement@carmarthenshire.gov.uk or visit: https://www.carmarthenshire.gov.wales/home/business/business-engagement/business-launchpad-bursary/

Business Start Up Fund

The aim of the Start Up Fund is to support the creation of new businesses in the county, resulting directly in the creation of jobs, therefore improving the local economy. The grant is only available for prestart businesses (not yet trading). Grants are available between £1,000 to £50,000. Each grant award will be based on 50% of eligible costs OR a maximum of £5,000 per job created whichever is the lesser. The grant will be open for application between March 2023 and August 2024 or until the fund is fully allocated.

For more information please contact: BusinessFund@carmarthenshire.gov.uk or visit: https://www.carmarthenshire.gov.wales/home/business/funding/business-start-up-grant/

Business Growth Fund

The grant will support local businesses and inward investors to grow, prosper and be sustainable. Resulting in the creation or safeguarding of jobs throughout the County, therefore improving the local economy.

Grants are available between £1,000 to £50,000. Each grant award will be based on 50% of eligible costs OR a maximum of £5,000 per job created whichever is the lesser. The grant will be open for application between March 2023 and August 2024 or until the fund is fully allocated.

For more information please contact: BusinessFund@carmarthenshire.gov.uk or visit: https://www.carmarthenshire.gov.wales/home/business/funding/business-growth-grant/

Business Renewable Energy Fund

The Fund will be a business grant scheme, which will provide capital support to businesses towards the purchase of renewable energy systems for their business premises. The amount of funding available is between £1,000 (minimum) and £25,000 (maximum) towards the cost of the renewable energy system. Each grant award will be based on no more than 50% of eligible costs. All expenditure associated to the grant must be completed and claimed by 30th November 2024.

This funding is currently closed. However, if you would like to be placed on the waiting list, please contact: BREF@carmarthenshire.gov.uk or, for more information, please visit: https://www.carmarthenshire.gov.wales/home/business/funding/business-renewable-energy-fund/

Carmarthenshire Rural Enterprise Fund

The Carmarthenshire Rural Enterprise Fund (CREF) can provide financial assistance to businesses and sole traders for the development of new and existing business premises, where jobs are being created as a result.

Priority will be given to applications that will provide tangible benefits to the local economy in terms of quantity and quality of direct jobs created in key sectors.

For more information please contact: economicdevelopment@carmarthenshire.gov.uk or visit: https://www.carmarthenshire.gov.wales/home/business/funding/carmarthenshire-rural-enterprise-fund-cref/

Town Centre Loans Fund

The objective of the Town Centre Loan scheme is to incentivise and enable property refurbishment and new builds in all the town centres in Carmarthenshire, by offering interest free loans to property owners, developers, investors etc., who will in turn encourage sustainable re-use of vacant, underutilised and redundant sites and premises. An Interest free loan between £25,000 and £1,000,000 is on offer. The loan can only support a maximum of 75% of the loan to value of project cost. The maximum term of a loan will be for 5 years.

For more information please contact: TownCentreLoan@carmarthenshire.gov.uk or visit: https://www.carmarthenshire.gov.wales/home/business/funding/town-centre-loans-fund/

Transforming Towns

The Transforming Towns grant aims to bring empty and derelict buildings in Ammanford, Carmarthen and Llanelli back into commercial use by refurbishing and re purposing them. It will support green infrastructure to improve biodiversity and enhance public spaces. The grant is open for applications from 18th April until the 14th June 2024. All projects must be completed by 14th February 2025 in line with the current funding allocation. Please note, we will accept applications which require delivery beyond this date, however, we will not be in a position to support unless budget from Welsh Government is confirmed. In circumstances where the project cost is lower than £250,000 an intervention rate of 70% against total project costs will apply. Applications over £250,000 will be considered via Welsh Government strategic funding and the grant intervention rate will be capped at 45%.

For more information please contact: transformingtowns@carmarthenshire.gov.uk or visit: https://www.carmarthenshire.gov.wales/home/business/funding/transforming-towns/

Local Development Order (LDO)

We have established a ‘Task Force’ with a view to overseeing the regeneration of town centres. A key issue that the Task Force has been seeking to address is the number of vacant retail units in the town centres. The potential contribution that a shift in planning policy could make to facilitating investment and helping in incentivising development is noted.

The LDO acknowledges a shifting role for the town centre to that of a destination and living environment as well as a retail centre. It seeks to introduce a permissive planning regime that would allow specified changes of use to take place without the applicant having to apply for planning permission.

We have LDO in the following town centres:

• Ammanford
• Carmarthen

For more information please contact planningregistrations@carmarthenshire.gov.uk or visit: Local Development Order (LDO) (gov.wales)