People opening a shop, café or other new business in Swansea city centre or one of the city’s district shopping areas can now apply for up to £30,000 from the council.
Swansea Council has launched two new grants, the High Street Helper and the Launchpad Bursary, through its £10m Economic Growth Fund.
The schemes are aimed at locally owned new retail and hospitality businesses, which the council says should add to the mix and appeal of its local shopping streets.
The High Street Helper grant offers up to £30,000 to start a new business in the city and district centres. Eligible locations include Clydach, Gorseinon, Pontarddulais, Morriston, Mumbles, Sketty and Uplands.
Up to £25,000 can go towards start-up costs such as equipment, tools, stock, website development, software, training, marketing and accountancy fees.
A further £5,000 is available for overheads during the first three months of trading, covering costs such as rent, business rates, energy bills and internal fit-out.
The second scheme, the Launchpad Bursary, is for people who want to test a business idea before formally setting up a company.
It funds short periods of real-world trading, such as a market stall or pop-up, so would-be business owners can gauge customer demand with less financial risk.
The bursary can cover equipment, initial stock, stall or temporary trading space fees, and marketing during the test period.
Both schemes are open only to applicants in the Swansea area.
Cllr David Hopkins, the council’s cabinet member for investment and delivery, said small businesses were “at the heart of our communities and our high streets”.
“These grants are designed to give people with good ideas the support and confidence they need to get started,” he said.
“Whether someone is ready to open a shop or wants to test a new idea at a market or pop-up space, we want to help them take that first step.”
Council leader Rob Stewart said the grants sat alongside the council’s £40m local growth fund, which is backed by UK Government and Welsh Government money and includes pre-start, growth, innovation and carbon reduction grants.
Cllr Stewart claimed Swansea was “the only council in Wales with a local investment fund of this scale”.
Anyone interested in applying can contact StartupGrant@swansea.gov.uk.
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