Finance, Funding and Grants in Conwy

Ffilm Cymru Wales offers a host of development and support services to those in the film industry be that in film development, production, education, exhibition or filmmaking. They can offer funding of various amounts depending on the project as well as support such as news, events, mentoring services, connecting people in the industry and more.

Eligibility: Available for all stages of business including businesses not yet trading.

Website: https://ffilmcymruwales.com/

E-mail: [email protected]

Tel: 0292 167 9369

The Green Business Loan Scheme is delivered in partnership with the Development Bank of Wales to help Welsh businesses go green. 

The scheme provides:

• Access to fully funded and part-funded consultancy support and energy audit to help businesses understand their own path to decarbonisation
• Discounted fixed interest rates for energy efficiency measures and low-carbon heat installations 
• Patient capital, with upfront capital repayment holidays and a loan term linked to project payback

If your business has been trading for two years or more you can apply for a green business loan from £1,000 up to £1.5 million. Discounted fixed interest rates are available to help make the loans more affordable.

Eligibility: Available to businesses trading for over 2 years with at least one set of filed accounts. 

Website: https://developmentbank.wales/business-need/green-business-loan-scheme

Tel: 0800 587 4140

The scheme offers funding of UP TO 70% on eligible capital and/or revenue expenditure for projects with awards offered from £3,000 up to £100,000.

To be considered, your project should fit one or more of the defined interventions and deliver one or more of the following outputs and outcomes:

• Job Creation
• Job Safeguarding
• Introduction of new to firm technologies or processes
• Improved productivity
• Increased amount of investment
• Projects arising from funded feasibility studies.
• People attending training
• Low or zero carbon energy infrastructure installed
• Increasing competitiveness
• Aiding business growth
• Making efficiency gains
• Increasing sustainability
• Introducing new products, services or markets to the firm
• Focus on decarbonisation and the climate emergency

Application Form can be found here

Eligibility: To be eligible to receive investment support, businesses must be located in the County of Conwy, have been actively trading over 6 months and registered with HMRC.

Website: https://www.conwy.gov.uk/en/Business/Regeneration/European-and-External-Funding/UK-Shared-Prosperity-Fund-Conwy-Key-Funds/Supporting-Local-Business-Key-Fund.aspx

Are you looking to start up or grow a business in Wales?

Banc was set up by the Welsh Government to support the economy of Wales. They provide finance to businesses who are looking to start up and grow and have a range of funding options that could help your business:

- Loans from £1,000 - £6 million to start, strengthen or grow your business
- Equity investment from £50,000 to £10 million for established businesses
- Seed finance for pre-revenue tech start-ups
- Equity investment for early-stage and mature technology-based businesses
- Finance to buy a business (business owners and management teams)
- Property development loans for projects in Wales
- Referrals to Business Wales for business advice and support
- Co-investment alongside banks, crowd funders, grants, investors and other lenders

Eligibility: Available for all stages of business including businesses not yet trading.

Website: https://developmentbank.wales/get-business-finance

Finance Eligibility Checker: https://developmentbank.wales/Eligibility-checker

E-mail: [email protected]

Tel: 0800 587 4140

The Investment Fund for Wales will deliver a £130 million commitment of new funding to the country.

The fund aims to drive sustainable economic growth by supporting innovation and creating local opportunities for new and growing businesses across Wales.

The Investment Fund for Wales offers a range of commercial finance options with smaller loans from £25,000 to £100,000, debt finance from £100,000 to £2 million and equity investment up to £5 million. The fund covers the whole of Wales, including rural, coastal and urban areas.

Website: https://www.british-business-bank.co.uk/nations-and-regions-investment-funds/investment-fund-for-wales-ifw/

Are you a running community project that is looking to access support? Community Foundation Wales aims to find and fund community-based projects based across Wales.

Eligibility: Available for all stages of business including businesses not yet trading.

Website: https://communityfoundationwales.org.uk/

Tel:02920 379580

Email: [email protected]

A UK-wide, government-backed initiative financed through British Business Bank, providing loans for people starting a new business or have been trading for less than 3 years. Loans range from £500 to £25,000 with a fixed interest rate of 6% over 1-5 years. The scheme also offers 12 months of mentoring for successful loan applicants.

- The scheme is open to those over the age of 18 at the time of application

- Applicants must live in the UK. They must also have the right to remain in the UK for the duration of the loan term and the right to be self-employed.

- Applicants should be unable to access alternative finance for starting a business elsewhere.

- As part of the application process, a credit check will take place. Applicants with recent defaults or poor credit histories should check with a credit reference agency to ensure their records are up to date before applying.

Eligibility: https://www.startuploans.co.uk/faqs-2/eligibility/

Website: https://www.startuploans.co.uk/

Tel:0344 264 2600

E-mail: [email protected]

Start Up Loans also offers the below products through the listed dedicated providers.

Sharia compliant finance
The Start Up Loans Company provides a Sharia compliant investment product. This is provided through the Financing Startup Enterprise Group.
https://www.startuploans.co.uk/sharia-compliant-finance/
Tel: 0330 056 2528 

Creative Businesses
The Start Up Loans company provides loans specifically for the creative sector. This is provided through Creative England.
https://www.wearecreative.uk/investment/
Apply via the website.

Ex-service personnel
For military spouses & partners, reservists, cadets and children of forces personnel with entrepreneurial ambition.
Website: https://www.x-forces.com/
Tel:0800 368 9533
E-mail: [email protected]

Is your business over 12 months old and looking to grow? The Government's new Help to Grow programme could help.

The scheme offers decision-makers and senior managers access to a 12 week programme, designed to be manageable alongside full-time work. It combines a practical curriculum with 1:1 mentoring, peer-learning and alumni networking. Participants are enabled to develop their skills in areas such as financial management, innovation and digital adoption, working towards a tailored business growth plan to lead their business to its full potential.

Delivered by leading business schools across the UK, the programme is 90% subsidised by the government, with participants contributing £750. Some business schools delivering the Help to Grow Management programme are providing bursaries of £750 - more information is available directly from the business schools.

Eligibility: Available for limited companies who have been trading over 12 months with between 5-249 employees. If your business employs between 10 and 249 people, you can send up to two participants on the course. For more information, please read the FAQs.

Website: https://smallbusinesscharter.org/help-to-grow-management/


As well as this scheme, you can find more information and support resources for starting and growing a business on the Government's Help to Grow campaign website: https://helptogrow.campaign.gov.uk/

Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme is an equity scheme aimed at small riskier, early stage UK companies willing to hand over equity in their business in exchange for capital funding. It is designed to boost economic growth in the UK by promoting new enterprise and entrepreneurship. You can raise a maximum of £250,000 through SEIS.

The following criteria must be met by the company in order to be eligible and remain SEIS compliant:

- Must be established in the UK
- Must be fully independent (has not been controlled by another company since their date of incorporation)
- Must not be a member of a partnership
- Does not control another company unless that company is a qualifying subsidiary
- Must be unquoted before beginning SEIS (not listed on any major stock exchange)
- Has no arrangements to become a quoted company or a subsidiary of one at the time of the share issue
- Must be operating in a qualifying trade
- Must have fewer than 25 full-time equivalent employees when the shares are issued
- Must not have gross assets over £350,000 when the shares are issued

Website: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/venture-capital-schemes-apply-to-use-the-seed-enterprise-investment-scheme 

E-mail: [email protected]

BGF invests in a range of companies, from earlier stage SMEs of £1m revenues, to those with £100m+ revenues, and across all sectors. Investments provided range  are a mix of equity and loan notes for growth and/or cash out to existing shareholders. Initial investments are between £1m and £20m.

The BGF works with companies that have realistic expansion plans, offering a collaborative approach to financing growth, working closely with the companies in which they invest.

Website: https://www.bgf.co.uk/

Regional telephone numbers and online contact form: https://www.bgf.co.uk/contact/

UK Export Finance (UKEF) is the UK’s export credit agency. It is like a government bank or insurer specifically for exports. Its ambition is to make sure no viable export from the UK should fail for want of finance or insurance from the private sector.

UKEF helps firms of all sizes access the finance and insurance needed to realise their export ambitions through:

• free and independent guidance on sources of export finance

• the release of working capital with bank guarantees for contract bonds or credit facilities

• security of payment with export credit insurance

• competitive finance for overseas buyers with buyer credit guarantees or direct loans

The amounts and terms of support available depend on the risk involved. UKEF works with exporters, project sponsors, banks and buyers.

Website: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-export-finance

Find an Export Finance Manager website: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/find-an-export-finance-manager

Overseas Investment Insurance guide: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/overseas-investment-insurance

E-mail: [email protected] 

General Tel: +44 (0)20 7271 8010

Innovate UK is the UK’s innovation agency and works with companies and partner organisations to find and drive the science and technology innovations that will grow the UK economy.

They do this by offering loans, grants, competitions, and access to academic resources and support via Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, Innovate UK Business Connect, and Catapult Centres.

They have also produced the good application guide to help you prepare your best funding application.

Website: https://www.ukri.org/councils/innovate-uk/

Funding website: https://apply-for-innovation-funding.service.gov.uk/competition/search

Tel: 0300 321 4357

E-mail: [email protected]

The Momentum Music Fund offers grants of £5k-£15k for artists/bands to break through to the next level of their careers. Activities eligible for support include recording, touring and marketing. The fund is open to applications from artists and bands in the UK that are at a crucial point in their development, with the potential to significantly further their career within the next two years. Applications can be submitted by the artists themselves or those who are working on their behalf, e.g. a manager, an independent label or publisher.

Funding can be used for:

- Recording – new album, EP, single, producer, engineer, mixer fees, studio hire, session musician fees, etc.

- Touring (UK only) – travel, accommodation, musician fees, set/production design, tour management, equipment hire, etc.

- Marketing and promotions – online PR, radio plugger, digital marketing, music videos, merchandise production, etc.

Closing date: There are 4 application rounds per year, closing at 6pm on the dates listed here 

Website: https://prsfoundation.com/funding-support/funding-music-creators/next-steps/ppl-momentum-music-fund/

E-mail: [email protected]

Are you looking to access finance for your business? You may want to consider Crowdfunding.

Crowdfunding is a method of getting finance by sourcing small amounts from a large number of people, rather than getting large amounts from one or a few. Its platforms host fundraisers’ pitches and allows the transfer of money directly from the funders to the fundraiser. 

Some level of vetting is usually made before allowing pitches on the platforms, and fees are charged to either the fundraiser, funder, or to both.

Not all crowdfunders are regulated by the FCA. Some are regulated by their association codes of conduct. There is an element of risk involved in dealing with any organisation that is not regulated by the FCA to offer finance products. To find out more go to https://www.fca.org.uk/consumers/crowdfunding

There are several types of crowdfunding platforms that you can consider, which usually depend on the stage and the sector of your business. Take a look at the British Business Bank information on equity crowdfunding: https://www.british-business-bank.co.uk/finance-hub/equity-crowdfunding/, and peer-to-peer lending: https://www.british-business-bank.co.uk/finance-hub/peer-to-peer-lending/ for the pros and cons of using these platforms.