Council announces fresh funding opportunities
Poster information
Posted on: Friday 14 June 2019
Following the recent announcement that the Ford Engine Plant is planning to close in 2020, a high-level meeting of local business leaders and employers is being organised by Bridgend County Borough Council.
The news comes as the council prepares to relaunch two major funding initiatives that will support supply chain companies and businesses that have been affected by the proposed closure.
I have invited a wide range of local business leaders, representatives of the Bridgend Business Forum and employer organisations to discuss how we can work together to help the local economy can respond and rally to the proposed closure of the engine plant. At the same time, the council has re-launched two funds in support of businesses based within the supply chain network.
Ford has long been considered an anchor company in the South Wales economy, and the Special Regeneration Fund will help local companies to diversify and invest in order to thrive and take advantage of new business opportunities.
The council is also extending its Kick Start fund, which seeks to support new businesses and create fresh jobs within their first three years of trading by helping them invest in equipment and other capital start-up costs. The loss of the engine plant will be a hammer blow to the area, so we need swift and urgent action from Welsh Government and UK Government to support workers, businesses and local communities.
Council Leader Huw David
Councillor Richard Young, Cabinet Member for Communities, added: “Bridgend County Borough Council is in discussions with partners at Welsh Government, the Department of Work and Pensions, Job Centre Plus, Business Wales, Careers Wales, Bridgend College and more on setting up a specialist response team to support the Ford workers who have been affected by this terrible news.
“The response team will help the skilled staff at Ford to find alternative employment, gain access to new training opportunities and more, and I am looking forward to being able to reveal more details soon.”