Council receives funding for business programme

Bridgend County Borough Council has received £120,000 funding from the UK Government to deliver the Bridgend Elevate and Prosper Project (EAP).

The project will work by developing a series of popup initiatives to create opportunities for start-up and micro business growth, encourage greater footfall and dwell time, and enable greater resilience with a ‘quicker, lighter, cheaper’ approach to test a series of changes.

It will also provide mentoring support, to be targeted towards those businesses that require it, support businesses to introduce new products, safeguard jobs and support the creation of new businesses.

The EAP will target start-ups including those thinking of starting a business, micro-businesses, and small and medium-sized enterprises seeking to establish themselves or develop. It will aim to provide direct support to 30 micro/small businesses and 20 voluntary sector organisations.

Funding comes from the UK Government’s UK Community Renewal Fund for 2021-22, which aims to support people and communities most in need across the UK to pilot programmes and new approaches to prepare for the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. It invests in skills, community and place, local businesses and supporting people into employment.

We welcome this funding from UK Government which will provide a boost to our exciting EAP project.

We hope the project will be of great benefit to those thinking of starting a business as well as those seeking to establish themselves or develop further.

Councillor Charles Smith, Cabinet Member for Education and Regeneration

The local authority is also working with Urban Foundry BCorp who have developed Pop Up Wales as a meanwhile space initiative that will encourage greater local spend and a more circular economy for communities in South Wales.

The council will be attending the Porthcawl Jobs Fair on Tuesday 15 March from 10am-2pm at Hi-Tide to promote the EAP project and encourage sign-ups.

For further details and to register your interest in pop-up spaces, visit the Pop Up Wales website.