ARFOR 2 programme (up to March 2025)
On 10 October 2022, the Welsh Government announced that a further £11 million will be provided for a second phase of ARFOR until the end of March 2025.
The programme will continue to work across Anglesey, Gwynedd, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire, to support the communities which are the heartlands of the Welsh language to prosper through economic interventions which will also contribute to increasing opportunities to see and use the Welsh language.
Most of the funding will be managed regionally.
For further information on the new programme and its regional funds, go to the ARFOR website.
Information on locally managed grant schemes will appear here when available.
Businesses and community enterprises interested in Arfor 2 or other grants are advised to contact Business Wales or Hwb Menter / Enterprise Hub for advice and information.
Enterprising Communities: ARFOR Programme Local Fund on Anglesey
The fund targets commerical, social, cooperative enterprises and community enterprises that aim to preserve and increase local wealth in areas considered strongholds of the Welsh language, namely Anglesey, Gwynedd, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire (the ARFOR region).
ARFOR 1 programme (ended March 2021)
In 2019 the Welsh Government awarded £2 million of revenue funding to Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Gwynedd and Anglesey Councils for the trialling of new schemes to realise the following targets:
- Promote enterprise and supporting business growth in areas with a high proportion of Welsh speakers
- Secure better and better paid jobs to retain local people in these areas and encourage those who have left to return
- Promote the value of speaking Welsh and bilingualism in businesses
- Encourage businesses and people who move to rural areas to value and use the Welsh language
ARFOR 1 on Anglesey
Anglesey was awarded £468k in revenue funding under Arfor 1, and also secured £160k in capital funding from the Welsh Government in 2021.
Several schemes have been piloted on Anglesey, including 75 grant awards supporting:
- 42 existing businesses and 18 new businesses
- 60.5 new jobs and 108.5 existing jobs
- 36 new products or services
- more than £750,000 in private investment
- 48 businesses increasing their use of the Welsh language
Most projects were delivered by the private sector. The grants were managed by the county council and Menter Iaith Môn, with support also from Business Wales and the Hwb Menter Enterprise Hub.
Arfor 1 also funded the following to support understanding and use of the Welsh language:
Llwyddo’n Lleol 2050
A campaign across Gwynedd and Anglesey managed by Menter Môn to highlight and promote entrepreneurship and work opportunities available locally now and in future for young people, and a total of 14 young entrepreneurs were assisted and gained enterprise experience.
Regional projects
The four counties worked in partnership on a number of activities. Wavehill were commissioned to evaluate activities and create a new strategy for the future, and Golwg 360 were commissioned to promote ARFOR stories through Bwrlwm Arfor. The regional projects were managed by Gwynedd Council as lead body.
Evaluation
The external evaluation of the ARFOR 1 programme by Wavehill has informed the design of ARFOR 2 and a copy of the report is available on the ARFOR website.
There has also been a local in-house evaluation of ARFOR 1 on Anglesey. It is available on this page as a download.
