This is one of six UK Shared Prosperity Key Funds available in Wrexham County Borough.

Find further guidance for this grant and submit an expression of interest.

Enterprise eligibility

Financially viable pre-start and existing small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), that generate revenue from business activity, can apply for up to a 50% grant (ranging from £3,000 to £50,000), which can be used to support an eligible capital and / or specialist revenue expenditure project.

The UK definition of what counts as an SME is an enterprise with a staff headcount below 250, a turnover under £36 million or a balance sheet total below £18 million.

Enterprises must be run from an address within Wrexham County Borough.

The enterprise must have the means (either through its own or other funds) to initially fully finance the project costs. You will need to provide evidence of this as part of the application process. The enterprise cannot use other sources of grant funding towards project costs.

Successful applicants (who accept a grant offer), will need to submit a grant claim form (by October 31, 2024 at the latest). The claim form will need to include sufficient evidence that agreed outputs have been met and that the project has been completed in line with the terms and conditions.

All the relevant statutory legal requirements, consents and approvals will need to be in place for existing enterprises, as well as appropriate levels of insurance cover. Pre-start enterprises will need to have these in place when trading begins.

No more than one grant will be issued to any one enterprise.

Ineligible sectors

Enterprises within the following sectors are not eligible for support: 

  • Coal / mineral mining / fossil fuel extraction
  • Steel manufacturing
  • Shipbuilding 
  • Banks 
  • Insurance companies 
  • Housing 
  • Statutory education 
  • Health services 
  • Fisheries / aquaculture / agriculture / forestry
  • Political parties
  • Activities of an exclusively religious nature
  • Gambling
  • Pornography
  • Sexual services of any kind

Eligible spending

The Wrexham Business Grant can help fund eligible capital and / or specialist revenue expenditure (not including ongoing running costs). This can include:

Capital spending

  • Machinery and equipment 
  • Factory vehicles such as forklift trucks, telehandlers, excavators
  • IT and telecom hardware (if linked directly to the delivery of the project) 
  • Marketing materials / websites

The purchase of second-hand equipment is permitted subject to all of the following conditions being met:

  • The seller provides a declaration on the origin of the equipment, or evidence of original purchase can be provided 
  • The price of the equipment does not exceed its market value 
  • The price of the equipment is less than the cost of similar new equipment
  • The equipment has the technical characteristics necessary for the operation and complies with applicable standards, such as health and safety

Specialist revenue spending

  • Specialist / technical training (not necessarily accredited) from a recognised and suitably qualified provider (assessed on a case-by-case basis)
  • Commissioning / installation of machinery
  • Specialist software
  • Creation of websites, e-commerce/ online shops, apps
  • Advertising as part of a full marketing plan (assessed on a case-by-case basis)
  • Specialist Consultants (assessed on a case-by-case basis)
  • Quality Assurance Certification (assessed on a case-by-case basis)
  • Charges associated to the delivery / installation of any capital equipment

Ineligible spending

The grant cannot be used for any of the following purposes:

  • Any part of a project completed by the lead applicant or the enterprise themselves (whether wholly or part owned) - all project work must be completed by external parties/businesses
  • Any spending incurred before you have received and accepted a grant offer, as the grant cannot be awarded retrospectively
  • Any spending for which a commitment to purchase had been made before receiving and accepting a grant offer
  • Any cash purchases
  • General revenue spending such as, staff costs or any other taxes
  • Repair, maintenance, and decoration costs
  • The purchase of on road vehicles
  • Working capital costs such as stock, rent, rates, administration
  • Membership and affiliation to governing bodies
  • Costs of work being carried out as a legal statutory requirement, including planning permission
  • Feasibility studies
  • A project identified as a result of a sites and premises re-use feasibility study, for which grant support is being sought 
  • If the enterprise is VAT registered, then VAT costs will be ineligible (VAT costs will be payable in cases of non-VAT registered enterprises)
  • Items purchased via credit card(s) or through lease purchase, hire purchase, extended credit agreements / finance leases
  • Professional fees for general business consultants including business plans, bid writing / any fees relating to completing an application for grant purposes 
  • The purchase of land and / or property 
  • Residential accommodation 
  • Paid for lobbying, entertaining, petitioning or challenging decisions - which means using the fund (via an external firm or in-house staff) in order to undertake activities intended to influence or attempt to influence Parliament, government or political activity; or attempting to influence legislative or regulatory action
  • Gifts, or payments for gifts or donations
  • Statutory fines, criminal fines or penalties
  • Any activity an enterprise has a statutory duty to undertake
  • Contingencies and contingent liabilities
  • Dividends
  • Bad debts, costs resulting from the deferral of payments to creditors, or winding up a company
  • Expenses in respect of litigation, unfair dismissal or other compensation
  • Costs incurred in setting up and contributing towards private pension schemes
  • Business activity that is illegal or deemed unsuitable for support by us
  • Contributions in kind
  • Depreciation, amortisation or impairment of current assets