December 2021 News and Blogs

New measures will be introduced from 6am on Boxing Day to help keep Wales safe. The measures are a revised version of alert level 2 to respond to the new omicron variant and are designed to help keep businesses open and trading and protect customers and staff. The regulations bring back protections in hospitality businesses, including licensed premises, and in cinemas and theatres when they re-open after the festive period. Strengthened guidance will be issued...

The Welsh Government is making £5.25 million available to assist Wales' arts organisations, museums, libraries and independent cinemas through the winter months. The purpose of this fund is to support organisations that are in genuine difficulty - at risk of closure or that jobs will be lost - unless further support is provided. This risk must be as a direct result of the ongoing impact of Covid-19. The new fund will provide essential support to...

Sustainability charity WRAP and Innovate UK have launched a major new UK fund to reduce the impact of plastics on the environment in India, Chile, Kenya and South Africa. This will open opportunities for UK businesses, innovators and in-country partners to work collaboratively to address the in-country challenges. The International Circular Plastics Flagship Projects competition is a £1.7 million fund designed to address the problem of plastics pollution in these key nations. Applicants can apply...

Sporting events will be played behind closed doors from Boxing Day in Wales to help control the spread of the new omicron variant. Economy Minister Vaughan Gething announced the new measures for indoor and outdoor sporting events as the latest figures showed a further steep rise in the number of confirmed cases of the fast-moving variant. He also confirmed a £3m Spectator Sports Fund will be available to support clubs and sporting venues affected by...

The Welsh Government will be providing an additional £116m package of non-domestic rates relief for businesses in the sectors most directly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Retail, leisure and hospitality ratepayers in Wales will receive 50% non-domestic rates relief for the duration of 2022-23. Like the scheme announced by the UK Government, the Welsh Government’s Retail, Leisure and Hospitality Rates Relief scheme will be capped at £110,000 per business across Wales. The approach means that...

How to keep yourself, your employees and customers safe from COVID-19. Coronavirus control plan: autumn and winter 2021 update This update to the coronavirus control plan focuses on the options available to us over the autumn and winter period, visit Coronavirus control plan: autumn and winter 2021 update | GOV.WALES COVID-19 alert levels Visit COVID-19 alert levels | Sub-topic | GOV.WALES New measures will be introduced from 6am on Boxing Day to help keep Wales...

Recruiting an apprentice can help you expand your workforce and its skills base. Support is available towards the cost of training and assessments. To help businesses recruit apprentices, Welsh Government are offering incentives until 28 February 2022 (subject to budget availability). By employing an apprentice, you can: reduce your recruitment costs build a skilled and motivated workforce tailored to your business expand your business fill any skills gaps future-proof your business increase productivity Businesses of...

Tackling health inequalities and more help to help people quit are key parts of a new plan to make Wales smoke-free by the end of the decade. The Welsh Government has launched the consultation for the long term tobacco control strategy, A Smoke-free Wales. It will be open until 31 January 2022. The target of the strategy is a smoke-free Wales by 2030, which means less than 5% of the population smoking. Whilst around 14%...

The Welsh Government have published the outcome of the exercise to identify opportunities to significantly scale up renewable energy in Wales, please see the points below that may be of interest to businesses in Wales. Recommendations: 18. We will work with the UK Government to bring new investment to ports in Wales. We will work with ports in Wales to identify opportunities for specialisation and collaboration, and to make Welsh ports investment ready. We call...

The Welsh Government is issuing strong guidance to support people across Wales through the Christmas period. Wales will then introduce new restrictions, including for businesses and services – from 27 December 2021. This will include a 2m rule on social distancing in offices and putting extra measures in place to protect customers and staff, such as one-way systems and physical barriers. Nightclubs will also close. These tougher restrictions are needed to help control the spread...