January 2022 News and Blogs

The third round of the Welsh Government’s Cultural Recovery Fund (CRF) opens for applications today, with businesses and organisations who have not previously received support under the fund now eligible to apply, Deputy Minister for Arts and Sport, Dawn Bowden, has confirmed. New entrants for CRF 3 can today apply from the Business Wales website, where further details and application forms are available. Applications will need to be returned by Friday 11 February 2022. To...

Taking place between 7 and 13 February 2022, Apprenticeship Week is an annual week-long celebration of apprenticeships, and the value they bring to employers and learners in Wales. Apprenticeships allow businesses to recruit new talent, hungry to learn, to fills skills gaps cost-effectively and enable learners, of any age, to increase their skills levels. Bringing together apprentices, training providers, parents and employers, Apprenticeship Week highlights the work being done across the whole apprenticeship community to...

The Geovation Accelerator Programme is backed by Ordnance Survey and HM Land Registry. The Programme offers 6 months intensive support, structured to each start-ups needs aimed at help founders grow their business. Start-ups receive up to £20,000 grant funding and the equivalent to over £100,000 in benefits on the Programme. Applications for the Spring 2022 intake are now open and are seeking start-ups working in PropTech, as well as start-ups using location data in the...

The Welsh Government is investing a further £4.5 million of capital funding this year in new sport facilities across Wales, Deputy Minister for Arts and Sport, Dawn Bowden has announced. The additional capital funding will support projects to enhance facilities, which will help drive increased participation across a wide range of sports. The funding will be delivered through Sport Wales. This brings the total capital investment in sport by the Welsh Government this year to...

The move completes the Welsh Government’s phased lifting of the alert level two protections, which were put in place on Boxing Day to keep Wales safe as the omicron wave swept across the country. Some important protections will remain in place at alert level zero, including mandatory face coverings in most indoor public places, including on public transport. On Friday 28 January 2022, Wales will complete the move to alert level zero. This means: Nightclubs...

From April, employers will be obliged to provide personal protective equipment (PPE) to workers, as well as employees, who may be exposed to health and safety risks at work. An amendment to the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations 1992, will come into force on 6 April 2022. Organisations will need to undertake a risk assessment to establish whether a worker requires PPE to carry out their work tasks. If they do, the employer will...

Climate change is not just bad for the planet; it is harmful for the global economy too. Innovate UK's Small Business Research Initiative competition will assist in integrating climate and environmental factors into financial services. Organisations can apply for a share of up to £1.5 million inclusive of VAT. This competition will fund projects that bring climate and environmental risk analytics into the everyday practices of financial services. These risks include: physical risks to supply...

Businesses are reminded to take steps to prepare for Making Tax Digital for Value Added Tax (VAT) before it becomes mandatory for all VAT-registered businesses from 1 April this year. Making Tax Digital is designed to help businesses eliminate common errors and save time managing their tax affairs. Making Tax Digital for VAT is part of the overall digitalisation of UK Tax. To sign up to Making Tax Digital VAT, businesses, or an agent on...

Employers must provide welfare facilities and a working environment that’s healthy and safe for everyone in the workplace, including those with disabilities. You must have: welfare facilities – the right number of toilets and washbasins, drinking water and having somewhere to rest and eat meals a healthy working environment – a clean workplace with a reasonable working temperature, good ventilation, suitable lighting and the right amount of space and seating a safe workplace – well-maintained...

Rent Smart Wales assists those who let or manage rental properties in Wales to comply with their Housing (Wales) Act 2014 obligations and provides advice on renting out safe and healthy homes. They also process landlord registrations, grant licences and deliver informative and relevant training for those involved in the rental market both online and in classroom venues across Wales. Who needs to register? Immediate landlords, those who are entitled to possession of the rental...