CLOSE to £5M in funding has been made available by Wrexham Council to help local organisations. 

Wrexham Council is launching four new grant schemes aimed at local organisations and businesses.

The schemes are funded by the UK Prosperity Fund and aim to support projects that boost life opportunities, local pride and develop a more prosperous, innovative, sustainable and productive economy in Wrexham.

One of the schemes will also help property or land owners and developers explore new uses for underused sites and buildings across the county borough. Capital improvements to sites and buildings identified via a feasibility study will also be eligible for funding.

The total amount of grant funding available across all four grant schemes is £4,865,071 and the council is calling on local businesses, groups and organisations to apply.

Councillor Mark Pritchard, Leader of Wrexham Council and Lead Member for Finance, said: “This is fantastic news and we want local businesses, groups and organisations to take full advantage.

“If you have a project that could benefit Wrexham and your community, please take a look at the criteria and consider putting in an application.

“We want this money to work hard for Wrexham, and so we need to hear from people with good ideas that can really make a difference.

“These opportunities don’t come around very often – please make sure you don’t miss out on applying for these grants.”

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The four schemes open for expressions of interest from September 25 and are:

1. People and Skills Fund

This will support projects that help adults improve their maths, employment and IT skills.

The aim is to help people improve their employment prospects, and the fund is open to community groups, charities, social enterprises, schools (as long as the project benefits the surrounding community), community councils and public bodies.

2. Sites and Premises Fund

This will provide grants for a wide range of design, feasibility and viability studies to help find new uses for existing properties and sites, including brownfield sites.

The aim is to breathe new life into under-used or disused buildings and land, and the fund is open to land and property owners, prospective developers, businesses, social enterprises and investors.

3. Communities and Place Fund

This will support community projects that strengthen local pride, including events and activities, access to local amenities, and improvements to local facilities and open spaces.

It will also support innovative approaches to crime prevention and community safety.

The fund is open to community groups, charities, social enterprises, community councils and schools (as long as the project benefits the surrounding community).

4. Wrexham Business Grant

The purpose of this grant is to encourage financially viable Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SME’s) in Wrexham County Borough to start-up, expand or improve performance.

The scheme can support, as a reimbursement, up to 50% of the costs for eligible capital and / or specialist revenue expenditure projects.

The grant amount you request must range from £3,000 to £50,000. At least two of the grant scheme’s set objectives must be met, with outputs being proportionate to the grant value requested.

More information can be found on the council's website.