More than 1,100 unemployed people facing hidden barriers to
entering the labour market have been helped to start their own
businesses thanks to a Welsh Government grant scheme, Economy
Minister has announced.
They include unemployed single mum Sami Gibson, who was
determined to build a better life for herself and her child.
Sami had dreams of setting up her own business but faced several
barriers – she had no laptop or internet connectivity and was
living in a remote rural location.
Thanks to support from the Welsh Government’s Business Wales
service, Sami has set up a new business called Roots, which grows
and sells herbs and other plants sustainably. Roots also creates
blends such as stuffing herb mix with wild bilberries, a
nasturtium salt, and pizza sauce herbs.
Sami was awarded a Barriers to Start Up Grant worth £2,000, which
she used to purchase equipment and marketing materials for her
start-up.
Sami said:
“Thanks to invaluable support from Business Wales, I now trade
regularly at markets and I have a thriving website for sales.”
The Barriers to Start-up Grant for over 25-year-olds is a revenue
grant to help economically inactive and unemployed individuals
over the age of 25 to start up a business in Wales.
It particularly targets individuals facing barriers to starting
their own business or to enter the employment market. It is part
of a package of support that includes one-to-one advice and
webinars to build confidence in business practices and develop
plans for starting a business.
Of the successful applicants in the latest phase of the grant
scheme 57% were female, 26% were disabled, and 13% identified
themselves as Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic.
The fund supports the Welsh Government’s aim of eradicating the
gap between the employment rate in Wales and the UK by 2050, with
a focus on fair work and raising labour market participation of
under-represented groups.
Speaking at the start of Global Entrepreneurship Week, Economy
Minister said:
“The Welsh Government is determined to create a fairer and more
prosperous Wales, where people are supported to fulfil their true
potential.
“We are working hard to create good-quality jobs in communities
across Wales. That includes supporting people into work,
regardless of their individual circumstances or the barriers they
face to employment.
“We are also focused on supporting more people to start their own
business, fostering an even more vibrant SME sector, and
prioritising enterprises built on sustainability and the
industries and services of tomorrow.
“I am delighted this grant initiative has already helped so many
people, including those from groups under-represented in the
labour market, and those in and out of work with long term health
conditions.”
As well as assisting individuals aged over 25 to start up a
business, the Economy Minister approved £5m over three years to
support young people into self-employment with advice and
financial support to deliver on the Young Person’s Guarantee. The
Young Person’s Start-up Grant for those aged under 25 went live
in July 2022 and is administered by Big Ideas Wales. This grant
will run until 2025.
Find out how Business Wales could help you at https://businesswales.gov.wales/campaigns/support
