The Welsh Government has announced a new £11 million scheme that will fund jobs and the use of the Welsh language in the four counties with the highest level of Welsh speakers. The Arfor 2 programme is designed to make it viable for young people and families to stay in their home communities in Gwynedd, Ynys Môn, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire.
The funding was delivered as part of the co-operation agreement between Labour and Plaid Cymru, and follows the 2019 pilot Arfor programme which was a £2 million fund with the same aims. The original Arfor programme included "Business Start Up" grants of up to £10,000 and "Going for Growth" grants for existing businesses of up to £40,000, and businesses had to demonstrate their ideas were innovative and had a positive impact on the Welsh language.
It is unclear exactly what grants will be available under Arfor 2, but the Welsh Government said it would now "continue on the detail" of the programme with local authority partners. Councillor Llinos Medi, the leader of Anglesey County Council, gave an idea of the impact of Arfor programme: "On Anglesey, 55 local businesses were assisted through an investment of around £400,000. This money either safeguarded or created 80 jobs and promoted the use of the Welsh language in 48 businesses."
