Welsh Bira Members Urged To Tune In To Future Proofing Fund Webinars

Members of Bira in Wales are being encouraged to attend two upcoming webinars on the Wales Future Proofing Fund, designed to help businesses reduce their running costs.

The webinars, organised by Business Wales, will take place on:

• Thursday, 9th May 2024, at 2 pm
• Tuesday, 14th May 2024, at 2 pm 

Interested members can register through the following links:

• English Link - Business Wales Events Finder - Future Proofing Fund (business-events.org.uk)
• Welsh Link - Business Wales Events Finder - Cronfa Paratoi at y Dyfodol (business-events.org.uk)

Earlier in March, Bira and other organisations met with Welsh Government officials to learn about the new Wales Future Proofing Fund, which offers grants of £5,000 to £10,000 to eligible micro, small and medium-sized businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors. The grants can be used to invest in renewable energy technology, carry out improvements to business premises, and upgrade systems or machinery to reduce energy use.

To be eligible for the funding, businesses must:

• Be located in Wales and employ people in Wales
• Employ between 1 and 249 people
• Have been trading since before 1st April 2023
• Operate from a property with a rateable value between £6,001 and £51,000
• Either own or are leasing the business premises on a minimum 3-year lease that extends beyond 1st April 2026

To check their eligibility for the Future Proofing Fund members can visit: https://businesswales.gov.wales/future-proofing-fund before applications open in May 2024.

Andrew Goodacre, CEO of Bira said: "This is an excellent opportunity for our Welsh members to access funding that can help them reduce their running costs and become more energy-efficient. We strongly urge all eligible members to attend these webinars and explore the possibilities offered by the Future Proofing Fund."