ARFOR

ARFOR is a joint venture by Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Gwynedd and Anglesey Councils which seeks to use entrepreneurship and economic development to support the heartlands of the Welsh language and, thus, maintain the language.

Second Phase of Arfor

On 10 October 2022, the Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru announced that a further £11 million will be provided for a second phase of ARFOR until the end of March 2025.

The programme will continue to work across Anglesey, Gwynedd, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire, to support the communities which are the heartlands of the Welsh language to prosper through economic interventions which will also contribute to increasing opportunities to see and use Welsh every day.

The £11 million Programme ARFOR, which aims to deliver an economic boost and strengthen the Welsh language is now inviting applications to its Enterprising Communities Fund. The second phase of this pioneering Programme comes as part of the Cooperation Agreement between the Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru.

ARFOR Strategic Objectives

1. Create opportunities for young people and families (<35 years old) to stay in or return to their indigenous communities - supporting them to succeed locally by engaging in enterprise or developing a career and ensuring a livelihood that fulfils their aspirations
2. Create enterprising communities within Welsh-speaking areas – by supporting commercial and community enterprises that aim to preserve and increase local wealth by taking advantage of the identity and unique qualities of their areas
3. Maximize the benefit of collaborative activity – by establishing a mindset of learning by doing and continuous improvement, learning from an activity within individual areas and then extending it, but tailoring it to local circumstances
4. Strengthen the identity of communities with a high density of Welsh speakers – by supporting the use and visibility of the Welsh language, encouraging a sense of place and local loyalty, together with increasing awareness of what is common across the region

Enterprising Communities – The ARFOR Programme Support Fund

The Fund targets commercial, social, cooperative enterprises and community enterprises that aim to preserve and increase local wealth in areas considered strongholds of the Welsh language, namely Anglesey, Gwynedd, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire (the ARFOR region).

The Fund is administered by Ceredigion County Council.

What’s available:

• Funding to support both revenue and capital costs
• Financial support for up to 70% of project cost
• Grants from £5,000 up to £75,000.

The Fund will support projects that

• Create opportunities to innovate and develop new enterprises that align with local resources, landscape and environment
• Create and extend contemporary work opportunities (e.g. media, digital, research, professional services etc.)
• Preserve wealth in the region (e.g. in areas of work such as generating and saving energy, foundational sectors supply chains etc.)

As part of the process applicants are required to undertake a language assessment with the Welsh Language Commissioner, and work with the Commissioner to receive the Cynnig Cymraeg (The Welsh Offer) recognition by December 2024.