A scheme which will make almost £500,000 available to support Welsh language businesses and entrepreneurs in Ceredigion will be rolled out within weeks, the council has said.

The Arfor Innovation Fund is a £2 million scheme funded by Welsh Government in the Arfor region of west Wales, covering Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire, Gwynedd and Anglesey.

The areas selected were those that had a high percentage of Welsh speakers and an inflow of older people and outflow of younger people.

The fund will focus on those areas where the foundational and agricultural economy are of vital importance, and in market and university towns where low incomes remain an issue.

The objectives of the scheme, which will see the money pot split between the four counties, are to promote enterprise and support business growth in areas where a high percentage of the population speaks Welsh; ensure better paid jobs to keep local people in these areas and to encourage those who have left to return; promote the value of speaking Welsh and bilingualism in businesses and create an exciting sense of place; and encourage businesses and people moving to rural areas to value and use the Welsh language.

The scheme was announced earlier this year, with packages worth up to £40,000 set to be ready next month.

A Ceredigion council spokesperson said: “The Arfor scheme for Ceredigion has been developed, and packages of financial support for eligible enterprises will be rolled out in the coming weeks, aimed at supporting initiatives that lead to positive benefits for the local economy and the Welsh language.”

Under the Arfor scheme in Ceredigion there will be two support packages available.

The Business Start Up grant is to support new business start-ups and encourage entrepreneurship and is worth £10,000.

The Going for Growth grant is to support existing enterprises to encourage growth and development with a total value of between £10,000 and £40,000.

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