Social Business Wales Application - New Social Business Start Up

Social Business Wales – Application for New Start Support

Social Business Wales is funded by Welsh Government and delivered by a consortium of specialist support agencies with knowledge, expertise and experience of supporting the social business sector in Wales. The consortium includes Cwmpas, the Development Trusts Association Wales (DTA), Social Firms Wales (SFW), UnLtd and Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA).

From April 2026, the Cwmpas service will adopt a more targeted and scalable delivery model. A structured triage process will ensure enquiries are appropriate, prioritising trading social enterprises or those with a clear route to market, while providing clear referral pathways for organisations outside scope. Support for pre-start and early-stage enterprises will be delivered through structured one-to-many programmes, improving reach and efficiency.

Following this, dedicated advisers will provide one-to-one support to eligible applicants.

The 2026/27 programme will be delivered as part of the Business Wales family of support and will include:

One to many and one to one business support, to eligible social business start up’s and established social businesses
Peer mentoring support, to social business start up’s and established social businesses
Additional support, for individuals facing greater barriers such as accessibility or language issues
Equity, diversity and inclusion support
Climate change support to engage in existing services and be empowered to act
Help for social enterprises to adapt and become more resilient as the economic situation changes.

In line with our net zero ambitions, Social Business Wales delivery is mostly conducted online with some face-to-face delivery. Please let us know if you are unable to access online meetings.

Online Support

Online resources and support can also be found on the following websites: –

Social Business Wales
Already have a business | Business Wales
Setting up a social enterprise – GOV.UK

We are able to support individuals who meet the following criteria.

Eligibility Criteria

Basic business idea is in place
Some basic market research undertaken
Identified key individuals are in place to develop the business
Jobs will be created as a result of the support within 2 years
Identified distinct trading activity
Identified clear social objectives
Must be looking to incorporate within a defined period

Upon receipt of your Application Form, enquiries that meet the criteria will be contacted by a Project Coordinator who will advise on the next steps.

YOU MUST COMPLETE THE CAPTCHA AT THE END OF THE FORM IN ORDER FOR THE FORM TO FEED THROUGH TO THE TEAM.

Please ensure that you complete all fields that are set to (Required).

SBW Application - New Social Business Start Up

Proposed business name(Required)

Sector

Name of main contact(Required)

Role within business

Email address(Required)

Telephone number(Required)

Business website (if applicable)

Please input website address including www. and .com/.coop/.co.uk e.g. www.cwmpas.coop

Address line 1(Required)

Address line 2

Address line 3

City

County(Required)

Postcode(Required)

Is this a home address?

Preferred language for communication(Required)

Other Language(Required)

Preferred method of communication

Telephone

Video call

Face to Face

Social Business Wales are committed to making every effort to ensure that all clients can access our services. Please let us know if you have any additional needs that we will need to consider when delivering our services and specify how we can help.

Geographical areas of trade

(Please select the control key on your keyboard to select more than 1 area)

Are you currently trading?(Required)

If trading, for how long?(Required)

Please provide a brief description of your business idea (max 200 characters)(Required)

What market research have you undertaken to identify the need for your business idea? (max 200 characters)(Required)

What is the social or environmental issue you're addressing? How will you benefit your community or community of interest? (max 200 characters)(Required)

How will the business generate income? (max 200 characters)(Required)

Will you be bringing a new service or product to your local community?

What support do you need next to develop your idea?(Required)

Does the business have a focus on tackling climate change?

If Yes, is it a primary or secondary focus to your main business purpose(Required)

Are you interested in becoming a net zero* social enterprise? If Yes, we can help you with this

What is your timescale for incorporating the business?(Required)

Do you offer volunteering opportunities within your business?(Required)

How many volunteers are involved in setting up the business (including your prospective directors)?(Required)

*Net zero is understanding what your carbon footprint is, halving it by 2030 and being at zero by 2050. And reporting each year on your progress.

Monitoring Data- used in line with the Data Protection Statement noted below. Please provide details of the board, to the best of your knowledge:

Number of current directors(Required)

Number of Male directors

Number of Female directors

Number of Non-binary directors

Number of Black, Asian or minority ethnic directors

Number of Directors from areas of deprivation (if known)

The Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation (WIMD) is the official measure of small area deprivation in Wales and is designed to identify those small areas where there are the highest concentrations of several types of deprivation.

Number of directors who consider themselves disabled

Either the social model definition of disability which the Welsh Government uses and/or the definition in the Equality Act 2010.

Number of directors who are neurodiverse

Number of directors who are carers

Number of directors who are care leavers

Number of directors who are LGBTQIA

Number of proposed directors who understand Welsh

Number of proposed directors who speak Welsh

Number of proposed directors who read Welsh

Number of proposed directors who write Welsh

Number of proposed directors who are aged 16-18

Number of proposed directors who are aged 19 -24

Number of proposed directors who are aged 25-44

Number of proposed directors who are aged 45-64

Number of proposed directors who are aged 65-74

Numbers of proposed directors who are aged 75+

How did you hear about Social Business Wales?(Required)

Referred by(Required)

Referred by other(Required)

Are you applying for or currently being supported by a WCVA and/or any other loan or grant?

If Yes, please specify(Required)

Data Protection Statement: The information you have given us on this form will be used in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulations and for the following purposes: to enable us to provide you with our services; to inform our funders and project delivery partners about the organisations or individuals we have supported. The information will be kept securely and will be kept no longer than necessary.

You can read our full data privacy statement at https://cwmpas.coop/privacy-policy/

You may change these preferences or update the information at any time. To do this or for any information about our data privacy policy, please call 0300 111 5050.

Can we contact you by phone, email or post in order to tell you about other Cwmpas activities that may be of interest to you?(Required)

Yes

• Can we share your details with other similar organisations so they can send you information by post, telephone or email which may be of interest to you? (Required)(Required)

Yes

• We may be able to get you additional support from Business Wales; can we share this form with colleagues from Business Wales and ask them to contact you?(Required)(Required)

Yes

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Cwmpas is a registered society under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014, number 24287R. Registered office: Spark, Maindy Road, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ.

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