Welsh social enterprises are set to benefit from a £7.1million injection of cash from the European Union’s Convergence Programmes and the Welsh Assembly Government.

Leighton Andrews, Deputy Minister for Regeneration, has announced that social enterprises in West Wales and the Valleys will have access to “The Social Enterprise Support Project“. Over the next five years the project aims to:

• provide mentoring, training, support and advice for pre-start social enterprises.
• develop sustainability and growth within social enterprises in Wales by
  • offering support and advice to 150 existing social enterprises.
  • creating more than 50 new social enterprises.
  • creating 300 new jobs.
• raise awareness of the positive impact that social enterprises have on social and economic regeneration.
• identify gaps in service provision in some of the most deprived Welsh communities and researching new opportunities.

The project will be delivered by the Wales Co-operative Centre in conjunction with sell2wales and a range of organisations. to read more about the project visit the Welsh Assembly Governments Website.