Commercial gyms, dance and fitness studios, trampoline parks and climbing centres are among the businesses who can apply for funding from Sport Wales' latest Covid-19 support package.
Grants of £5,000 and £15,000 are being made available through the ‘Sport Sector Private Provider Fund’ to help the wide range of privately-run businesses that keep the Welsh public active.
The extensive list of businesses who could be eligible for funding also includes the likes of horse riding centres, crossfit operators, water sports centres and 5-a-side facilities.
The grant amounts are dependent on annual turnover, and applicants will need to show that they've lost at least £5,000 or £15,000 since April 2020 as a direct result of the pandemic.
Explaining the fund further, Sarah Powell, Chief Executive of Sport Wales, said: "A significant number of businesses could be eligible for this new fund. All of them are highly valued by the Welsh public for the multitude of opportunities they provide. We appreciate that the available grants won’t cover all of the losses that businesses have suffered, but we hope they go some way to easing the financial heartache of the pandemic.
“We will also expect those businesses taking advantage of the fund to be looking at innovative and sustainable approaches to their future operations that will help in tackling the now increasing levels of inequality in activity among different groups of people in Wales.”
The Sport Sector Private Provider Fund is the latest in a line of funding packages that Sport Wales has been able to create using Welsh Government funds and re-purposed money from the National Lottery to protect sporting organisations, clubs, facilities and jobs to ensure that sport and physical activity can play a major role in Wales’ recovery from the pandemic.
It follows the recent Sport Freelancer Fund which has supported freelance and self-employed workers in the industry and will run alongside the Be Active Wales Fund which is a lifeline for community sport clubs and voluntary organisations.
The Sport Sector Private Provider Fund opens on Tuesday 9th February at 12 noon and businesses will need to submit their applications before 4pm on Friday 19th February. The fund is not designed for commercial businesses in the sport sector who do not directly deliver activities, so isn't available for businesses such as such as sports writers, commentators, photographers, sports therapists and nutritionists.