Welsh Government

Supports Welsh organizations through innovation funding, digital productivity grants, and circular economy initiatives.

The Welsh Government is the devolved government for Wales, responsible for policy and lawmaking through the Senedd Cymru. It is not a UK central government funding body, and its innovation offer is delivered mainly through the economy and skills directorates, with Business Wales and Expertise Wales as the main public-facing routes.

Its current innovation package was launched in June 2023 and totals £30 million, split between £20 million for SMART Flexible Innovation Support and £10 million for the Circular Economy Fund for Business. SMART FIS is open to any organisation engaged in research, development and innovation, including businesses, the third sector, local authorities, health boards, research organisations, and academia. The umbrella contains SMART Partnerships, SMART Digital and Productivity Accelerator, and SMART Innovation Funding, while related routes in the wider Welsh offer include innovation vouchers, agri-food support, the Flexible Skills Programme, and Project HELIX.

The Welsh model is deliberately practical: support is often rolling, business-facing, and tied to delivery through approved advisers rather than a single annual competition. The Flexible Skills Programme subsidises training at 50%, or 75% for AI training, up to £50,000 per application, which shows how the government mixes grants, advisory support, and workforce help in one place. That makes it a strong route for Welsh organisations that need applied innovation funding, collaboration support, or workforce development rather than a large standalone research award.