Wales Office
class="gem-c-govspeak govuk-govspeak gem-c-govspeak--direction-ltr govuk-!-margin-bottom-0">
The Tata Steel / Port Talbot Transition Board met for the ninth time on 14th November 2024, the third time under the new UK Government.
The Secretary of State for Wales and Chair of the Transition Board, Rt Hon Jo Stevens MP, sought endorsement from the Board for the announcement of a 13 million Business Start-Up, Growth and Resilience Fund. This includes:
- Abusiness start-up fundwhich will enable Tata Steelworkers, their immediate family members and people in the supply chain to receive support, guidance and to access a grant. People looking to set up new firms ranging from plumbing and electrical to technology companies will be able to access non-repayable grants of up to10,000.
- A newbusiness growth fundto support firms already in operation who are seeking to increase their role in the local economy. Grants available will range between25,001and250,000tailored to the specific needs of each business.
- Abusiness resilience fund providing targeted assistance to local businesses affected by the ongoing transition at Tata Steel to diversify into new markets, create new jobs and to find opportunities in emerging sectors such as low carbon energy. The fund can be accessed by small businesses like local shops or cafes or by larger companies like construction firms affected by the Tata Steel transition with grants ranging from2,500to25,000.
The Board received an update from Tata Steel UK on their decarbonisation project. There was also an update from the Department of Business and Trade on steel policy; and from the Community Union Support Hub, which has seen 800 people access their support services.
The Board discussed a Dashboard report on Tata Steel UK redundancies and on the interventions which have been funded by the Board including the Supply Chain and the Job Matching, Outreach and Skills fund which have helped many find alternative employment. They also discussed the potential regeneration projects which will now be analysed through business case proposals.
Those in attendance included: Cllr Steve K Hunt, Leader of Neath Port Talbot Council; Karen Jones, former Chief Executive Officer of Neath Port Talbot Council; Frances OBrien, Chief Executive Officer of Neath Port Talbot Council; Nicola Pearce, Director of Environment and Regeneration at Neath Port Talbot Council; Huw Irranca Davies MS, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs; Huw Morgan, Director of Decarbonisation Project at Tata Steel UK; Martin Brunnock, Director of Communications and Public Affairs at Tata Steel UK; Stephen Kinnock, Member of Parliament for Aberafan Maesteg; David Rees, Member of the Senedd for Aberavon; Anne Jessopp CBE, independent member of the Board; Alun Davies, National Officer for Steel & Metals, Community Union; and Tony Brady, Regional Coordinating Officer Unite the Union