How to Get Your Website Built With Welsh Government Funding in 2026

Most Welsh businesses don't know this: the Welsh Government has multiple active funding streams that can significantly reduce the cost of building a website, implementing AI tools, and training your team on digital skills.

This isn't a hypothetical. These are programmes that are open right now, with real money available. Here's how to access them.

The Flexible Skills Programme: 50–75% Funded Training

The Flexible Skills Programme (FSP) is the Welsh Government's flagship workforce development fund. For standard digital training, the government pays 50% of costs. For AI-specific training, they pay 75%.

How this connects to getting a website built:

The FSP funds training — not the website itself. But here's the play: if you're building a new website with AI features (chatbots, voice agents, automation), your team needs training on how to use and manage those tools. That training component can be funded through FSP.

So while the FSP won't pay for the website build directly, it covers the AI training that goes alongside it — reducing your overall project cost significantly.

Quick facts:

• Maximum government contribution: £50,000 per application

• AI training: 75% funded (you pay 25%)

• General digital training: 50% funded (you pay 50%)

• Open to any Welsh business, any sector

• Apply at businesswales.gov.wales (Expression of Interest form)

Business Wales AI Adoption Support (£600,000 Programme)

Separate from the training fund, Business Wales runs a £600,000 AI Awareness & Adoption Programme that provides hands-on guidance for SMEs.

This isn't training — it's practical support to help you identify where AI can help your business and how to implement it. Think of it as free consultancy from the Welsh Government.

Contact: 03000 6 03000

Tourism & Hospitality: £500,000 AI Fund

If you run a hotel, restaurant, bar, or tourism business in Wales, there's a dedicated £500,000 fund for AI upskilling in your sector.

Run through the Hartree Centre Cardiff Hub and Cardiff University, this programme targets 1,000 Welsh tourism businesses. It focuses on AI for digital marketing, content creation, and operational efficiency.

Development Bank of Wales: Loans for Bigger Projects

The Development Bank of Wales offers loans from £1,000 to £10 million for Welsh businesses. If your website and AI implementation is a larger project, this flexible lending option can bridge the gap between grant funding and total project cost.

Tech Valleys: Grants for Manufacturers

If you're an engineering or manufacturing business in the South Wales Valleys, the Tech Valleys Productivity Programme offers capital grants of £10,000–£50,000. This can cover equipment, technology, and digital infrastructure — including website development and AI tools.

This programme runs until 2028.

Young Entrepreneurs: SWEF Enterprise Grants

If you're aged 18–30 and starting a business in Wales, the SWEF Enterprise Grants offer up to £2,000 to help with setup costs — including your first website.

These grants reopen periodically, so check availability at Business Wales.

How to Put This Together

Here's a realistic example for a Cardiff SMB:

You want: A new website with an AI receptionist and workflow automation.

Total project cost: £8,000 (website £3,000 + AI setup £3,000 + training £2,000)

FSP covers 75% of AI training: £1,500 funded, you pay £500

Your actual cost: £6,500 instead of £8,000

That's a £1,500 saving — and you haven't even explored the Business Wales adoption support or other grants yet.

We Handle the Application

If this feels complicated, it doesn't have to be. We've helped Welsh businesses navigate these funding streams and we know what the Welsh Government looks for in applications.

We'll help you identify which grants apply to your project, prepare the application, and make sure you're maximising the available funding.

Contact DAX Studio: ruben@daxstudio.co.uk | Cardiff, South Wales