OUR COMPETENCIES

Over the years Antur Teifi have been involved with many high profile European funded projects. Antur Teifi have successfully managed and acted as Lead Partner on a number of these programmes. We have been particularly keen to work on projects that reflect our mission statement to pioneer and assist innovative and quality enterprises to create products and services that contribute to the economic development of the area.

BUSINESS SERVICES

Businet

The aim of the Businet project was to improve and grow the SME infrastructure in West Wales through supporting effective physical business networking, encouraging networked business developments and maximising the involvement of SME representation.

Description	Approved Target	Final Achievement	Target Exceeded
No. of gross new direct jobs	22.5	95.5	YES
No. of gross jobs safeguarded	225	249	YES
No. of new and existing SMEs assisted	250	313	YES
£k increase in turnover of assisted or supported SMEs	450	2022	YES

Project Funding: ERDF | Project Duration: 2000 - 2004 | Project Value: £540,063

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Financial Awareness

Following discussions Carmarthenshire Council asked us to deliver Financial Awareness Support for individuals to help them manage their finances when income was limited. This was delivered throughout the county (including outreach centres) over a period of 2 years. Over 330 individuals aged 16 - 80 received support with group sizes from 1 to 25. Over 39 partnership organisations supported the project either via referrals or providing venues.

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GSB - General Support for Businesses, Carmarthenshire 2003 - 2008

Provision of general business advice and support to SMEs to enable growth, including Business & Marketing Plans, Financial projections & MIS, access to finance and grant applications.

2007 - 08	Targets	Actual
Jobs Created	20	25
Jobs Safeguarded	12	14.5
Increased Turnover	£250K	£750K

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New Business Support

The New Business Starts programme ran from 2005-2008 to provide individuals with the tools to create successful enterprises via a range of services which included a modular business training course and dedicated 1-2-1 support from a business adviser.

New Business Starts - South Ceredigion 2005 - 08

2005 -08	Target	Actual	% Achieved
New Business Starts	259	254	98%
Jobs Created	338	360	107%
Investment Secured	760K	5.2M	684%

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Tradenet

12 groups were established to help SME's cluster their knowledge and network.

Measure	Target to February	Achieved to date
No. of new of new and existing SMEs receiving information and advice	350	644
No. of new and existing SMEs receiving assistance	150	15*
No. of new and existing SMEs assisted	250	313
No. of gross new jobs created	35	66
No. of SMEs adopting Environmental Management Systems	2	2 Green Dragon Achieved
No. of jobs safeguarded	300	345
Increased Turnover	£3,000,000	£5,567,600

*This was re-classified by WEFO 18 months in to the project as two days plus

Project Funding: ERDF | Project Value: £456,661 | Project Duration: March 2003 - June 2006

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Winnovate

A €600,000 partnership project to give small to medium-sized manufacturing enterprises in West Wales and South East Ireland a strong competitive advantage. WINNOVATE would assist 40 SME companies - 20 Irish and 20 Welsh - realise their full product design potential, by allowing participants to take advantage of a unique collection of academics, business advisors and industrial designers.

The two-year project was led by The National Centre for Product Design and Development Research (PDR) at UWIC (University of Wales Institute, Cardiff), in partnership with The Institute of Technology, Carlow, Ireland, Carmarthenshire-based Antur Teifi Business Services and South East Business and Innovation Centre (SEBIC) in Waterford, Ireland.

Summary of WINNOVATE Wales performance September 2005

Project Funding: Interreg IIIA | Project Value: £78,000 | Project Duration: September 2003 - September 2005

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ECOMMERCE

EPROC was a transnational collaborative European initiative commissioned to encourage and support small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) as Local Authorities implement new eProcurement and Sustainable Procurement policies and procedures. EPROC was funded by Interreg IIIB, Antur Teifi were lead partner with partners from Ireland, Wales, Germany and Holland.

Project Outputs: Ten Case Studies: Five focussing on Welsh SMEs and five looking at SME experiences in Germany, Three guides for SMEs on Sustainable eProcurement, Two Guides for Local Authorities on Sustainable eProcurement, SME Guide to Software Integration, Interactive website with on-line tutorials - www.eproc.org , project evaluation and final project report.
Project Funding: Interreg IIIB | Project Duration: December 2003 - July 2008 | Project Value: €384,950

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Opportunity Wales eCommerce support delivery using experienced eCIC, @TEB/TMB and CIM accredited advisory team offering advice and assistance with identifying how and where ICT can help individual businesses grow and improve their efficiency. This included project management and implementation of solutions, step-by-step development of ICT solutions with one-to-one assistance and advice, eCommerce reviews, action plans and paid consultancy, access to financial support and hands on implementation support for all aspects of eCommerce.

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TRAINING

Trac work with people to help them with their personal development. The team at Trac have the expertise to work with people to improve their soft skills and help them gain employment. We also provide bespoke advice and support to companies on issues pertinent to recruitment and redundancy.

• CV - We can help you structure and update your CV to help you get that all important interview.
• Interview techniques - Our team can help you polish your interview techniques.
• Skills Qualifications- Food Hygiene & Health & Safety Certificates, CSCS ( Construction Services Certificate in Safety)

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Antur Business provide a full suite of IT training courses, our most popular courses are our monthly Search Engine Optimisation workshop and ECDL ( European Computer Driving Licence) IT training - a universally recognised IT qualification. We also offer bespoke in-house training to suit your business needs. Visit the Antur Business web site for further information on how we can help you develop your use of IT.

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Community Task Force

Trac delivered this provision from three centres in Carmarthenshire as a subcontractor to Groundworks UK. CTF is one of the options of the government's Young Person's Guarantee and provides 13 weeks job experience in projects that benefit the community and move the individual closer to their job goals. Job search training & support supplement this job experience.

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Progress 2 Work (P2W)

Trac is delivered DWP in the counties of Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion & Pembrokeshire. It aims to support customers with previous substance misuse issues back into mainstream training and employment, through personal development, access to training and job search support

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Trac acted as Lead Partner on Capacitate which was an ESF funded transnational partnership with partner organisations from Hungary and France.

Capacitate aimed to increase the opportunities for people claiming Incapacity Benefit to return to work by providing information on support services, by developing education for employers, and by promoting positive attitudes regarding Incapacity Benefit claimants to ensure that vacancies are open to all.

Project outputs included a best practice guide, website and also training provision for SME's on Disability Awareness. A key element of the project was developing a sustainable exit strategy so that the research and resources could be utilised in the future.

Capacitate is now a Social Enterprise.

Their aims are:

• To continually promote and develop all disabilities whilst working towards the end of discrimination via education, training, community regeneration and awareness raising .

Project Funding: ESF | Project Value: £441,382 | Project Duration: July 2005 - December 2007

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Mobile ICT Unit: Telecabana

Innovative ICT based training from a mobile unit targeting specifically at the land based sector, including agri based business, employees, and rural community based groups. A mobile unit was purposely adapted and fully equipped with the latest technology equipment to ensure a flexible approach and overcoming a number of the barriers faced by rural communities and businesses to participate in training opportunities.
Facts & Figures

• During the project 1,906 individuals were engaged and 108 SMEs in Carmarthenshire received IT training.

Project Funding: Objective One ERDF | Project Duration: April 2002 - November 2004 | Project Value: £755,994

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Programme Centres

Trac successfully delivered Programme Centre and its predecessor in Carmarthenshire from 1998 -2009. This provision was contracted by DWP and aimed at giving unemployed individuals job search support from 3 centres in the county. Customers had access to computers, Internet, newspapers and journals and were given training in job search and interview techniques, CV's etc.

An average of 650 customers per year received this support

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AGRI-FOOD

Producer Support I & II

Support and advice to new and existing producers to develop and identify new market opportunities, create cross-sectoral networks, develop local supply chains and develop innovative ways to promote Ceredigion as a visitor destination. A directory of Ceredigion suppliers was compiled and publicised on a dedicated website, www.bwydceredigionfood.co.uk. Staff worked with producers on an individual basis through business support, advice, and training and has strong connections within the sector to locate specialised information.

Project Funding: ERDF | Project Value: £350,000 | Project Duration: January 2005 - December 2007

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Regiofood

The project produced distance-learning training materials for use in the preparation and presentation of locally produced food so as to help chefs in Hotels, restaurants and pubs produce consistent meals. Interactive DVDs were produced in four languages - Welsh, English, Estonian and Italian.

Project Funding: Leonardo | Project Value: €141,014 | Project Duration: October 2003 - September 2006

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Visitnet

The project allowed businesses the opportunity to exchange and share information, best practise and encouraged the linkage and networking between tourism and hospitality businesses. The Interreg project focused on using ICT wherever possible, building on products and services and creating considerable synergy between the tourism products and services of Carmarthenshire and Waterford. Working with the 'grass roots' trade, the project ensured that the tourism products and services maximised their potential as well as producing a network of tourism related businesses.

Project Funding: ERDF INTERREG IIIA project | Project Value: £251,224 | Project Duration: March 2003- June 2006

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COMMUNITIES

Papurar Bro Cenedlaethol
(Welsh language community newspapers network)

A network of 49 community newspapers across Wales, where the papers received support and advice on sustainability; ways of attracting new volunteers; effective writing skills; and support and advice on their organisational structure. A youth writing scheme was established in cooperation with BBC Cymru'r Byd.
This contract was delivered through the medium of Welsh.
Facts & Figures:

• Creation and publication of a handbook for community newspapers
• 322 articles or reviews were received for the 'Youth Writing Scheme', 92% of which were published on the BBC website.

Funding Source = EAGGF Objective One | Contract Value = £513,670 | Duration = April 2005 - April 2008

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Milltir Sgwâr

Milltir Sgwâr assisted residents and groups, in rural Carmarthenshire, take a more active role in ensuring a strong and vibrant future for their communities.

The programme was funded by the Welsh Assembly Government, managed by Antur Teifi and delivered in partnership with Menter Cwm Gwendraeth.

Milltir Sgwâr involved all sectors of the community, however special emphasis was directed at targeting two key age groups; the 16-25's and the over 45's. The programme encouraged young people to remain within the area or to return home. It also acknowledged that older residents, through their knowledge and experience, as well as the time they have available, can have a marked influence on community and social activity.

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Community History

Milltir Sgwâr encouraged communities to retain a "Sense of Belonging" and was subdivided into Oral History and Local History. Oral History projects are used as a means of capturing and preserving local history by interviewing older residents and capturing the information by digital means. The interviewing and production of the digitised material was done by younger members within the community, adding to their skills and capacity. Local History projects encouraged communities to research their past and often took the form of documenting "Family History", the production of a local history book/booklet or the collation of old photographs and documents for digitisation and public display.

Young People

This activity was implemented by our programme partner, Menter Cwm Gwendraeth and was subdivided into Vision Days, Intergenerational Networking, Youth Events and Empowering Young People. The aim was to encourage more young people (16-25yrs) to stay or return to the county to live and work. Young people were encouraged to take a more active role in community life. The activities entailed communicating with young people, identifying their needs and advising on solutions, thereby supporting efforts to boost young people's perceptions of living in rural Carmarthenshire.

Seed Corn Fund

This gave communities access to small sums of revenue funding to kick start activities/projects that could facilitate larger community projects. Applications were made under one of two categories i.e. Fast Track (max. £500) or Main Fund (max.£1,000). Both offer funding up to 80% of total project costs. Capacity building potential was always used as criteria for eligibility, as well as any potential for benefiting the social or economic fabric of the area.

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SOCIAL ENTERPRISES

Celtic Community Finance

Project Funding: Interreg III | Project Value: £97,045 | Project Duration: September 2003 - September 2005

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Rural Innovation Networking Clusters

Working in rural Carmarthenshire to develop social and community enterprises, with a focus on building capacity, and ensuring that the enterprise develops in a way that is appropriate to the area.
Facts & Figures

• 51 community groups or social enterprises were given in-depth support
• 5 new social enterprises established

Funding Source = EAGGF Objective One | Contract Value = £452,875 | Duration = July 2004 - March 2008

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Cynnal Ceredigion worked together with individuals and groups in Ceredigion to encourage rural regeneration.

The programme was funded by the Welsh Assembly Government, managed by Antur Teifi and delivered in partnership with Ceredigion Association of Voluntary Organisations (CAVO).

Activity in 2008/09 was in the following areas:-

Community Enterprise Action Plans

Encouraging groups to develop the financial viability of new/existing activities.

Social Enterprise Network

Providing a forum for discussion, sharing of information and experience and bridging between mainstream business support and the needs of social enterprises.

Community Group Support

Workshops and training sessions tailored for community groups and community event organisers.

Small Grants Sheme

Revenue fund for community-led activities in Ceredigion.

Seed Corn Activity

In 2008-2009 groups such as schools, family centres, local charities and other voluntary organisations or social enterprises have received from between £300 and £2000 for different projects including:-

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