Translate the text from English to Welsh.



 
More than 6,000 grant applications from small and medium sized businesses and social enterprises were received within 24 hours of the launch on Friday – an unprecedented response, revealing the scale of the challenges facing Welsh businesses.

The fund aims to complement and fill the gaps left by UK government schemes such as the Job Retention Scheme, with grants of up to £10,000 for micro\-enterprises and up to £100,000 for SMEs and a light touch appraisal system designed to get money to businesses with the minimum of delay – as well as a new loan fund administered by the Development Bank of Wales.

Less than 3 weeks since the First Minister announced the intention to create the fund, the Welsh Government has released a further £100 million, taking the grant fund to £300 million. This will supplement this latest phase of support, providing non\-repayable grants to microbusinesses, SMEs and those large businesses of critical, social or economic importance to Wales.

The fund has been warmly received by trade union and business organisations, with the Institute of Directors calling it ‘very welcome news for business owners and managers who are desperate for all the help they can get at this difficult time’. The South and Mid Wales Chambers of Commerce has called ‘the rapid response to date’ of the Welsh Government in supporting the economy of Wales ‘impressive’. The Wales TUC welcomed ‘additional funding to address the gaps’.

Minister for Economy, Transport and North Wales Ken Skates said:


> “We knew that even with the help offered by initiative such as the Job Retention Scheme, there was a massive need for quick access to grant funding if Welsh businesses were to survive this unprecedented economic shock. Whilst in order to make the scheme quick and simple we needed to take tough decisions over eligibility – like requiring businesses to be registered for VAT as a way of having to check on their trading history \- it is clear from the level of response received that the Economic Resilience Fund is plugging a gap in UK government support and providing much needed financial reassurance to many businesses at this challenging time. We will continue to review support and consider how we can develop it over the coming days.
> 
> “The rate of applications has been massive and unprecedented. This is the second time in a matter of weeks that access to Welsh Government funds aimed at easing cash flow pressures for Welsh business have quickly reached capacity, and we have responded with pace to release a further £100 million into this phase of the fund.
> 
> “In these difficult and demanding economic times we have worked hard to free up resources to create such a large fund despite the huge demands on our budget, and to strike a balance between supporting as many enterprises as possible and making a meaningful contribution to each one’s survival, as well as asking each recipient to sign up to the principles of the economic contract.
> 
> “Though we applaud much of what the UK government has done, there is an urgent need to see more of the promised lending guaranteed by the UK government getting to the front line. The UK government must continue to support and press the high street banks to be much more responsive to the needs of our businesses at this difficult time."

Finance Minister Rebecca Evans said:


> “The Economic Resilience Fund is part of more than £2 billion of support that we have made available to help businesses and charities during these incredibly difficult times.
> 
> “We know that support for business is crucially important but whilst we are doing everything we can in Wales to plug any gaps and provide the best possible financial support to businesses, it is clear there are further steps that the UK government needs to urgently take.”

The Economic Resilience offers financial support to help businesses, charities and social enterprises deal with the coronavirus crisis and will be vital in helping organisations manage cash flow pressures. It is a unique additional funding stream for Wales and was designed to address gaps not currently met by schemes already announced by the UK government, Welsh Government and Development Bank of Wales.

The first stage of the fund saw the £100 million Development Bank of Wales’ loan scheme fully subscribed in little more than a week. Applications are currently being processed and some businesses have already received funding. It is anticipated that the Development Bank will have processed all applications received within the month.

To ensure that money reaches businesses as quickly as possible more than 120 additional Welsh Government and Business Wales staff have been diverted onto processing applications and supporting businesses and organisations in this latest stage of the fund.







Translation:


 
Derbyniwyd mwy na 6,000 o geisiadau grant gan fusnesau bach a chanolig a mentrau cymdeithasol o fewn 24 awr i’r lansiad ddydd Gwener – ymateb digynsail gan ddatgelu graddfa’r heriau mae busnesau Cymru’n eu hwynebu.


Nod y Gronfa yw ategu a llenwi’r bylchau sydd wedi’u gadael gan gynlluniau Llywodraeth y DU, fel y Cynllun Cadw Swyddi, gyda grantiau o hyd at £10,000 ar gyfer micro\-fentrau a hyd at £100,000 ar gyfer BBaCh a system arfarnu cyffyrddiad ysgafn wedi’i chynllunio i gael arian i fusnesau heb fawr ddim oedi – yn ogystal â chronfa benthyciadau newydd sy’n cael ei gweinyddu gan Fanc Datblygu Cymru.


Lai na thair wythnos ers i’r Prif Weinidog gyhoeddi’r bwriad i greu’r Gronfa, mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi rhyddhau £100 miliwn pellach, gan fynd â’r gronfa grantiau i £300 miliwn. Bydd hyn yn ategu’r cam diweddaraf hwn o gefnogaeth, gan ddarparu grantiau heb fod yn ad\-daladwy i ficrofusnesau, BBaCh a busnesau mawr sydd o bwysigrwydd hanfodol, cymdeithasol neu economaidd i Gymru.


Mae’r Gronfa wedi cael croeso cynnes gan undebau llafur a sefydliadau busnes, gyda Sefydliad y Cyfarwyddwyr yn ei alw’n ‘newyddion i’w groesawu’n fawr i berchnogion a rheolwyr busnes sydd wir angen yr holl help y gallant ei gael yn ystod y cyfnod anodd yma’. Mae Siambr Fasnach De a Chanolbarth Cymru wedi galw’r ‘ymateb cyflym hyd yma’ gan Lywodraeth Cymru i gefnogi economi Cymru fel ymateb ‘nodedig’. Croesawodd TUC Cymru ‘y cyllid ychwanegol i roi sylw i’r bylchau’.


Dywedodd Gweinidog yr Economi, Trafnidiaeth a Gogledd Cymru, Ken Skates:



> “Roedden ni’n gwybod hyd yn oed gyda’r help sy’n cael ei gynnig gan fenter fel y Cynllun Cadw Swyddi bod angen aruthrol am fynediad cyflym at arian grant os yw busnesau Cymru am oroesi’r sioc economaidd ddigynsail yma.
> 
> 
> “Er ein bod wedi gorfod gwneud penderfyniadau anodd am gymhwysedd er mwyn gwneud y cynllun yn gyflym a syml – fel gofyn i fusnesau fod wedi cofrestru ar gyfer TAW fel ffordd o orfod gwirio eu hanes masnachu – mae’n glir oddi wrth lefel yr ymateb a dderbyniwyd bod y Gronfa Cadernid Economaidd yn cau bwlch yng nghefnogaeth Llywodraeth y DU ac yn darparu sicrwydd ariannol y mae ei wir angen i lawer o fusnesau yn ystod y cyfnod heriol yma.
> 
> 
> “Byddwn yn parhau i adolygu’r gefnogaeth ac yn ystyried sut gallwn ei datblygu yn ystod y dyddiau sydd i ddod.
> 
> 
> “Mae cyfradd y ceisiadau wedi bod yn enfawr a digynsail. Dyma’r ail waith mewn ychydig wythnosau i fynediad at arian Llywodraeth Cymru i leddfu’r pwysau ar lif arian i fusnesau Cymru gyrraedd capasiti yn gyflym iawn, ac rydym wedi ymateb yn gyflym i ryddhau £100m pellach ar gyfer y cam hwn yn y gronfa.
> 
> 
> “Yn y cyfnod economaidd anodd a heriol yma rydym wedi gweithio’n galed i ryddhau adnoddau i greu Cronfa mor fawr er gwaetha’r galw enfawr ar ein cyllideb, a cheisio cydbwysedd rhwng cefnogi cymaint o fentrau â phosib a gwneud cyfraniad ystyrlon at oroesiad pob un, yn ogystal â gofyn i bob derbynnydd ymrwymo i egwyddorion y contract economaidd.
> 
> 
> “Er ein bod yn cymeradwyo llawer ar beth mae Llywodraeth y DU wedi’i wneud, mae angen brys am weld mwy o’r benthyciadau a addawyd sydd wedi’u gwarantu gan Lywodraeth y DU yn cyrraedd y rheng flaen. Rhaid i Lywodraeth y DU barhau i gefnogi a phwyso ar fanciau’r stryd fawr i fod yn fwy ymatebol i anghenion ein busnesau yn ystod y cyfnod anodd yma.”


Dywedodd y Gweinidog Cyllid, Rebecca Evans:



> “Mae’r Gronfa Cadernid Economaidd yn rhan o fwy na £2 biliwn o gefnogaeth sydd ar gael gennym ni i helpu busnesau ac elusennau yn ystod y cyfnod eithriadol anodd yma.
> 
> 
> “Rydyn ni’n gwybod bod cefnogaeth i fusnesau’n allweddol bwysig ond er ein bod yn gwneud popeth o fewn ein gallu yng Nghymru i gau unrhyw fylchau a darparu’r gefnogaeth ariannol orau bosib i fusnesau, mae’n glir bod camau pellach y mae’n rhaid i Lywodraeth y DU eu rhoi ar waith ar frys.”


Mae’r Gronfa Cadernid Economaidd yn cynnig cefnogaeth ariannol i helpu busnesau, elusennau a mentrau cymdeithasol i ddelio ag argyfwng y coronafeirws a bydd yn hanfodol mewn helpu sefydliadau i reoli’r pwysau ar lif arian. Mae’n ffrwd ychwanegol unigryw o gyllid i Gymru a’i nod oedd rhoi sylw i’r bylchau sydd ddim yn cael eu cau ar hyn o bryd gan gynlluniau sydd wedi’u cyhoeddi eisoes gan Lywodraeth y DU, Llywodraeth Cymru a Banc Datblygu Cymru.


Yng ngham cyntaf y Gronfa, defnyddiwyd cynllun benthyciadau gwerth £100 miliwn Banc Datblygu Cymru i gyd mewn ychydig dros wythnos. Mae ceisiadau’n cael eu prosesu ar hyn o bryd ac mae rhai busnesau wedi derbyn cyllid eisoes. Mae disgwyl y bydd y Banc Datblygu wedi prosesu pob cais sydd wedi’i dderbyn o fewn y mis.


I sicrhau bod yr arian yn cyrraedd busnesau cyn gynted â phosib, mae mwy na 120 o staff ychwanegol Llywodraeth Cymru a Busnes Cymru wedi cael eu symud i brosesu ceisiadau a chefnogi busnesau a sefydliadau yn y cam diweddaraf hwn fel rhan o’r Gronfa.