Community Fund awards £66,000 to Innovate Composites Ltd
We are pleased to announce that Innovate Composites Ltd has been awarded £66,000 from our Community Fund as a grant / loan mix to support its Advanced Manufacturing Growth & Skills Hub project in Hirwaun, Cynon.
This investment will help the business expand its manufacturing capacity, improve its workshop facilities, and create new opportunities for skills development, training and employment.
The funding will support:
- New manufacturing equipment and tools
- Facility fit-out and workshop preparation
- Staff training and upskilling
- Equipment installation and setup
The project will help Innovate Composites Ltd grow its operations while also creating valuable opportunities for local people. Over the next 12 months, the business plans to create new skilled workshop roles and an apprenticeship, alongside providing structured placements and internships for students interested in engineering, manufacturing and composites.
The project also aims to strengthen links between business and education by offering hands-on learning opportunities in a real manufacturing environment, helping young people and early-career learners build practical skills and improve employability.
By supporting local business growth and developing skills for the future, this award reflects our commitment to investing in projects that create jobs, strengthen the local economy, and open up new opportunities for communities across the area.
We look forward to seeing the positive impact this project will have in Hirwaun and beyond.
The Fund was established by energy company Vattenfall to benefit the communities hosting the Pen y Cymoedd wind farm across the upper Neath, Afan, Rhondda and Cynon Valleys. It exists to support local people, groups and organisations to invest in themselves, their ideas and their communities.
The Community Fund has a substantial annual budget that is index-linked, meaning it increases in line with inflation. As an example, this equated to around £2.5 million in 2025. The Fund will continue to support communities until 2043, creating long-term opportunities for growth, resilience and positive change.
The Fund is managed by an independent, locally based not-for-profit Community Interest Company. It is overseen by a Board of Directors with strong local connections and delivered by a small but dedicated staff team with extensive community engagement experience. We are here to help ensure the Fund delivers on the vision and priorities of local communities.
Over the next 10 years, the Fund is focusing on investment in people, places and businesses — helping the Valleys to thrive, driving bold ideas, supporting transformation and creating lasting impact for current and future generations.