Ambition North Wales (North Wales Corporate Joint Committee)

Ambition North Wales 4G+ Public Sector Asset Improvement Grant Scheme – Expression of Interest

Capital grants from the North Wales Growth Deal for public sector organisations to upgrade or replace assets they own or manage in North Wales (lighting columns, poles, rooftops, power supplies, fibre ducting, access) so mobile operators can install 4G and 5G equipment on them. Grants can cover up to 100% of eligible capital costs with no match funding, but are paid in arrears, and upgraded assets must be offered to operators on a non-exclusive open access basis. Expressions of interest are accepted on a rolling basis until June 2029; applicants must already be talking to a mobile operator or neutral host, and projects must finish by January 2030.

Apply on the funder’s site

You could get: £1 – £132,500; no fixed round
Deadline: Rolling; apply any time
Effort: Heavy; budgets, references, often several stages

Who can apply

Public sector organisations that own, operate or manage eligible assets within North Wales (Gwynedd, Isle of Anglesey, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire or Wrexham) and can enter into a Grant Funding Agreement with Ambition North Wales
The guidance lists local authorities, national park authorities, health bodies, emergency services, further and higher education institutions and other public sector bodies (the list is not exhaustive)
Charities, community groups and private companies are not eligible; mobile operators and infrastructure providers have a separate 4G+ Industry Grant Scheme
Applicants must already be engaging with a mobile network operator or neutral host: with no engagement an EOI must not be submitted, early conversations need evidence of progress towards access agreements, and the strongest position is signed Open Access Agreements plus a written operator deployment commitment (required before any claim is paid)
Applicants must be able to cashflow the project because grants are paid in arrears, show internal approvals (budget allocation, delegated authority or committee decision), have governance and controls for capital projects, procure suppliers under the Ambition North Wales Procurement Principles, keep upgraded assets suitable for use until at least 2036, and complete projects by January 2030
The scheme is for new activity that cannot go ahead without grant support

What it funds

Capital works to upgrade or replace existing public sector assets so 4G+ (4G, 5G non-standalone and 5G standalone) equipment can be deployed on them:

Replacement or reinforcement of lighting columns, multifunction columns, poles, masts, rooftops or other structures to meet loading and mounting requirements
Power upgrades (new or upgraded supplies, feeder pillars, cabling, earthing, metering, and associated civil works required to support telecommunications equipment)
Fibre backhaul, ducting and connectivity enabling works (including civil works and wayleaves/permissions where eligible)
Access improvements and enabling works required for safe installation and maintenance (e.g. roof access systems, cabinet bases, safe working platforms)
Surveys and design (structural, electrical, fibre and access design) directly related to the capital works
Project management and implementation labour costs where capitalisable and directly attributable to delivery

Up to 100% of eligible capital costs, paid in arrears against verified expenditure and milestones; eligible costs are itemised and agreed in the Grant Funding Agreement. Limited out-of-region expenditure (e.g. fibre backhaul into a wider network) may be eligible where essential. Priority is expected for areas of high demand or known coverage problems such as town centres, business parks, transport corridors and key visitor destinations.

What it will not fund

Payments to suppliers not procured in accordance with Ambition North Wales Procurement Principles and the applicant's procurement obligations
Any activity started or cost incurred before the project start date shown in the Grant Funding Agreement
Routine maintenance or statutory compliance works not directly required to enable 4G+ deployment
Revenue costs such as overheads, running costs, routine staff time not eligible for capitalisation, and ongoing operating expenditure
Reclaimable VAT
Contingencies, depreciation, finance charges and debt interest
Any activity for which other public funding has been received or awarded (unless explicitly permitted and declared)
Any activity which may bring Ambition North Wales or any of the local authorities in North Wales into disrepute
Projects with no engagement yet with any mobile network operator or neutral host (EOIs at this level are automatically rejected)

How to apply

Read the PS01E Scheme Guidance and the PS07E Deployment Plan Template (on Find a Grant and the Ambition North Wales scheme page)
Optionally discuss the proposal first with digital@ambitionnorth.wales (Welsh: digidol@uchelgaisgogledd.cymru), including Ambition North Wales's prioritised list of target sites
Submit an Expression of Interest through Find a Grant ('Start new application') at any time until June 2029, covering asset details, indicative scope, indicative cost, delivery timescale, operator engagement to date and the intended Open Access approach
Ambition North Wales assesses the EOI against the scheme criteria and risk categories, may ask for photographs, drawings, survey outputs or ownership evidence, and notifies the outcome; unsuccessful applicants may submit a revised EOI
If invited, submit a full application through Find a Grant with quotes, costs, timelines and the completed Deployment Plan
Successful applicants receive a Grant Funding Agreement, attend a Project Inception Meeting, procure and deliver the works, and claim in arrears with evidence

The scheme runs on a rolling basis with no fixed windows; EOIs and applications are prioritised by strategic need, readiness, enabling impact and available budget, and an EOI does not guarantee a grant. Weighted criteria are readiness, enabling impact, Open Access compliance, deliverability and value for money.

Have ready

Expression of Interest (online in Find a Grant)
Full application stage: detailed project description and scope of works
Full application stage: detailed cost breakdown by eligible expenditure category, with supporting quotations or estimates
Full application stage: confirmation of private sector investment associated with the proposed use of the asset
Full application stage: project plan with milestones and dates
Full application stage: Deployment Plan using the PS07E template (Schedules 2-6 completed by the applicant)
Full application stage: risk register with mitigations
Full application stage: evidence of asset ownership or management rights and access
Full application stage: consent plan (planning, highways/street works, wayleaves, landlord approvals)
Full application stage: procurement approach and timetable
Full application stage: Open Access approach and implementation plan
Full application stage: social value and sustainability commitments and how they will be measured
Operator written deployment commitment letter (required before claims are processed)

Ambition North Wales may also request recent audited accounts, capital programme approvals and confirmation of accou…

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