Report and publications
Devolved Nation project overview
The make-up of sub-national economies can vary significantly within a particular nation. Factors such as location (urban/ rural/coastal), the background of business owners (gender, age and ethnicity), the local business base, the size/maturity of businesses, and the sectoral make up all have a part to play. This project seeks to understand the extent to which these differing characteristics affect or influence attitudes towards the use of external finance amongst the SME population.
This report seeks to better understand the differences between sub-national access to finance economies, whilst simultaneously undertaking a devolved nations comparison. This is the second year the Bank has supported this project, after publishing a first suite of nation specific sub-regional access to finance reports in 2024. This research was completed in partnership with Economic Intelligence Wales.
Wales findings
- 57% of Welsh SMEs reported using finance
- 21% requiring additional financing over the next year
- 61% requiring finance felt confident about securing it
Sub-national findings
- SMEs based in South East Wales were least likely to be using grants (3%)
- SMEs based in South West Wales were most inclined to report having a finance requirement over £250k (16%)
- Wales had the lowest proportion of businesses reporting they anticipated requiring finance over the next year, with just 21% compared to 48% in Northern Ireland and 41% in Scotland
- A lower share of SMEs in Wales expected to grow over the next year (26%) than in Scotland (41%) and Northern Ireland (61%)
Devolved Nations comparison
- Wales had the lowest proportion of businesses reporting they anticipated requiring finance over the next year, with just 21% compared to 48% in Northern Ireland and 41% in Scotland
- A lower share of SMEs in Wales expected to grow over the next year (26%) than in Scotland (41%) and Northern Ireland (61%)
Trosolwg o brosiect y Gwledydd Datganoledig
Gall adeiladwaith economïau is-genedlaethol amrywio’n sylweddol o fewn gwlad benodol. Mae gan ffactorau fel lleoliad (trefol/gwledig/arfordirol), cefndir perchnogion y busnes (rhyw, oedran ac ethnigrwydd), y sylfaen o fusnesau sy’n bodoli’n lleol, maint/aeddfedrwydd y busnesau, a gwneuthuriad sectoraidd oll ran i’w chwarae yn hynny o beth. Nod y prosiect yma yw deall i ba raddau mae’r gwahanol nodweddion yma’n effeithio neu’n dylanwadu ar agweddau at ddefnyddio cyllid allanol ymysg y boblogaeth o BBaCh.
Nod yr adroddiad hwn yw cael gwell dealltwriaeth o’r gwahaniaethau rhwng mynediad is-genedlaethol i economïau cyllid, wrth gyflawni cymhariaeth rhwng y gwledydd datganoledig yr un pryd. Dyma’r ail flwyddyn i’r Banc gefnogi’r prosiect yma ar ôl cyhoeddi ei gyfres gyntaf o adroddiadau ar gyrchu cyllid ar lefel isranbarthol ar gyfer y gwledydd unigol yn 2024. Cyflawnwyd y gwaith ymchwil yma mewn partneriaeth â Dirnad Economi Cymru.
Canfyddiadau Cymru
- Dywedodd 57% o BBaCh Cymru eu bod yn defnyddio cyllid
- Bydd ar 21% angen cyllid ychwanegol dros y flwyddyn nesaf
- Mae 61% o’r rhai sydd angen cyllid yn teimlo’n hyderus am ei ddiogelu
Canfyddiadau is-genedlaethol
- BBaCh yn y De-ddwyrain oedd lleiaf tebygol o fod yn defnyddio grantiau (3%)
- BBaCh yn y De-orllewin oedd fwyaf tueddol o ddweud bod angen mwy na £250k o gyllid arnynt (16%)
Cymharu’r Gwledydd Datganoledig
- Gan Gymru oedd y gyfran isaf o fusnesau oedd yn dweud eu bod nhw’n rhagweld y byddai angen cyllid arnynt yn y flwyddyn nesaf, gyda chwta 21% o gymharu â 48% yng Ngogledd Iwerddon, a 41% yn yr Alban.
- Roedd cyfran is o BBaCh yng Nghymru’n disgwyl tyfu dros y flwyddyn nesaf (26%) nac yn yr Alban (41%) a Gogledd Iwerddon (61%).
