Arts Council England is providing grants of between £2,000 and £10,000 for freelance artists and creative practitioners to help them undertake R&D projects and create new work as part of the Developing your Creative Practice scheme. Round 10 is currently open, and will close for applications on 27 May 2021.

The £3 million Audio Content Fund is providing funding for independent production companies in the UK to help them produce distinctive, public service radio content for broadcast on commercial and community radio. Applications for the next round open on 17 May 2021 and close on 14 June 2021.

The Established Feature Film Development Fund for Ffilm Cymru Wales is providing funding for film producers to help them develop their latest screen project. Most awards are up to £25,000 for a specific stage of development, and applications for the latest round close on 1 June 2021.

The England Apprenticeship Grants scheme from the Construction Industry Training Board is providing grants for construction employers in England to help them cover the costs of hiring and training apprentices. Achievement grants of £3,500 are available upon successful completion of the apprenticeship.

The Ffolio scheme from Ffilm Cymru Wales is providing bespoke support, training and bursaries for filmmakers to help them produce short film project between 90 seconds and 5 minutes long. Applications for the latest round close on 1 June 2021.

Most UK companies (78%) will not ask staff for proof they have been vaccinated against COVID-19 when they return to the office, according to a survey by the British Chambers of Commerce. Only 5% of firms have put in place such requirements, and employment lawyers have questioned whether proof of vaccine policies would be legally enforceable.

The Welsh Government has confirmed that Wales will move to Alert Level 2 COVID restrictions from 17 May 2021. As a result, indoor hospitality businesses will be able to reopen, along with indoor entertainment venues, visitor attractions and holiday accommodation. International travel will also resume, using a traffic light system aligned with England and Scotland.

The Portuguese Government has confirmed that visitors from the UK will be allowed to enter the country from 17 May 2021, providing they have had a negative PCR result within the previous 72 hours. Portugal is on the UK's green travel list, meaning people can travel to Portugal without needing to quarantine upon returning to the UK.

The Welsh Government has confirmed that international travel from Wales will restart from 17 May 2021, but nevertheless advised people not to travel abroad if they do not need to. The same traffic light system used in England and Scotland will also be used in Wales, with mandatory quarantine rules in places for those returning from countries on the red and amber lists.