Wales Interim Measures Alarm Grant (WIMAG): guidance

The Wales Interim Measures Alarm Grant (WIMAG) has been established to provide grant funding support for the installation of common fire alarm systems in eligible residential buildings in Wales where there is a requirement for interim fire safety measures. 

The grant supports resident safety while permanent fire safety remediation or mitigation works are progressed. It is intended to reduce reliance on waking watch arrangements where a suitably designed common fire alarm system is considered an appropriate interim measure. 

The grant forms part of the Welsh Government's wider Building Safety Programme. Grant funding through this scheme supports temporary risk reduction measures and does not remove the requirement to address underlying fire safety defects permanently. There is an expectation that building owners and responsible entities continue to progress permanent remediation or mitigation works. 

Responsibility for complying with fire safety legislation remains with the responsible person under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. Grant funding through the Wales Interim Measures Grant (WIMAG) does not transfer responsibility for building safety to the Welsh Government. 

The purpose of the grant is to support the installation of common fire alarm systems as an interim fire safety measure while permanent solutions are delivered. 

The grant aims to:

• Support residents to remain safely in their homes.
• Reduce reliance on waking watch arrangements where appropriate.
• Reduce the cost of interim fire safety measures.
• Reduce the need for buildings to be decanted.
• Support progress towards permanent remediation and mitigation works.

This grant supports interim measures only. Applicants must continue to progress permanent remediation or mitigation works alongside any alarm installation. 

The following organisations and individuals are eligible to apply for grant funding under this programme:

• Responsible entities
• Registered social landlords (RSLs)
• Local authorities
• Managing agents authorised to act on behalf of a building owner or responsible entity.
• Other authorised representatives acting on behalf of a Responsible Entity. 

You must provide evidence that you are authorised to act on behalf of the building owner or responsible entity where relevant. 

Leaseholders, tenants, and residents cannot apply directly for the grant. They should contact their responsible entity or, where applicable, local authority landlord or registered social landlord. 

For a building to be considered eligible for grant funding, it must: 

• Be located in Wales
• Be 11 meters or above in height
• Be multi occupied, and
• Contain residential accommodation

The building must also:

Have a current Fire Risk Assessment (FRA), Fire Risk Appraisal of External Walls (FRAEW), or equivalent fire safety assessment demonstrating the need for interim fire safety measures, and/or;

Have received notices from a local regulator, such as local authority or a fire and rescue service, which could include enforcement or prohibition notices.

We may ask for additional information to confirm eligibility. 

The Wales Interim Measures Grant (WIMAG) supports reasonable capital costs associated with installing a common fire alarm system, including:

• Fire alarm system components (equipment, wiring, detectors, panels ad similar)
• Labour and other associated installation work costs
• Commissioning and testing
• Irrecoverable VAT, where applicable. 

Fire detection and fire alarm requirements

The common fire alarm system should be designed to meet the recommendations of BS 5839-1 for a Category L5 system, to satisfy the specific fire safety objectives for the building based on the risks that are present. 

Any fire detection and fire alarm system should be designed, installed, and commissioned by an appropriately qualified, third-party accredited competent person or persons. This alarm system should be designed to meet the standards referred to in the Simultaneous Evacuation Guidance 

The grant may cover the reasonable costs of an alarm that is capable of being upgraded to the BS 8629 specification.

The Simultaneous Evacuation guidance advises that consideration should be given to installing an alarm specified to allow upgrade to a BS 8629 Emergency Evacuation Alert System once remediation or mitigation work is completed. This is because when the building reverts to a ‘Stay Put’ evacuation strategy, when remediation or other work is complete, a normal common alarm system may have to be removed as it is not compatible with a ‘Stay Put’ strategy.

Where the desired long-term outcome is for the system to be converted, the Responsible Person should discuss future conversion with a competent fire alarm engineer before the initial installation of the common fire alarm system.

The Responsible Person should take relevant technical advice and consider the NFCC Simultaneous Evacuation guidance.

• Current, historic, or future waking watch costs
• Fire wardens or evacuation management personnel.
• Project management costs
• Administration costs
• Maintenance or servicing contracts
• Repair of existing alarm systems
• Removal or conversion of alarm systems
• Legal fees
• Unrelated professional fees
• Residual waking watch costs that remain necessary after installation
• Costs already funded through another public funding source. 
• Costs already funded through any insurance or indemnity policy

Where an interim fire alarm system has previously been grant funded through the Wales Interim Measures Grant (WIMAG), another Welsh Government funding programme, or by a developer, any subsequent request for interim alarm grant funding will not be considered if there is evidence that the system has not been properly serviced or maintained.

Following the issue of the Grant Award Letter, applicants are required to confirm, upon entering into the agreement and again prior to the release of grant funding, that:

• they have disclosed all remediation or mitigation measures of which they are aware
• they have ensured these required measures are in place in the building so the waking watch can be removed following installation of the alarm
• any additional measures that have been disclosed are achievable and propose a timescale for their completion  

If, post installation of an alarm, an applicant receives a Fire Risk Assessment or correspondence from the Fire and Rescue Service or Professional Person, requiring further remediation measures to remove or avoid a waking watch (in addition to those disclosed at the point of the application) the applicant must promptly notify the Wales Interim Measures Grant (WIMAG). They must also provide details of plans for addressing those measures within 10 business days (business days are Monday to Friday inclusive, excluding public holidays).

If additional measures have been disclosed and:

• are not undertaken within the necessary timescales
• mean that the building is subject to a Prohibition Notice within 1 year of the alarm installation

Grant funding may need to be repaid.

You can apply for grant funding from the Wales Interim Measures Alam Grant (WIMAG) using the following form. 

Wales Interim Measures Alarm Grant (WIMAG): application form | GOV.WALES

Before you apply, please read the Wales Interim Measures Alarm Grant (WIMAG) Applicant Guidance.

Applications will be reviewed by Welsh Government to make sure:

• they meet the eligibility criteria for access to the Wales Interim Measures Alarm Grant (WIMAG)
• you are the correct Responsible Entity

When a grant award is issued this will need to be signed by the Responsible Entity.

The Wales Interim Measures Alarm Grant (WIMAG) will operate in accordance with the Subsidy Control Act 2022 and any applicable Welsh Government subsidy scheme. 

You may be required to provide information to support subsidy control assessments and transparency requirements. 

Information about grant awards may be published where required by legislation or the applicable subsidy scheme.

The Welsh Government treats the Welsh and English languages on the basis of equality. You can apply and correspond with us in Welsh or English. 

Applications submitted in Welsh will not be treated less favourably than those submitted in English.

The Welsh Government is the data controller for any personal information you provide as part of an application to the Wales Interim Measures Alarm Grant (WIMAG).

We will process your information to:

• assess grant applications or request for grant funding.
• monitor the performance of schemes.
• verify any information provided.
• ensure that grants have been paid out in line with the eligibility and subsidy control conditions for the schemes.
• evaluate and review the impact, performance, and costs of the schemes.
• research the effectiveness of the schemes and support future policy development.

Further information about how Welsh Government processes personal information is available in the Welsh Government grants privacy notice.

If you are unhappy with the service you have received from Welsh Government, you can make a complaint using the Welsh Government Complaints Procedure.

Complaints will be handled in accordance with the Welsh Government's published complaints arrangements.

A complaint will not normally result in a grant funding application being reassessed unless there is evidence that the published assessment process was not followed correctly.

Information about how to make a complaint is available on GOV.WALES:

Make a complaint about the Welsh Government

If you remain dissatisfied after your complaint has been considered, you may be able to refer the matter to the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales.

Further information is available at:

Public Services Ombudsman for Wales

For further information about the Wales Interim Measures Alarm Grant (WIMAG), Email: WIMAG@gov.wales