Welsh firms have been left frustrated and warning of jobs losses and business failures after a Covid fund closed before many could even submit an application.
Welsh Government's £100m business grants, part of the Economic Resilience Fund (ERF), launched on Wednesday afternoon.
But it closed little more than 24 hours later after receiving 5,500 applications from firms desperate for support in a year wrecked by the coronavirus pandemic.
Many businesses say the system crashed or timed out while they were trying to make an application - others simply weren't able to apply before the fund was closed.
North Wales Tourism found in a snap poll that only around half of those who wanted to apply were able to submit.
One of those unable to submit was the Victoria Hotel in Menai Bridge on Anglesey - which has been trading for 43 years and employs nearly 50 staff.
Director Kate Smeaton-Elias said: "We employ 47 local people, who rely on their wage to support their families.
"Due to our Rateable Value we do not qualify for Local Authority administered grants.
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"The Economic Resilience Fund is the only avenue of financial support open to us.
"Following the criteria, we spent a lot of time collating the required information and obtaining quotes, not easy during lockdown.
"Business Wales are very specific with their criteria and if applications are unsuccessful, there is no appeals process.
"Last night, I went to submit my detailed application, to find that that applications have been ‘suspended’ - deemed to be oversubscribed and effectively closed.
"If this is the case, many long established viable businesses will fail, many jobs will be lost and many more families will be reliant on direct government support - we sincerely hope that the application portal is genuinely suspended and the door is not firmly closed .
"We, like most others in the hospitality industry have jumped through every hoop during this pandemic, acted on every directive, we are as ‘Covid Safe’ as we possibly can be, but without additional financial support, we will fail.
"Our loyal staff, who have been with us every step of the way, don’t deserve this."
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Hal Holmes-Pierce, from local shoe shop chain Elevate Your Sole, told Welsh Government: "Fastest finger first is an absolutely disgusting way to distribute much needed funds. This will wreck people's lives and you should hang your heads in shame."
He told Business Live: "I'm lucky to have applied in time for the local lockdown grant. I was busy preparing for the ERF 3 grant and it closed within 24 hours of opening.
"I'm absolutely fuming!"
Jim Jones, chief executive of North Wales Tourism, said: "The sheer number of businesses that managed to work their way through a very complex application process so quickly, and submit, demonstrates the urgent need for businesses to access this vital support in order to survive the winter.
"However on the other side of the coin, it is also very worrying that many of our businesses have lost out for a number of reasons.
"The submission process was expected to be busy, but I think it took everyone by surprise, the sheer speed that led to the suspension, especially when the deadline was given as 25th November.
"I know there were a number of glitches on the site that delayed businesses from completing their application.
"Helplines were overwhelmed with so many businesses unable to speak to a business advisor.
"We have undertaken a snap survey this morning of our membership and from the responses, approx 48% managed to submit on time and 52% didn’t.
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"We are now hoping that Welsh Government will open a further round of support as soon as possible."
A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “We recognise what a difficult time this is for business and the high demand for the latest £100m business development grant element of our Economic Resilience Fund only serves to reinforce this.
“Due to the high volume of applications received and our commitment to getting funds out as quickly as possible to business, we closed the business development grant element of the fund yesterday.
"We are continuing to explore further options for supporting businesses through the pandemic, including to help them prepare for EU transition, and are working to ensure that businesses who have not yet applied to the fund are able to register an expression of interest on the Business Wales website.
“Businesses can still register for and benefit from the £200 million Lockdown Business Fund element of ERF3 as well as apply to other 海角视频 Government led schemes.”