Y Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol

Charity Number: 1143525

Annual Expenditure: £9.9M

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Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: £9,945,988 (total charitable expenditure)
  • Annual Income: £11,218,903
  • Grant Range: £2,500 - £10,103,000 (varies by program type)
  • Geographic Focus: Wales (primarily higher education institutions)
  • Number of Staff: 39 employees
  • Established: 2011

Contact Details

Address: Y Llwyfan, Heol y Coleg, Caerfyrddin, Sir Gaerfyrddin SA31 3EQ

Phone: 01267 610400

Email: gwybodaeth@colegcymraeg.ac.uk

Website: https://colegcymraeg.ac.uk/en/

Overview

Y Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol was established in 2011 by the Welsh Government as a registered charity to promote, sustain, develop and plan Welsh-medium provision in higher, further and continuing education across Wales. The organization works in partnership with universities, further education colleges, schools, apprenticeship providers and employers to create and promote training and study opportunities in Welsh. With annual income exceeding £11 million (primarily from government grants totaling over £10 million), the Coleg distributes all its charitable expenditure—nearly £10 million annually—to support Welsh-medium education infrastructure. The organization received an additional £2.825 million in 2023-24 under the Co-operation Agreement with Plaid Cymru to expand college infrastructure and extend tailored support for the apprenticeships sector. Since 2011, the Coleg has funded 115 lecturers teaching through the medium of Welsh across diverse subjects from Law and Modern Languages to Biosciences.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Subject Grants and Incentive Grants

The majority of financial support flows through these institutional grants to universities and colleges offering Welsh-medium degree courses. Institutions must offer either:

  • 40 credits or more per year (33% of degree course) with at least 2 full-time equivalent staff
  • 80 credits or more per year (67% of degree course) with at least 4 staff members

Staffing Grants

Support institutions to provide new Welsh-medium provision where no staffing capacity currently exists. Funding covers lecturer posts responsible for creating and presenting new modules. Costs are shared between the Coleg and the provider.

Small Grants: Up to £2,500

  • Supports innovative and creative schemes
  • Enriches higher education provision
  • Each establishment can submit up to 5 applications annually
  • At least one funding round published each year

Innovation Grants for Associate Lecturers: Up to £3,000

  • Year-long projects for associate lecturers
  • Supports field trips, research projects, and sharing good practice
  • Applications reviewed annually

Collaborative Fund

  • Supports academic modules, activities, and conferences with collaborative elements
  • Applications typically invited during spring term for following academic year
  • Deadline typically in April (e.g., 26 April 2024 for 2024/25 academic year)

Cross-Curricular Grants

  • New grant stream supporting provision that bridges multiple subjects
  • Creates modules that can be offered within many degree courses

Research Scholarships: Approximately 10 awards annually

  • Full scholarships: 100% of learning fees plus maintenance grant
  • 50% scholarships: University must secure remaining funding (partnership model)
  • Three-year funding for PhD students
  • Each university can submit up to 5 applications annually (maximum 1 per school/department)
  • Applications invited mid-October with end of January deadline

Undergraduate Scholarships

  • For students studying at least 66% (80 credits) per year in Welsh
  • Universities nominate recipients
  • Limited number available
  • Non-repayable funding

Priority Areas

  • Welsh-medium higher education provision across all academic subjects
  • Developing provision in strategic sectors: leisure and sport, health and social care, childcare, and agriculture
  • Initial teacher education projects supporting the Welsh in Education Workforce Plan
  • Apprenticeship sector capacity building in health and care and childcare
  • Collaborative learning between institutions
  • Resource creation for Welsh-medium teaching
  • Research and study tours

What They Don't Fund

  • Provision outside Wales
  • Non-educational activities
  • Courses with less than 40 credits (33%) in Welsh
  • General operating costs unrelated to Welsh-medium provision
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Governance and Leadership

The charity is governed by 11 trustees, with some trustees receiving payments for services provided to the organization. The executive team includes senior staff members, with:

  • 1 employee earning £90,000-£100,000
  • 2 employees earning £70,000-£80,000

The organization operates as a charitable company (Company Number: 07550507).

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

For Institutional Grants:

Universities and colleges should contact their designated Coleg Branch Officers for detailed information about Subject Grants, Incentive Grants, Staffing Grants, and Cross-Curricular Grants. These grants are negotiated in partnership with institutions rather than through open competitive applications.

For Small Grants and Innovation Grants:

  • Contact: Coleg Branch Officers at individual institutions
  • Process: At least one annual funding round
  • Applications: Each establishment can submit up to 5 Small Grant applications per year
  • Amounts: Up to £2,500 (Small Grants) or £3,000 (Innovation Grants for associate lecturers)

For Collaborative Fund:

  • Timeline: Applications typically invited during spring term
  • Deadline: Late April (approximately 26 April for following academic year)
  • Method: Applications submitted through institutional channels

For Research Scholarships (PhD):

  • Applications invited: Mid-October annually
  • Deadline: End of January
  • Method: Universities submit applications on behalf of candidates
  • Limit: Maximum 5 applications per university; maximum 1 per school/department

For Undergraduate Scholarships:

  • Method: Universities nominate students
  • Eligibility: Students studying at least 66% (80 credits) per year in Welsh
  • Process: Not open to direct individual applications

Decision Timeline

  • Research Scholarships: Decisions made following end of January deadline, typically by spring
  • Collaborative Fund: Decisions made for implementation in following academic year
  • Small Grants and Innovation Grants: Varies by annual round timing

Success Rates

Research Scholarships: Approximately 10 awards made annually from submissions by all Welsh universities (each submitting up to 5 applications). This suggests a competitive process with universities pre-selecting their strongest candidates.

Application Success Factors

Institutional Partnership Approach

The Coleg operates primarily through partnership relationships with Welsh universities and colleges rather than competitive grant applications. Success depends on establishing and maintaining strong institutional relationships with designated Branch Officers.

For Research Scholarships:

Universities internally select which proposals to submit, limiting submissions to 5 per institution and 1 per department. This means applicants must first convince their own institution to nominate their proposal, making internal institutional support critical.

Welsh-Medium Provision Requirements

Institutions receiving Subject Grants and Incentive Grants must demonstrate capacity to deliver substantial Welsh-medium content:

  • Minimum 40 credits (33%) requires at least 2 FTE Welsh-medium teaching staff
  • 80 credits (67%) requires at least 4 FTE Welsh-medium teaching staff

Strategic Sector Alignment

For 2023-24 onwards, the Coleg prioritized strengthening delivery in:

  • Leisure and sport
  • Health and social care
  • Childcare
  • Agriculture
  • Initial teacher education
  • Apprenticeships sector

Collaborative and Innovative Elements

The Collaborative Fund specifically supports schemes with collaborative elements between institutions. Small Grants and Innovation Grants prioritize:

  • Innovative and creative schemes
  • Projects that enrich provision for students
  • Potential for publishing or sharing good practices
  • Educational/research projects that extend Welsh-medium higher education

Cost-Sharing Model

For Staffing Grants, institutions are expected to share costs with the Coleg, demonstrating institutional commitment to Welsh-medium provision.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • This is primarily an institutional funder: The Coleg works through partnership arrangements with universities and FE colleges rather than open competitive grants. Building relationships with your institution's Coleg Branch Officer is essential.
  • Research Scholarships are highly competitive: With approximately 10 awards from all Welsh universities submitting up to 5 applications each, you must first secure your institution's nomination before reaching the Coleg.
  • Demonstrate staffing capacity: For institutional grants, show you have or can develop the necessary Welsh-speaking academic staff (minimum 2 FTE for basic provision, 4 FTE for substantial provision).
  • Align with strategic priorities: The 2023-24 focus on health and social care, childcare, agriculture, leisure/sport, teacher education, and apprenticeships indicates current strategic direction.
  • Emphasize collaboration: For Collaborative Fund and other grants, highlight partnership elements between institutions and potential for sharing good practice.
  • Think long-term sustainability: The cost-sharing model for Staffing Grants indicates the Coleg values institutional commitment beyond initial funding period.
  • Small Grants offer accessible entry point: If you're university/FE staff, Small Grants (up to £2,500) and Innovation Grants (up to £3,000) provide more accessible funding with up to 5 applications per institution annually.

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