Policy on awarding grants and providing financial assistance

The Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011 (“the Measure”) gave the Welsh language official status in  Wales and enabled the imposition of Welsh language standards on bodies. 

The Standards explain how bodies should treat and use the Welsh language in different situations, to  include awarding grants or providing financial assistance. 

They are divided into five classes: 

• service delivery standards 
• policy making standards 
• operational standards 
• promotion standards 
• record keeping standards 

Organisations are monitored for compliance by the Welsh Language Commissioner who has authority to  investigate complaints and breaches in compliance with the standards. These investigations can in turn  lead to county court judgements, enforcement action and fines. 

This policy outlines what must be considered by the College during the process of awarding grants or  providing financial assistance in compliance with the Welsh Language Standards (No.6) Regulations  2017. It is the responsibility of all staff involved in the awarding of grants or financial assistance to adhere  to this policy. 

The policy relates to Service Delivery Standards 75, 76, 76a, 78 and 79 as follows:

Standard 75

Any documents that you publish which relate to applications for a grant or financial assistance  must be published in Welsh and you must not treat a Welsh language version of such documents  less favourably than an English language version.

Standard 76

When you invite applications for a grant or financial assistance, you must state in the invitation  that applications may be submitted in Welsh and that any application submitted in Welsh will be  treated no less favourably than an application submitted in English.

Standard 76A

You must not treat applications for a grant or financial assistance submitted in Welsh less  favourably than applications submitted in English (including, amongst other matters, in relation to  the closing date for receiving applications and in relation to the timescale for informing applicants  of decisions).

Standard 78

If you receive an application for a grant or financial assistance in Welsh and it is necessary to interview the applicant as part of your assessment of the application you must:

a) offer to provide a translation service from Welsh to English to enable the applicant to use the Welsh language at the interview, and 
b) if the applicant wishes to use the Welsh language at the interview, provide a simultaneous translation service for that purpose (unless you conduct the interview in  Welsh without a translation service).

Standard 79

When you inform an applicant of your decision in relation to an application for a grant or financial  assistance, you must do so in Welsh if the application was submitted in Welsh.

Standard 100 of the No. 6 Regulations 2017 states that:

You must produce and publish a policy on awarding grants or providing financial assistance (or, where appropriate, amend an existing policy) which requires you to take the following matters into account when you make decisions in relation to the awarding of a grant or providing financial assistance:

1. what effects, if any (and whether positive or negative), the awarding of a grant or  providing financial assistance would have on: 
   1. opportunities for persons to use the Welsh language, and 
   2. treating the Welsh language, no less favourably than the English language. 
       
2. how the decision could be taken or implemented (for example, by imposing conditions) so that it would have positive effects, or increased positive effects, on:
   1. opportunities for persons to use the Welsh language, and
   2. treating the Welsh language, no less favourably than the English language. 
       
3. how the decision could be taken or implemented (for example, by imposing conditions) so that it would not have adverse effects, or so that it would have decreased adverse effects on:
   1. opportunities for persons to use the Welsh language, and
   2. treating the Welsh language, no less favourably than the English language. 
       
4. whether you need to ask the applicant for any additional information in order to assist  you in assessing the effects of awarding a grant or providing financial assistance on:
   1. opportunities for persons to use the Welsh language, and 
   2. treating the Welsh language, no less favourably than the English language.

Standard 157

The College is committed to promoting the Welsh language and ensuring compliance with the Standards  in all aspects of its work.

As such, this policy has been developed to ensure that the following requirements are followed throughout the process of awarding grants and providing financial assistance:

• all materials will be published in Welsh 
• the individuals’ language preference will be respected throughout the process 
• any impact on the Welsh language, whether positive, negative or both will be identified 
• ways of promoting the Welsh language, including the use of Welsh, will be recorded and  implemented 
• every effort will be taken to reduce adverse impacts on the Welsh language 
  conditions will be implemented on any grant or financial assistance in respect of the Welsh language where deemed necessary 

When setting up new grants or financial assistance, the creator will carry out an impact assessment on the effects, be they negative or positive, the grants will have on the Welsh language to ensure the organisation complies with Welsh Language Standards 94-96.

• The College awards grants or financial assistance on behalf of another body (Welsh Government  or any other body that falls within the scope of the Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011) and  the specific terms and conditions of the grant/financial assistance includes Welsh language  considerations. 
• The College awards grants/financial assistance that it has funded itself. 
• If the College is in any way involved in the decision-making process in the awarding of  grants/financial assistance on behalf of organisations that do not fall within the scope of the  Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011 and there are no specific terms and conditions in  relation to the Welsh language set out in the grant/financial assistance. 

All grant applications and requests for financial assistance will be assessed on their individual merit and  in accordance with the criteria outlined in the application process. 

• A ‘grant’ is usually a permanent transfer of money to a person where it does not need to be  repaid nor returned. 
• The term ‘grant’ includes any support which a body provides to a person for a specific project or  purpose. A grant will usually only cover part of the total costs. They are usually used in  accordance with specific terms and conditions. 
• The term ‘financial assistance’ could include a benefit, scholarship money, loan, or a bursary as  some examples but it does not include a sum of money given to a person via a procurement  process.

Two types of effects on the Welsh language need to be identified. Those effects reflect the two main  objectives of the standards: 

• ensuring opportunities for persons to use the Welsh language 
• treating the Welsh language, no less favourably than the English language. 

The practical meaning of ‘treating the Welsh language no less favourably than the English’ varies from  one situation to another. But in general, it means not putting anyone at a disadvantage if they wish to use  the Welsh language, and ensuring that the Welsh language is at least as prominent, accessible and of  equal quality as the English at all times. 

Indirect effects as well as direct effects are included. 

Once potential effects have been identified, it will be necessary to identify whether they are positive or  adverse: 

• positive effects are those that mean that there is an increase in the use of the Welsh language,  that the Welsh language is more visible, or that there are no additional barriers to using Welsh,  with outcomes that are at least as favourable. 
• adverse effects are those that mean that there are fewer opportunities to use Welsh, the Welsh  language is less visible, or that people who wish to use Welsh face more barriers or less  favourable outcomes than people who use English.

The Welsh Language Standards (No.6) Regulations 2017 place a statutory requirement on the University  to ensure all grants and financial assistance issued by it consider whether there are ways the initiative  could be amended to include more positive impacts on the Welsh Language or if actions could be  included to decrease negative impacts or eradicate them altogether. 

In complying with this statutory requirement, we ask you, as the applicant, to let us know through the  application form how your initiative may impact the following areas: 

• opportunities for persons to use the Welsh Language e.g. students, staff, residents and visitors • has a positive or negative impact on the numbers of Welsh speakers e.g. Welsh medium  education, study opportunities, links with the Welsh Government’s Cymraeg 2050 Strategy / The Welsh Language - our commitment
• opportunities to promote the Welsh language e.g. status, use of Welsh language services, use of  Welsh in everyday life in work, on campus, and in the community. Actively encourage and  promote the use of our services in Welsh to see an increase in demand over time. • treating the Welsh language, no less favourably than the English language 

The team will assess your answers, ask further questions where necessary or they may impose a  condition of grant that would require you to complete a specific action to ensure more positive impacts on  the Welsh Language.

The following must be added, as a mandatory question, to all application forms, to ensure the College  complies with its Welsh Language Standards by asking the applicant to give us some considerations  before our own deliberations: 

Please let us know: 

• How you feel the grant or financial assistance could impact opportunities for people to use and  promote the Welsh Language (Positive or Negative) and if in any way it treats the Welsh  Language less favourably than the English Language? 
• How positive impacts could be increased, or negative impacts be decreased? 

We suggest the following should be included in all terms and conditions that the College issues for grants  and financial assistance. 

“This grant/financial assistance is awarded in line with the requirements of our Policy on Awarding Grants,  published to ensure compliance with the Welsh Language Standards (No.6) Regulations 2017, under the  Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011. 

In order to satisfy the requirements of these terms and conditions you must comply with the below 

<<insert specific conditions of grant in relation to the Welsh language>> 

Or 

<<list agreed actions that the applicant has noted to ensure positive impacts, or to reduce negative  impacts (these will have been discussed during the decision-making stage). >>” 

It may be appropriate in some instances to impose a condition on a grant to ensure more positive impacts  on the Welsh language. This could be as simple as requiring applicants to display bilingual signage or  that activities are provided in Welsh. 

Any requirements to report on the use of the grant or financial assistance should also include a  requirement to report on the Welsh language impacts.

The College recognises the importance of the Welsh language in promoting a bilingual Wales and is  committed to promoting its use through the awarding of grants and financial assistance. This policy sets  out our commitment to complying with the Welsh Language Standards (No.6) Regulations 2017 and  ensuring that the Welsh language is considered throughout the process of awarding grants and providing  financial assistance.