Medr has today launched its consultation on new Quality Performance Measures as part of its approach to regulating tertiary education and training providers in Wales.

This consultation introduces the individual measures and outlines how Medr proposes to use them within the context of its regulatory framework.

The Quality Performance Measures are intended to support consistency in how Medr assesses compliance of the tertiary education sector with the quality and continuous improvement regulatory condition.  

The measures will support Medr doing this in a holistic way, and will enable a shared contextual understanding of performance which it will use to inform conversations with providers and to understand continuous improvement priorities across the sector.

Medr’s ambition is to support the continuous improvement efforts of providers by sharing this information, and the measures will also provide a rich source of information for providers themselves to understand their performance both within the wider sector and contextually.

James Owen, Chief Executive of Medr, said:

“This consultation represents a pivotal point in our regulatory journey and follows the successful launch of our regulatory framework in August 2026. We are incredibly grateful for the constructive, informal engagement on our proposals to date and feedback provided through previous consultation responses.

“These proposals, informed by advice from our Quality Committee, will allow us to gain a better picture of performance within the sector, building towards a coherent approach to how data and evidence are considered within tertiary education in Wales.  

“We welcome all views on these proposals to ensure they are fit for purpose and that they will ultimately help Medr, providers and stakeholders to better understand what is happening across the sector and ensure a good quality experience for our learners.”

Consultation on provider quality performance measures for tertiary education

Notes

What do the performance measures include?

The proposed measures reflect the areas set out in Medr’s Quality Framework, including completions, progression and destinations.

The consultation also sets out Medr’s benchmarking methodology, which produces a benchmark across most of the measures for providers to understand what their contextual performance looks like when factors such as activity level, level of highest qualification achieved prior to learning programme, subject of study, entry qualifications, and age, are taken into consideration.

The Quality Performance Measures are focused on provider level performance in the areas set out in the consultation. Medr will carry out separate work to articulate its long-term sector level ambitions and how it will measure our progress towards those ambition, for example, as part of its work developing the National Plan for the Welsh Language in Tertiary Education.

How will Medr use the measures?

Medr will use the measures as part of its wider analysis of performance information to inform assessments of provider compliance with the regulatory framework. They will also help Medr to understand continuous improvement priorities across the sector, and identify any issues or trends in data which it may need to discuss with a provider. Any issues it identifies with performance or trends will normally result in a conversation with a provider, to enable it to contextualise the outcomes.

Medr does not propose that these measures enable a threshold or trigger point approach, but rather the data informs its work understanding and engaging with quality and continuous improvement across the sector.

As the measures will be published, the proposals will be helpful for tertiary education providers to inform their own continuous improvement priorities.

What does this mean for learners?

The information will be publicly available, which will mean learners can make informed choices about their educational pathways. Learner voice is a key measure which will inform Medr’s quality and continuous improvement activity.

Introduction

1. Under the Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Act 2022 Medr has a duty to monitor and promote improvement in the quality of education provided by or on behalf of registered providers, and that funded or otherwise secured by Medr (section 51).

2. Medr’s regulatory framework sets out the Conditions of Registration and Funding that providers must meet. These conditions form the core requirements for compliance and apply across the tertiary education sector. They include the condition for quality and continuous improvement, which requires registered and/or funded providers to demonstrate that their provision, including that delivered on their behalf, is of good quality and that they engage with continuous improvement. This supports delivery of Strategic Aim 3 of Medr’s Strategic Plan, i.e. to ensure learners receive the highest-quality provision in a tertiary education sector that strives for continuous improvement.

3. The Quality and Continuous Improvement condition states that one of the compliance requirements is to have acceptable performance data. The Quality Framework notes that by 2027 Medr expects to have reviewed data collection arrangements and consulted on performance measures and the use of benchmarking. This document provides that consultation. It sets out Medr’s proposals for provider quality performance measures across tertiary education, which will form part of our regulatory monitoring.

4. The measures set out in this document are designed to inform our understanding of provider performance in relation to quality and continuous improvement.

5. These measures will support wider monitoring of areas such as Welsh medium, equalities, participation, and access to tertiary education.  Medr will also carry out separate work on setting out and measuring organisational metrics against our long-term ambitions, which will take account of these areas.

Aim of consultation and rationale

6. The proposals aim to enable Medr to achieve consistency in how we assess compliance of the tertiary education sector with the quality and continuous improvement condition.  They will support us doing this in a holistic manner and will support a shared contextual understanding of performance. Where possible, this will replace existing publications, in order to streamline reporting.

7. The proposals also aim to support providers in conducting self-evaluation and identifying priorities for continuous improvement, as set out in the Quality Framework. This will help providers assure themselves that they meet the requirements of the Quality and Continuous Improvement condition.

8. Finally, the proposals aim to ensure that external quality assessment is informed by a set of data that is available to all parties.

9. Annex A provides a set of Frequently Asked Questions in relation to performance data.

Responses

A copy of the consultation questions is at Annex E. Please respond via the online form by 9 December 2026

Further information

Any queries regarding this consultation should be directed to [email protected].

Online events

We will be hosting two webinars that will allow stakeholders and interested parties to hear more about our quality performance measures with the opportunity to ask questions and find out more details of how the measures will operate:

Event 1: (online) 16 November 2026 13.00-14.00

Event 2: (online) 17 November 2026 13.00-14.00

The sessions are the same and will be recorded for colleagues unable to join us.

Medr has today launched a new information platform for professionals working in tertiary settings in Wales.

Adnoddau Medr will sit alongside Medr’s website, and allows education professionals to access supporting material such as toolkits, case studies and practical guidance.

Digital material relating to topics such as equalities, outdoor education, digital learning, mental health and more can be accessed through the platform.

This platform will initially provide users with access to material that was previously available on the Welsh Government’s Hwb website, and is of most relevance to staff working in further education, apprenticeships and adult community learning.

This is the first phase in changes to how staff in tertiary education access professional material from Medr, with the range of material being developed over time.

Adnoddau Medr is hosted by the Thinqi digital learning and development platform. All the material is currently publicly available, and users do not need to register or create an account to access content.

• Adnoddau Medr for digital resources for education professionals working in the tertiary sector.

• Hwb remains the Welsh Government’s platform for the schools sector, and supports delivery of the Curriculum for Wales. The new Hwb platform is due to launch on 27 October.

Notes

Hwb is the Welsh Government’s education platform for schools in Wales, to support delivery of the Curriculum for Wales. The platform is designed for the maintained schools sector in Wales, providing access to content, online resources, digital tools and services. 

The Hwb platform was previously used as a repository for vocational and post-16 professional resources. This material is now hosted on Adnoddau Medr.

The initial collection in Adnoddau Medr gives Medr a foundation from which to develop its approach to sharing digital resources with the tertiary education and research sector in future.

Pan-Wales collaboration across six universities produces a practical resource for educators and careers professionals.

Pan-Wales collaboration across six universities produces a practical resource for educators and careers professionals

A new practical toolkit designed to help higher education institutions embed ethical and sustainable employability into their teaching, careers provision and institutional practice has been published, funded by Medr and edited by Advance HE.

The Ethical and Sustainable Employability (ESE) Toolkit is the result of a pan-Wales collaboration involving Swansea University, Aberystwyth University, Cardiff University, the Open University, Bangor University and Wrexham University. Developed over 18 months through the Wales Employability Community of Practice, the toolkit draws on case studies and expertise from across the Welsh higher education sector and is designed to be of practical use to anyone working in tertiary education with responsibility for, or an interest in, employability provision.

Case studies included in the toolkit illustrate how ethical and sustainable employability is already being realised in practice across Welsh universities. These include Swansea University’s Marketing for Good initiative, in which students apply digital marketing skills to live projects for organisations such as Wales Air Ambulance; the Open University’s ‘Sustainathon’, a week-long challenge addressing real sustainability problems; and Bangor University’s Places of Climate Change programme, combining seminars, workshops and internships focused on climate action.

Emma Mock, Head of Skills and Employability at Medr, welcomed the publication:

“This toolkit is a significant step forward for employability in Welsh higher education. It reflects Medr’s commitment to supporting the tertiary education sector to equip graduates with the skills and values needed for a rapidly changing world of work, and we hope it will be taken up widely by institutions across Wales and beyond.”

Stuart Norton, Head of Educational Excellence at Advance HE, who led the development of the toolkit, said:

“This is a genuinely practical resource, built directly on the expertise and experience of colleagues across six Welsh universities, and I am grateful to all of them for their contributions. Graduates are increasingly seeking work that aligns with their values, and institutions need tools to respond to that shift. The ESE Toolkit gives educators and careers professionals a structured, adaptable framework to do exactly that and we hope it will continue to grow as more institutions add their own examples of practice.”

Ethical and Sustainable Employability Toolkit

Notes

The Ethical and Sustainable Employability Toolkit is available now. Institutions wishing to contribute further case studies or examples of practice are invited to contact [email protected].

The toolkit offers a clear five-stage framework – Audit, Identify and Establish, Scale, Implement and Evaluate, and Contribute – to help institutions assess their current ESE provision and develop it further. It is grounded in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015, reflecting Wales’s distinctive legislative commitment to long-term thinking about people, communities and the planet.

The case studies are drawn from Welsh institutions, but toolkit is intended to be relevant across the United Kingdom and internationally, spanning teaching and learning, research, careers services and enterprise.

2025-26 was Medr’s first full year of operation and marked a significant shift from organisational establishment to delivery.

Over the year, Medr invested more than £1 billion across the tertiary education and research sector, supporting over 320,000 learners across Wales.

Key achievements included:

• Launching Wales’ tertiary-wide regulatory framework, the first of its kind in the UK, bringing together expectations on quality, learner engagement, wellbeing, equality, Welsh language provision, governance and financial sustainability within a single system.
• Leading a national consultation on the future of apprenticeships, engaging learners, employers and providers and establishing clear priorities for a more flexible, inclusive and responsive apprenticeship programme.
• Expanding Junior Apprenticeships provision across Wales, supported by £600,000 of investment, helping more young people at risk of disengagement access vocational pathways and improve attendance, confidence and progression outcomes.
• Publishing the Learner Engagement Code and strengthening the role of learner voice across the tertiary sector, ensuring learners are more meaningfully involved in decision-making and shaping their own learning experiences.
• Investing £5 million through the Strategic Development Fund, supporting 12 collaborative projects spanning skills, curriculum innovation, clean energy, digital capability, advanced manufacturing, and regional economic development.
• Strengthening evidence and analytical capability, including publishing Medr’s first report on the financial sustainability of higher education in Wales and new system-wide analysis of subject demand and provision.
• Achieving recognition from the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR), which concluded that Medr had established a strong foundation as a new producer of official statistics and identified examples of good practice, providing an important endorsement of the organisation’s analytical and data capability.
• Advancing strategic priorities for equity, wellbeing and the Welsh language, including new regulatory conditions covering Equality of Opportunity, Learner and Staff Welfare, and Welsh language provision across the tertiary sector.

James Owen, Chief Executive of Medr said:

“This has been a landmark year for Medr as we moved from laying the foundations of a new organisation to delivering meaningful outcomes for learners, providers and employers.

“Working closely with our partners, we have invested more than £1 billion in the tertiary education and research sector, introduced a new regulatory framework, strengthened learner engagement and helped shape the future direction of apprenticeships.

“Together, these achievements are helping to build a more connected, inclusive and sustainable tertiary education system that supports opportunity, innovation and prosperity for Wales.”

Medr’s annual report for the period April 2025 – March 2026 was laid before the Senedd on 29 September 2026.

Medr's Annual Report and Accounts 2025-26

Medr welcomes Estyn’s thematic review of attendance and participation across post-16 education in Wales (this includes further education (FE) colleges and school sixth forms across Wales). The report provides valuable insight into current attendance patterns, the factors influencing learner engagement, and the approaches being adopted by providers to improve attendance and participation. We recognise the importance of attendance as a key enabler of learner success, progression, wellbeing and positive outcomes.

The report aligns with Medr’s commitment to supporting a high-quality tertiary education system and highlights several areas where collaborative action across the sector can strengthen learner engagement and improve outcomes.

In particular, we note the report’s findings regarding the varying approaches taken to recording and reporting attendance, the challenges associated with benchmarking attendance data, and the strong relationship between attendance, wellbeing and learner success.

Response to key findings

Medr recognises the report’s conclusion that attendance remains a significant challenge across post-16 provision, and that attendance is influenced by a complex range of interrelated factors, including learner wellbeing, transport accessibility, financial pressures, part-time employment and curriculum relevance.

We are encouraged by the examples of effective practice identified in the report, including the development of specialist pastoral support roles, learner-centred intervention approaches and the increasing use of attendance data alongside wider measures of learner progress and wellbeing. These approaches reinforce the importance of considering attendance within a broader framework of learner engagement.

Response to recommendations for Medr

We accept the findings and recommendations as they relate to Medr and recognise the opportunity to strengthen national arrangements for attendance and participation across the tertiary sector. Medr will consider how we might contribute in this area in light of the proposed review of the Lifelong Learning Wales Record (LLWR).

Standardisation of attendance reporting

Medr will work with providers, Welsh Government and key sector partners to explore options for developing greater consistency in attendance and participation reporting. This could include consideration of common definitions, attendance codes and reporting arrangements to support improved comparability and understanding across the sector. Any future developments will need to be proportionate, evidence-based and developed collaboratively with providers.

Development of national attendance data

We acknowledge the report’s recommendation regarding the publication of national post-16 attendance data but recognise the challenges it poses. It is likely that this would be a long-term ambition and would require a sustained investment of time and resource. Medr will work with Welsh Government and providers to consider the feasibility, benefits and practical implications of establishing national attendance datasets and reporting arrangements that support benchmarking, self-evaluation and continuous improvement while minimising unnecessary burden on providers

Sharing effective practice

Medr recognises the significant strengths that already exist across Wales. We will continue to facilitate opportunities for providers to share effective practice, particularly in relation to attendance monitoring, learner support, wellbeing interventions and approaches that strengthen engagement and participation.

Next steps

Medr welcomes this report which provides a clear foundation for further discussion across the sector. The findings reinforce that improving attendance requires a system-wide response.

Medr is committed to working with Welsh Government, local authorities, schools, colleges and other stakeholders to consider the recommendations in detail and to support continued improvement in learner engagement, attendance, wellbeing and outcomes across Wales.

For further information, please contact [email protected].

1. This publication is to set out an increase in the funding awarded to Medr by Welsh Government for Junior Apprenticeships in the financial year 2026-27. The additional investment is to recognise increased provision and participation across Wales.

2. The additional funding awarded to Medr is for £135,000.

3. A separate publication will be issued following the 2026/27 academic year identifying individual FEI allocations.

Background

1. Since 2025, Medr has been conducting a ‘deep dive’ into the construction and building services sector, in parallel with undertaking a review of the apprenticeship frameworks currently available. The objective being to determine the suitability of the Construction and Building Services Apprenticeship Frameworks i.e. whether they meet industry need and meet the relevant skills needs of the Welsh construction and building services sector.

2. There has been extensive engagement and collaboration with apprenticeship providers, employers, Qualifications Wales and CITB (Construction Industry Training Board) at all stages in this process.

The consultation

3. Medr launched a consultation on 1 July 2026 (Medr/2026/31: Consultation on the proposed new pathways in the Construction and Building Services Apprenticeship Framework). We are now seeking comments on a further pathway, Groundworks/Construction Operations (Annex A), which will sit within the Construction and Building Services Apprenticeship Framework.

4. There are no set questions with regard to the pathways themselves, as we would like respondents to share your thoughts freely, with no restrictions on the range of issues on which you would like to comment.

5. More broadly, respondents should also consider the following areas:

The Welsh language

6. Could proposed new pathways be changed to increase positive effects, or decrease adverse effects on:

• Opportunities for persons to use the Welsh language
• Treating the Welsh language no less favourably than the English language

Impact on the Well-being of Future Generations Act (2015)

7. Could the proposed new pathways be changed to increase positive effects, or decrease adverse effects on the goals of the Well-being of Future Generations Act 2015?

Impact on equality, diversity and inclusion

8. Do the proposed new pathways have any positive or negative impacts, or unintended consequences, in terms of equality, diversity and inclusion?

Responses

9. Responses should be emailed to [email protected] by 14 October 2026.

The years between 16 and 18 are some of the most important in a learner’s education journey. It is a time when young people begin to specialise, explore their interests and take the next steps towards higher education, training or employment.

To support this, learners need access to a broad, high-quality range of opportunities that reflect both their aspirations and the needs of their local communities. This is the purpose of 16-18 Local Curricula.

As responsibility for forming local curricula has transferred to Medr, there is an opportunity to strengthen collaboration across Wales and ensure that all learners can benefit from sustainable, inclusive and learner-centred curriculum offers.

What are 16-18 Local Curricula?

A 16-18 Local Curriculum is the collective range of courses and learning opportunities available to young people within a local authority area.

These opportunities may be delivered by schools, further education institutions, or through collaborative arrangements between providers. The aim is to ensure learners can access a broad choice of academic and vocational pathways that support progression to their chosen next steps.

At its heart, local curriculum planning is about learners. It is about understanding what young people need, what opportunities are available, and how partners can work together to maximise choice and support successful outcomes.

Medr’s role

The Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Act 2022 places responsibility for forming 16-18 Local Curricula with Medr, creating a single organisation responsible for strategic oversight of post-compulsory education in Wales.

As part of this role, Medr will work with local authorities, schools, colleges and wider partners to:

• Develop local curriculum arrangements across Wales.
• Use data, evidence and intelligence to inform planning and decision making.
• Support curriculum offers that reflect learner demand and local priorities.
• Promote sustainable provision and meaningful progression pathways.
• Support opportunities for Welsh-medium learning and participation.
• Work collaboratively with partners to develop practical and proportionate approaches that reflect local circumstances.

Effective local curricula depend on strong partnerships and shared ownership. Medr plays a collaborative role, bringing together partners across the system.

The role of local authorities, schools and colleges

Local authorities, schools and further education institutions continue to play a vital role in shaping local curricula.

Their local knowledge and understanding of learners, communities and provision are essential to effective planning. They are also key partners in helping maximise the availability of courses and ensuring learners have access to a broad and balanced curriculum offer.

This includes considering:

• Learner interests and aspirations.
• Progression opportunities into further learning and employment.
• Local and regional labour market intelligence.
• Welsh-medium provision and linguistic continuity.
• Additional Learning Needs (ALN).
• The practical realities of delivering a broad and sustainable curriculum.

By bringing together national oversight and local expertise, partners can create curriculum offers that meet the diverse needs of learners and communities across Wales.

Why collaboration matters

Collaboration has always been central to successful local curriculum planning.

The legislation and guidance recognise that no single organisation can provide every opportunity that learners may wish to access. Schools, colleges and local authorities are therefore encouraged to work together to maximise learner choice and create sustainable curriculum offers.

Working collaboratively can help partners:

• Expand the range of courses available to learners.
• Reduce unnecessary duplication of provision.
• Make the best use of available resources.
• Strengthen learner progression pathways.
• Support Welsh-medium education and increased participation.
• Respond to local skills and labour market needs.

Ultimately, successful local curricula are built on shared responsibility, open dialogue and a collective commitment to putting learners first.

Join the conversation

To support partners as this work develops, Medr is hosting two webinars focused on the future development of 16-18 Local Curricula in Wales.

These sessions will provide an opportunity to better understand:

• Medr’s approach to 16-18 Local Curricula.
• The roles and responsibilities of schools, colleges, local authorities, Medr and Welsh Government.
• How data and evidence will support curriculum planning and decision making.
• The links between curriculum planning, learner progression, curriculum sufficiency and Welsh-medium provision.
• How partners can work collaboratively to develop practical local solutions.
• Future guidance, support and engagement opportunities.

Webinar dates

Registration is now open via Eventbrite.

• Wednesday 7 October, 15.30-16.30, online

• Thursday 8 October, 15.30-16.30, online

We encourage colleagues from schools, sixth forms, local authorities, further education institutions and partner organisations to attend and contribute to shaping the future of 16-18 Local Curricula in Wales.

By working together, we can help ensure that every learner has access to a broad, sustainable and meaningful curriculum offer that supports them to thrive in education, employment and life.

For further information, contact [email protected]. 

Medr and the Learned Society of Wales (LSW) have collectively launched the second year of the Research Culture Network Grants (RCNG) scheme, which supports researchers, research professionals and research communities to work together to address challenges and strengthen research culture across Wales.

Recognising the value of these grassroots initiatives, in 2025/26 Medr invested in the scheme, through its Wales Research Environment and Culture (WREC) Collaborative Fund to the Learned Society of Wales. The Collaborative Fund sits within the wider WREC Fund, which supports research culture through both institutional and community-led approaches. While a significant proportion of WREC funding is allocated directly to higher education institutions to support strategic, institution-wide activity, the RCNG Scheme provides a complementary, bottom-up approach by investing in researcher/research professional-led networks.

Offering grants of up to £3,000, the scheme has enabled existing and emerging networks across Wales to address challenges identified by their own communities, fostering collaboration, inclusion and innovation at a grassroots level. Together, these top-down and bottom-up approaches can help create a more connected, supportive and resilient research culture across Wales, ensuring that researchers at all career stages are empowered to thrive, collaborate and deliver high-quality research which delivers meaningful benefits for society.

In the first year, fourteen networks spanning universities, health organisations and research centres across Wales received funding. The funded projects are led by researchers and research professionals, including technicians and specialist support staff, at a range of career stages. The networks include early career researchers, established academics and professional services colleagues who are working together to strengthen research communities and improve the research environment. Five projects are establishing entirely new networks, while others are focused on growing emerging communities or sustaining existing initiatives.

Projects addressed a wide range of research culture challenges, including researcher isolation, limited protected time for research and writing, confidence and imposter syndrome, barriers to collaboration, and challenges faced by underrepresented groups. Several initiatives specifically support women, non-binary researchers and ethnically minoritised communities, while others focus on strengthening cross-sector partnerships and community engagement.

We are already seeing the positive impact these networks are having on researchers across the sector in Wales. Participants have reported increased visibility of important research culture issues, stronger peer support and new opportunities for collaboration. One project, the Swansea International Race Equality Network (SIREN) Residential Mentoring Programme, received more than 100 applications for just 20 places and has since secured additional institutional funding to expand its activities and develop a wider national network.

The programme has also supported a range of innovative initiatives, including writing retreats for women academics with caring responsibilities (Write Now!); communities of practice for pharmacy professionals; networks for research technical professionals, and partnerships focused on women’s health, climate change, legal academia and voluntary sector research.

Initial learning from the scheme highlights the continuing importance of grassroots activity in creating inclusive and supportive research environments. Common themes identified by network leaders include the need for greater mentoring and peer support, more opportunities for cross-disciplinary and cross-institutional collaboration, recognition of diverse forms of expertise, and stronger links between academic research and wider communities.

While funding was available for 14 projects, we received 72 applications in the first round of funding, demonstrating the strong demand for the scheme and appetite among researchers and research professionals to build more connected, inclusive and resilient research cultures across Wales.

The new funding round, launched on 9 September, will enable existing networks to build on their progress while also supporting new communities and ideas that harness the sector’s enthusiasm and ambition to create a stronger research ecosystem for Wales.

Summary

Medr’s Strategic Plan sets out an aim to ‘create a flexible and joined-up tertiary system where everyone can acquire the skills and knowledge they need for a changing economy and society’. We have committed to design future apprenticeship provision to respond to the Welsh Government’s skills priorities and to meet the needs of learners, employers and the economy. Apprenticeships are a key lever for driving productivity and helping to grow a skilled and diverse workforce.

The new apprenticeship programme will start on 1 August 2027 and will be more responsive and flexible to meet our changing economy.

In May 2026 we undertook a consultation on a proposed funding model for the new apprenticeship programme leading to regulated qualifications at levels 2-5, which included engagement with tertiary education providers, industry bodies, employers and other stakeholders.

We asked for views on:

• The high-level principles of the new funding model
• Benefits of the new funding model
• Unintended consequences of implementing the new funding model
• Additional apprenticeship costs

Hearing from stakeholders has been key to help Medr shape the new funding model and fully consider the unintended consequences identified.

This document provides a summary of key themes from the responses to the consultation questions and how we have decided to respond in finalising the new funding model.

Annex A provides a more detailed analysis of the consultation feedback.

Introduction

1. Since 2011 Higher Education Research Capital (HERC) has been provided to qualifying institutions in Wales. This publication advises Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) of allocations for 2026-27 and provides guidance on the associated reporting and monitoring requirements.

Background

2. The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST, formerly DSIT) has confirmed that it will provide HERC funding to the four UK HE funding bodies in 2026-27. BIST will provide support of £3,985,554 in Wales which will be matched by a contribution from the Welsh Government (WG) resulting in a total fund of £7,971,108.

Changes to HERC Funding

3. In March 2026, the UK Minister for Science confirmed in a letter to Welsh Government that HERC funding for Wales will see a tapered reduction from 2026/27 to 2029/30, linked to wider UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) capital funding reforms. After 2026/27, UKRI capital funding provided through Research England will focus on sustaining existing facilities, with funding for new equipment and infrastructure delivered through UK-wide competitive calls led by UKRI’s research councils.

4. Indicative BIST HERC allocations for Wales are expected to reduce over the Spending Review period, from £3.99m in 2026/27 to £2.44m by 2029/30.

5. To provide Welsh Government, Medr and HEIs with time to adapt to these changes, BIST has secured a time-limited top-up to the HERC allocations for Wales. This additional funding is included within the allocations for 2026-27, allowing a slower taper to support the transition.

6. In Wales, Welsh Government have confirmed that HERC will not be limited to maintenance only; HEIs in Wales retain the existing flexibility to make strategic decisions about how to invest HERC in their research infrastructure.

Use of funding

7. The funding provided under HERC in Wales is to be used solely for capital investment in the physical infrastructure for research. Research includes ‘scientific research’ (meaning research and development in any of the sciences including social sciences or technology (section 6(1) of the Science and Technology Act 1965)) and arts and humanities research.

8. In determining the use of their allocations institutions should take account of the priorities and ambitions set out in Medr’s Strategic Plan 2025-2030, the Welsh Government’s upcoming Programme of Government (scheduled for autumn 2026) and Innovation Strategy (Wales Innovates), and the UK Government’s Science and Technology Framework, Industrial Strategy and UKRI Strategy. Consideration should also be given to how funding is used to support the ambitions of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015.

Allocations

9. Funding is allocated via separate methods for BIST and Welsh Government elements:

1. The BIST element of funding is allocated using the most recent 3-year data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) on UKRI Research Council income. As per BIST’s Memorandum of Understanding with Medr and Welsh Government, funding should focus on maintaining excellent departments with critical mass to compete globally and the expertise to work closely with business, charities and public services.
2. The Welsh Government element of the grant is allocated pro-rata to a combination of latest recurrent Quality Research (QR) allocation plus other research income reported by the provider to the HESA finance record in 2022/23, 2023/24, and 2024/25. The QR allocation for 2026/27 has been used within the funding formula for HERC 2026-27.

Funding threshold

10. In order to meet the BIST requirement that the fund supports excellence and builds critical mass the formula includes a minimum threshold of £100k. Only institutions with allocations calculated to be above this eligibility threshold will receive funding in 2026-27.

11. Funding allocations for qualifying institutions in 2026-27 can be found at Annex A.

Monitoring arrangements

12. In February 2026, institutions submitted details of their future HERC funding priorities for 2026-27. Confirmation of these investments and potential future plans for 2026-27 should be provided by completing and submitting the pro-forma at Annex B.

• Part 1 of the pro-forma should report on confirmed use of funding in 2026-27, including total costs of large scale investments where HERC funding has been a contribution. Institutions should demonstrate where HERC funding has enabled and incentivised research capacity, developed strategic priorities, and allowed institutions to compete more effectively for external research and innovation funding.
• Part 2 of the pro-forma should be used to outline spending priorities for 2027-28 based on the assumption further HERC funding is made available.
• Annex B must be returned to Medr by no later than 12 February 2027.

13. In order to confirm HERC has been spent in full, qualifying institutions are asked to submit the Confirmation of Expenditure pro-forma at Annex C by 23 April 2027. Institutions should ensure it is clear whether any unspent funding is fully committed and if so, the date by which it will be spent in full. Unspent funding which is uncommitted can be reclaimed by Medr.

14. The information submitted by HEIs in these reports will form the basis of Medr’s reporting requirements for Welsh Government in February 2027 and BIST in May 2027. Failure to provide adequate project and expenditure detail could delay future confirmation of funding allocations, or indicate a potential lack of impact for HERC investment in Wales which could diminish the argument for continued funding.

Payment arrangements

15. As noted in Annex A funding will be distributed via two payments in September 2026 and January 2027.

Further information/responses to

16. For further information, contact Hayley Moss ([email protected]).

Assessing the impact of our policies

17. We carry out an impact assessment screening to help safeguard against discrimination and promote equality. We also consider the impact of policies on the Welsh language, and Welsh language provision within the HE sector in Wales and potential impacts towards the goals set out in the Well-Being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 including our Well-Being Objectives. Contact [email protected] for more information about impact assessments.