Introduction

1. Welsh Government have indicated that £10m capital funding will be made available for allocation within the 2025-26 financial year. This funding will be allocated to support Medr’s strategic priorities.

Basis of capital funding allocations

2. The capital funding will be allocated based on a formulaic approach. As the funding is to be used, at least in part, to support learning and teaching, the student experience and student facing infrastructure, the allocations have been determined based on student numbers. The number of students at an institution represents a reasonable proxy for the amount of estate and facilities required. This method is consistent with previous allocations of capital.

3. The student numbers used for the initial allocation are the HESA Student Record Full-Time Equivalents (FTEs) for all modes, levels and domiciles based on the 2023/24 academic year. This is the same basis on which the previous round of capital funding was allocated.

Application of a minimum funding allocation

4. In order to provide capital funding that will allow all institutions to invest in projects that will make a sustainable impact, a minimum allocation of £750,000 has been applied. Given its limited estate in Wales, the OU will have a minimum threshold set at 50% (£375,000) to contribute to projects that will benefit Welsh students.

5. The funding for institutions where the original allocation based on their student FTEs fell below this value has been increased to this amount and the FTEs for those institutions then removed from the calculation. The remaining balance of available funding has been apportioned between the other institutions based upon the remaining FTEs in the calculation.

6. The resulting allocations for each institution are provided in Annex A.

Submission of plans

7. Institutions will be required to provide their Capital investment plans for this funding, along with their Estate strategies, with details of how the investment plans align with their Estates strategies. If Estates strategies are in the process of being updated, a written update including estates priorities must be provided.

8. The Capital investment plans should include details of the institution’s planned expenditure and how it will support Medr’s strategic priorities. Net Zero and responding to the climate emergency remains a Welsh Government priority, so institutions should prioritise projects that address this issue directly. It is likely that such projects would also have broader benefits on other priority issues such as biodiversity. Institutions should also highlight how plans will improve the learning and teaching space and benefit the student experience.

9. Medr Officers will confirm that the Capital investment plans are appropriate and meet the necessary criteria.

10. We will continue to monitor HESA metrics via the published data releases and so institutions should continue to be mindful of the impact projects may have on them.

11. A pro forma for these plans is attached at Annex B.

12. Should we have any concerns on the appropriateness of any particular projects, we may require the funding to be redirected to more suitable ones. As such, we recommend that institutions provide plans in excess of their allocation to allow for flexibility.

13. Should an institution foresee being unable to spend their full allocation, they should notify Medr at the earliest opportunity and any residual funds will be reallocated to other institutions via the formulaic approach described previously.

Annual monitoring

14. A monitoring exercise will be undertaken in 2026 at a suitable date to ensure that the funding has been used as intended and to provide an update on the impact that the investment has had.

15. Institutions will be expected to provide a breakdown of the capital spend and detail any projects that the funding has contributed to.

16. Institutions will be requested to provide a qualitative summary of the positive impacts this funding has had/is having on Medr priorities and the criteria noted above.

Timetable

17. Providers will be requested to confirm their ability to spend their full allocation by 07 October 2025.

18. Medr will schedule payment of the allocated funds to institutions upon receipt of the above confirmation and in October 2025.

19. The annual monitoring process will take place in 2026 at a suitable date.

Further information

20. For further information, contact [email protected].

Annex A: Additional higher education capital funding modelling 2025/26

Institution	2023/24 Student FTE	Allocations pro rata to (£): FTE	Percentage allocated to each institution FTE
University of South Wales	19,177.00	1,528,197.07	15%
Aberystwyth University		750,000.00	8%
Bangor University		750,000.00	8%
Cardiff University	28,326.00	2,257,272.28	23%
University of Wales Trinity Saint David	11,755.00	936,744.88	9%
Swansea University	19,009.00	1,514,809.31	15%
Cardiff Metropolitan University	10,578.00	842,950.86	8%
Wrexham University		750,000.00	8%
Open University in Wales	8,408.00	670,025.60	7%
Total	97,253.00	10,000,000.00	100%

Source: HESA student record 2023/24

Student Numbers not used in calculation: HESA standard registration population, all modes, levels and domiciles.

FTE’s used in calculation: HESA Session Population, all modes, levels and domiciles.

Please note that rounding has been applied to FTE values following use in calculations.

Medr welcomes the Estyn thematic report on the Independent Living Skills (ILS) Curriculum in Further Education Institutions (FEIs). We accept the findings and recommendations as they relate to Medr.

The thematic was commissioned by Medr in August 2024 following extensive engagement with the sector, during which a number of priorities for improvement were identified. Since Estyn’s 2017 thematic report, the sector has made notable improvements to how the ILS curriculum is delivered, with a strong focus on responding to learner needs. This thematic was commissioned to ensure effective changes have been made and to strengthen a consistent offer for learners across Wales. Medr’s Strategic Plan 2025-2030 outlines our commitment to promote a person-centered approach to supporting learners with Additional Learning Needs, alongside a strong focus on increasing participation. This thematic will help guide our collaborative efforts with the sector as we move forward in developing a strengthened ILS provision.

Prior to the commissioning of the thematic, Welsh Government (prior to transfer of relevant functions to Medr), in partnership with the sector, had already identified the need to update our ILS specifications to better reflect a person-centred curriculum, in line with the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Act 2018. Medr, therefore, welcomes Estyn’s first recommendation to revise the specifications, and values the evidence provided to inform this work. This commitment is embedded in our Operational Plan, and all changes will be made collaboratively with the sector. Providing clear guidance to support understanding will also be a key part of this process, helping to strengthen the revised specifications (R2).

More broadly, our Strategic Plan outlines our commitment to promoting a person-centred approach for learners with Additional Learning Needs (ALN). As part of this, we aim to support Welsh Government in addressing relevant recommendations (R3–R5) through our continued engagement in relevant working groups and providing information and advice regarding ALN implementation in the tertiary sector. Medr will engage with Local Authorities where appropriate to explore areas requiring additional support in the post-16 space (R12–R15).

Medr will work with FEIs to ensure that information on their websites is accessible and clearly reflects the support available to learners (R10), and undertake a monitoring exercise during 2026 to review progress. Alongside the publication of updated specifications and guidance, we will also work with the sector to explore the professional learning activities needed to support the effective delivery of the revised curriculum (R7).  We will explore the potential to use professional learning funding to support these activities.  We recognise the importance of supporting FEIs to continue developing the curriculum in ways that ensure equitable access for learners across Wales.

We are pleased that Estyn has recognised notable improvements across the sector since the last review. We look forward to working with the sector and relevant partners to address the recommendations and further strengthen provision, ensuring a consistent and high-quality offer for learners with Complex Needs across Wales.

Medr is inviting providers, learners, employers, and stakeholders to take part in a consultation on a new Welsh apprenticeship programme.

The consultation, set to guide the future of apprenticeships from August 2027, will run from 15 September 2025 to 31 October 2025.

James Owen, Chief Executive of Medr, said: “This is a unique opportunity to help shape an apprenticeship system that is flexible, responsive, and centred around the evolving needs of learners, employers and the economy.

“Medr’s ambition is to ensure apprenticeship provision aligns with Welsh Government priorities and supports every individual in acquiring the skills and knowledge needed for a changing world of work.

“We want to see an apprenticeship programme that delivers excellence, equality, and engagement for all. We encourage everyone with an interest in apprenticeships to respond to the consultation and come along to one of the upcoming events.”

Find out more about how to shape the future of apprenticeships in Wales:

Apprenticeship programme in Wales: consultation

Video: Medr launches apprenticeship programme consultation

Medr welcomes the Estyn report on literacy, numeracy and digital skills in adult learning in the community. We accept the findings and recommendations as they relate to Medr.

In 2024 the Welsh Government published its statement of strategic priorities for tertiary education and research and innovation. The priorities include increasing adult learning and improving basic skills acquisition, while putting the learner at the heart of the system and developing robust data for measuring learner outcomes.

Medr’s first Strategic Plan 2025–2030 sets out our commitment to considering how improvements can be made to access, participation and success in essential skills provision. We recognise that there is more to do to support this provision to meet the needs of adult learners in Wales.  

To provide a strong evidence base for our planning, decision making and informing government policy, our Operational Plan 2025–26 commits us to reviewing our existing data and measures. The Estyn report’s recommendations (R1-3) will inform that work, including supporting our consideration and consultation on outcome measures for the adult community learning (ACL) sector.

More broadly, we have committed in our Strategic Plan to reviewing the planning, organisation, flexibility and effectiveness of ACL. As part of this work, we will review guidance for ACL partnerships to ensure that it remains fit for purpose, with providers being clear on the expectations for ACL provision (R4). We will also continue to review partnership arrangements between constituent providers (R6).

Medr recognises the importance of different modes of learning to encourage participation and widen access to ACL. We will work with the Welsh Government and other partners to ensure alignment and collaboration with programmes such as Community Focused Schools to engage parents and communities (R5).

We were pleased that the report found that overall teaching was effective and personalised, and that the majority of learners successfully complete a wide range of literacy, numeracy and digital skills courses. To support the ACL workforce to access effective professional learning and share best practice (one of our growth commitments), we will work with the Welsh Government, Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol, ColegauCymru and other partners to promote professional learning focused on developing subject specific teaching skills including through the medium of Welsh (R7).

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 Apprenticeships Programme will start on 1 August 2027.

This consultation seeks views from stakeholders, including training and tertiary education providers, industry representatives, employers, learners, parents, and local authorities to help shape the new Programme.

We have already engaged with stakeholders to inform the high-level principles for the new apprenticeship programme, including how apprenticeships are developed, delivered, and managed.

We would welcome consultation responses from individuals who have experience of apprenticeships.  Hearing from learners is key to ensure lessons are learned from the current programme and ideas are introduced into the new programme. 

We are now seeking views on:

• the high level principles to guide the new apprenticeship programme
• definition of an apprenticeship
• apprentice learner journey
• employer engagement
• flexible delivery
• apprenticeship sector frameworks
• economic responsiveness of the programme
• apprentice outcomes
• strengthening Welsh language opportunities
• inclusive apprenticeships

We will hold consultation events:

• Online event 24/09/2025: 10am – 12pm
• Face-to-Face event 01/10/2025: 9.30am – 1pm,
  Address:  Venue Cymru, The Promenade, Penrhyn Cres, Llandudno LL30 1BB
• Online event 08/10/2025: 10am -12pm
• Face-to-Face event 15/10/2025: 9.30am – 1pm
  Address: Cardiff and Vale College, City Centre Campus, Dumballs Road, Cardiff CF10 5FE
• Online event 22/10/2025: 10am-12pm

To have your say, please complete the reply form at Annex A and send to [email protected] by 31 October 2025.

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 2025-26 and provides guidance on the associated reporting and monitoring requirements.  

Background

2. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has confirmed that it will provide HERC funding to the four UK HE funding bodies^[1] in 2025-26. DSIT will provide support of £4,623,296 in Wales which will be matched by a contribution from the Welsh Government (WG) resulting in a total fund of £9,246,592.

Use of funding

3. The funding provided under HERC 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.

4. In determining the use of their allocations institutions should consider the requirements of Welsh Government’s Programme for Government and the ambitions identified in the UK Innovation Strategy, UKRI’s strategy, Welsh Government’s Innovation Strategy and Medr’s Strategic Plan 2025-2030. 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

5. Funding is allocated via separate methods for DSIT and WG elements:

1. The DSIT element of funding is allocated using the most recent 3-year data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) on UK Research and Innovation Research Council income. As per DSIT’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. The QR allocation for 2024/25 has been used within the funding formula for HERC 2025-26.

Funding threshold

6. In order to meet the DSIT 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 2025-26.

7. Funding allocations for qualifying institutions in 2025-26 can be found at Annex A.

Monitoring arrangements

8. In February 2025, institutions submitted details of their future HERC funding priorities for 2025-26. Confirmation of these investments and potential future plans for 2026-27 should be provided by completing and submitting the pro-forma at Annex B.

• 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 2026-27 based on the assumption further HERC funding is made available.
• Annex B must be returned to Medr by no later than 13 February 2026.

9. 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 24 April 2026. Institutions should ensure it is clear whether any unspent funding is committed and if so, the date by which it will be spent in full. Unspent funding which is uncommitted can be reclaimed by Medr.

10. The information submitted by HEIs in these reports will form the basis of Medr’s reporting requirements for Welsh Government in February 2026 and DSIT in June 2026. 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

11. As noted in Annex A funding will be distributed via two payments in September 2025 and January 2026.

Further information/responses to

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

^[1]Medr – the Commission for Tertiary Education and Research; Scottish Funding Council; Department for the Economy (Northern Ireland); Research England.

Medr’s recent consultation on the regulatory approach included a number of questions on our proposed Quality Framework. The Framework aims to minimise the burden placed on providers while ensuring a good quality learner experience across the tertiary education sector. Our ambition is that any learner, no matter where they are in the tertiary education sector, can be assured of the common expectations on providers.

The drafting reflects the provisions within the Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Act for Medr to publish a framework to set out policy and practice in relation to:

• Criteria for assessing quality.
• Processes for assessing quality.
• The roles and responsibilities of those assessing quality and providers in relation to quality.

One of the main themes that emerged from the consultation was a need for greater clarity and understanding on the intended application of the Framework and how it would work alongside existing approaches (such as those delivered by Estyn and QAA).

The second phase of our regulatory consultation begins this autumn. As part of this, we will be sharing a revised version of the Quality Framework reflecting many of the points raised in responses. However, we wanted to address some of the central questions now in the hope of maintaining a dialogue with stakeholders and informing our future revisions to the Framework.

How does the Framework reflect or interface with existing approaches to quality?

The Framework is not intended to duplicate the activities undertaken by Estyn and QAA. It is instead intended to clarify the common expectations on providers across the entire tertiary sector, and to explain how Medr will assess compliance against our regulatory condition on quality.

At the centre of the Framework is a series of pillars that cover areas such as the need for external quality inspection or review, the importance of self-evaluation, and the role of governance in quality. In different parts of the tertiary sector, the activities that will ‘map’ onto those pillars will look different. For example, in the case of further education providers we would expect Estyn inspection to fulfil the requirements of the externality pillar, and the self-evaluation process to fulfil the requirements of the self-evaluation pillar.

To look at another example, in the case of higher education we would expect the National Student Survey to fulfil the proposals under the Learner Voice pillar to use data and outcomes from national surveys.

Some of the pillars do relate to ‘new’ activity. For example, the Learner Engagement pillar aligns with the proposed requirement for providers to comply with the forthcoming Learner Engagement Code. This specific instance reflects broader work being undertaken by Medr to meet our responsibilities under the Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Act. The inclusion of the Code in the Framework is intended to ensure our system is joined up. The Code and its accompanying condition will be consulted on in the Autumn.

In time, we would expect the future development of inspection frameworks and quality enhancement review methods by Estyn and the QAA to reflect the Framework.

How does this link to regulation? Will you be regulating continuous improvement?

Our regulatory consultation sets out Medr’s broader regulatory approach, including how intervention will work and the principles that we will operate under.

Providers will need to comply with the quality condition whether they are on the register for providing higher education or regulated through terms and conditions of funding. This means that Medr will monitor – for example, through inspection and review outcomes, as well as data returns and other sources of information –  whether providers are compliant.

However, the regulatory approach and statement of intervention also set out how we would expect our engagement with providers to work. For example, if Medr were to believe there may be a risk of non-compliance, then informal engagement with the provider to understand the particular context would usually be the first step. We are committed to recognising the diversity of providers, and regulating in a risk-based and proportional way.

A number of responses set out concerns about the continuous improvement pillar and, in particular, whether there might be a regulatory intervention if providers were not improving year on year. From our perspective, what matters is that providers are undertaking the types of self-reflection, planning and action intended to identify and develop areas for improvement across their delivery. We will clarify these expectations in the revised Framework and related condition.

Where institutions are engaging in continuous improvement activities, we would not expect to intervene provided performance was satisfactory.

Definitions within the Framework

Many responses raised questions around definitions, including the definition of quality and the definition of key terms like reasonable needs and threshold standards.

We are considering how to clarify the definition of quality to address the concerns raised while also ensuring that we have a definition sufficient to capture the breadth of teaching and learning approaches across the tertiary sector. Our intention is for the definition and scope of quality to focus on aspects of the learning experience that are within the influence of the provider.

On the wider set of definitions, we will publish a glossary setting out definitions in the phase 2 consultation in the autumn.

Who is responsible for data collection? How will data be used?

Responses raised a number of questions on who is responsible for collecting, analysing and acting on data. Medr already utilises a range of data to inform our ongoing engagement with providers, drawn principally from the Lifelong Learning Wales Record (LLWR), the Post-16 Data Collection and HESA records along with, in the case of higher education, the National Student Survey.

Medr is committed to consulting on performance indicators within the next two years, we would anticipate that this consultation would consider how benchmarking and/or thresholds could be used. Until then, we would anticipate using the existing measures to inform our consideration of quality.

Does the Framework reflect the diversity of providers?

The Framework is intended to reflect the diversity of providers within the tertiary education sector. That is why it is structured so that the different arrangements across the sector can be incorporated and reflected within the pillars. While some responses have asked for a more prescriptive Framework, our view is that doing so would make it harder for us to accommodate the contextual differences across providers.

We understand and recognise that the needs and expectations of learners differ, and when we discuss the importance of learner outcomes we agree that there is a contextual dimension to outcomes that should be considered. We will reflect this in the Framework and it will inform out wider commitments on performance measures.

We have an opportunity in Wales to support a tertiary education sector which is aligned in ensuring a good quality learner experience at every stage. This Framework is intended to support that aim.

Next steps

Over the coming weeks we will further consider the outcomes of the first phase of consultation.  We will then provide the updated Quality Framework as part of the documentation in our autumn consultation, giving readers the opportunity to consider the documentation holistically.

We will also continue to engage with a wide range of sector groups. We would welcome further dialogue ahead of the next phase of the consultation.

We will also look to provide further clarity on some of the specific points raised in the consultation, particularly as they relate to other areas of our activity in the coming weeks.

For a conversation on these or any other issues related to the Framework, please email [email protected].

Following the UK Science Minister’s announcement last week, we will continue to work closely with Research England, the Scottish Funding Council, and the Department for the Economy, Northern Ireland to take stock of feedback from the research community.

We will build on our recent engagement with universities in Wales which has shown there is broad support for the direction of travel of the REF 2029 exercise in recognising a broader understanding of research excellence, alongside an understandable push to streamline and minimise burden.

Through the four nations steering group we will work with the REF team to agree any changes that will be announced by December 2025, and will test these against the priorities of the UK and devolved governments.

Separately, Research England have today confirmed a new programme of work related to their core institutional research funding and future approaches to research assessment. Aspects of this programme will have implications across the UK, and we will engage with Research England and the other devolved funding bodies to explore the potential for joint approaches while also considering the impact on the Welsh tertiary education and research sector.

Introduction

1. During the 2025/26 academic year, Medr aims to improve and update our understanding of digital learning needs and priorities in the tertiary sector and to identify any topics of cross-sector interest with potential for collaboration. This will involve considering the impact and benefit of previous digital learning initiatives for further education, and engaging with Universities Wales and HE institutions as well as other stakeholders.

2. In the meantime, Medr has set aside revenue funding to support initial digital learning activities in the HE sector during 2025/26. This is a single-year funding offer whilst we are gathering evidence to inform Medr’s future approaches and funding decisions (subject to future budgets).

Timelines

Timing	Milestone or action
By 24 October 2025	Each institution to confirm if it wishes to accept the funding offered by Medr (Annex A). If the funding offer is accepted, the intended use of this funding should be outlined.
February 2026	Interim payment (50% of the funding allocation) will be processed during February.
By 31 July 2026	Expenditure reporting and final claim will be required. (Annex B will be added once interim payments have been made. Nominated funding leads will be notified when this form is available.)

Introduction

1. This publication informs higher education providers (HEPs) of the higher education (HE) data used for the following purposes:

• the calculation of funding allocations;
• monitoring National Measures;
• monitoring equality and diversity;
• providing data to Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol about Welsh medium provision;
• publications;
• analysing HESA student record data quality;
• monitoring part-time fee waivers;
• monitoring degree apprenticeships;
• informing policy.

2. In this publication HEPs include further education institutions (FEIs) providing higher education and higher education institutions (HEIs), that are funded by Medr. Also included are providers that subscribe to HESA to return their specifically designated course provision, but are not funded by Medr for their higher education provision. These providers are not included in the extractions and analysis relating to funding but are included in some of the other data extractions and analysis presented in this publication. Inclusion by provider type is signalled under the individual headings below and is further summarised in the table in Annex P.

3. The mappings in the annexes that relate to student data are based on Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) student record data being collected by Jisc  for the 2024/25 data collection year. The mappings presented have been tested on data returned on the HESA student record for 2023/24 and early submissions for 2024/25. We welcome any feedback that providers have on the mappings in the annexes, either during the 202425 submission process so that we can make immediate changes to the Information Reporting Interface Service (IRIS) programs as necessary, or to feed into our review of these mappings ready for next year. Any comments that providers have should be sent to [email protected]. Mappings for the end of year monitoring data extraction are contained in Annex K of the End of Year Monitoring (EYM) publication (EYM). Comments on that mapping are also welcomed. Any significant changes to the mappings either in this document or in the EYM publication, made during the submission process, will be communicated to providers.

4. Should there be any major problems with the data extractions during the submission process, for example, issues with the mapping, the IRIS system or issues at individual providers, which mean that some or all of the IRIS outputs are not usable, then there is a possibility of re-extraction post-collection. If this is likely, we will inform providers.

5. Funding methods for 2026/27 are not final at the time of publication of this circular and some allocation methods may change. The funding methods included in this circular are those for 2025/26. It is assumed for the sake of extraction of data that the funding methods will remain the same for 2026/27.

Main changes for 2025/26 compared to 2024/25

6. The main changes included in this publication compared to Medr publication Medr/2024/01: Higher Education Data Requirements 2024/25, comprise:

• All annexes that include student data have been updated to refer to any IRIS specific changes resulting from the outcomes of consultation of changes for EYM 2023/24, that were not implemented in 2023/24, for example, the coding of dormant/writing-up student registrations and the apportionment of medicine and dentistry credits.
• Annex F has been updated to reflect changes made after taking into account the responses to the consultation on the review of the data quality analysis outputs. The annex includes a summary of responses to the consultation. Details of the updated outputs in 2024/25 IRIS, and any changes that which will be incorporated in 2025/26 IRIS are included in Annex Q.
• Annex K (Data used for monitoring PGT Master’s bursary schemes) from last year’s publication has been removed as 2023/24 was the final year in which allocations were monitored using HESA student record data. All following Annexes have been updated to reflect the removal of this Annex.

Sources of Data

7. Medr uses data from its own surveys, data collected by HESA and data from the National Student Survey (NSS) in carrying out the purposes described in paragraph 1 above. Other data such as Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) data are also used to inform policy and provide information about the HE sector in Wales.

8. Medr collects data from HEPs in Wales that are funded for their HE provision through:

• the higher education students early statistics (HESES) survey; and
• the student and finance forecasts requests (HEIs only).

9. Jisc collects data from all HEIs in the UK on the HESA records on:

• student activity, including graduate outcomes;
• information for students through the DiscoverUni return;
• finance;
• higher education business and community interaction (HE-BCI);
• staff; and
• estates management.

10. Jisc collects the following data on the HESA records from Welsh FEIs providing HE directly funded by Medr and Welsh FEIs and alternative providers with specifically designated HE course provision:

• student activity, including graduate outcomes;
• information for students through the DiscoverUni return.

11. Readers of this publication are assumed to be familiar with the HESES and EYM surveys, the HESA records and surveys, the IRIS system and the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF) (HEIs only). The latest HESES, EYM and forecasts publications are available on the data collection page of the Medr website; the latest HESA data manuals are available on the HESA website and REF circulars are available on the REF 2021 website. Links or references to relevant publications or circulars can also be found throughout this publication.

Ensuring the accuracy of data

12. HESA data used in the allocation of funding are subject to confirmation by HEPs that Medr have correctly extracted the data from the HESA records. In general, HEPs are not permitted to make amendments to data during the confirmation process if their HESA data are incorrect. The exception to this is when there are changes to the methods of extraction or the data used in funding, or where a different source of data is used. In these cases, we will allow amendments to the extracted data at the confirmation stage. As there are still some difficulties being encountered with return of data under the new HESA student record we are still allowing changes to be made to all IRIS outputs at the sign off stage. Providers should provide an explanation of any changes made. The providers that return data to HESA about their specifically designated course provision, that are not funded by Medr for their HE provision, do not need to sign off any of the IRIS outputs provided to them.

13. It is important that HEPs are confident that all their HESA data are correct before final returns are made to HESA and the data are signed off. HEPs should take note of any discrepancies in their HESA data that have been found in past years, including those flagged up as part of any data quality analyses carried out by Medr, issues found in HEPs’ own scrutiny of the summaries output by IRIS, problems that HESA or Medr have brought to their attention, and issues and errors found through internal or external audits. In particular, HEPs should ensure that they study in detail the reports produced by HESA when they commit their data and make any necessary amendments as a result before signing off the data to ensure their data are credible. We recognise that there have been extensive changes to the data collection resulting from the  implementation of the new student record under Data Futures in 2022/23, so we will continue to work with providers and Jisc to provide advice and guidance to ensure data quality is maintained. We may also use the historic amendments process if appropriate, for the 2024/25 HESA student record.

14. A number of confirmation reports are made available in the IRIS system and are required to be signed off by HEPs that are directly funded by Medr for their HE provision, and returned to Medr after the HESA student record submission for 2024/25 has been signed off by 5 November 2025. To reduce the number of separate data verifications conducted during the year, most of the returns that require sign-off via a confirmation report are being processed through IRIS.

15. Details of the IRIS return process, components requiring sign-off and associated deadlines will be made available on the IRIS web page and through the EYM 2024/25 publication. The full Medr data collection schedule is available via our website.

16. The deadline for sign off of the IRIS outputs is outlined in the EYM publication and is 5 December 2025. If providers think they will have any difficulty in meeting this deadline, they should contact us via [email protected].

17. For those data confirmations where amendments are not accepted, if there is an error in an HEP’s HESA data, and this error would lead to the HEP being allocated funding greater than that to which it is entitled, the HEP will be expected to notify Medr so that the funding can be adjusted accordingly.

Coding of subjects

18. The HESA student record uses the Higher Education Classification of Subjects (HECoS) coding system, and HECoS codes are grouped into a Common Aggregation Hierarchy (CAH) at three levels. Details of the codes and the CAH levels, along with a mapping from HECoS codes to the CAH groupings is available on the HECoS webpage. Information relating to the mapping of HECoS codes to Medr Academic Subject Categories (ASCs) is available on the Medr website.

Data used in teaching funding allocations

19. The credit-based teaching funding allocations for part-time (PT) undergraduate (UG) provision for 2025/26 were based on 2023/24 credit value data taken from the end of year monitoring data extraction. Per capita funding for 2025/26 was allocated for all modes and taught levels of study and the disability premium was allocated for all modes and levels of study, including PGR. All other premium funding was allocated as follows:

• Access and retention premium (PT UG only);
• Welsh medium premium (all PT UG and specified FT UG only);
• Expensive subjects premium (clinical medicine and dentistry and Conservatoire Performance Element, FT UG only);
• Higher cost subjects premium (non-clinical medicine and dentistry, science & engineering and technology, and mathematical sciences, IT and computing, FT UG only).

This publication assumes:

• that the credit-based teaching funding allocations for PT UG provision for 2026/27 will be based on 2024/25 EYM credit value data and
• that per capita funding and the same premiums are being allocated with respect to the same groups of students for 2026/27 as in 2025/26, for the purposes of presenting information in this publication.

20. It should be noted that these assumptions may change.

21. The access and retention, disability, Welsh medium, expensive subjects and higher cost subjects premiums and the per capita allocation are based on retrospective data taken from the HESA student record.

22. End of year data extracted from the HESA student record are used to calculate any adjustment to teaching funding at the end of the academic year to which the funding relates. For example, EYM data relating to the 2024/25 academic year will be used to calculate any adjustment required to the 2024/25 part-time undergraduate credit based funding. Details of the end of year data extracted from the HESA record are contained within Annex K of the EYM publication (see paragraph 1) and are not reproduced here.

23. More information on data used in teaching funding, including the premium and per capita elements, is set out in Annex A.

24. The sign off procedure for data used in the per capita and premium funding for 2026/27 is built into the IRIS process. Any other data required to be used in the teaching or other funding allocations for 2026/27, not available in the IRIS outputs, will be verified and signed off separately. The IRIS outputs for teaching funding purposes are only produced for providers that are directly funded by Medr for their HE provision.

Data used in research funding allocations

25. Following REF 2021, a new funding methodology was used to calculate the QR funding allocation from 2022/23 onwards. Data used to calculate the 2022/23 QR funding were taken from REF 2021 and from the 2018/19, 2019/20 and 2020/21 HESA finance record. As all input data are frozen, this circular sets out the QR funding method as for 2022/23 in Annex B. Only HEIs, excluding the Open University (OU) in Wales, are included in QR funding allocations.

26. Following REF 2021, a new methodology was also used to calculate the PGR training allocation, which uses retrospective data taken from the HESA student record. The 2026/27 PGR training allocation will use data from the 2024/25 HESA student record. Further information on the HESA fields used is provided in Annex C. As outlined in paragraph 25, we intend to continue to obtain sign off of as much data as possible via the IRIS process, and there will be a sign off for PGR in the 2024/25 IRIS process. Only HEIs, excluding the OU in Wales, are included in PGR funding allocations, therefore, the PGR IRIS output is not produced for the OU in Wales, FEIs or alternative providers.

Data provided to Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol

27. Medr provides data each year, under a data sharing agreement, to Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol. Additionally from 2020/21, in collaboration with the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol, monitoring has been carried out on the coding structure and return of Welsh medium provision on the HESA student record. This data is also summarised and included in IRIS for all providers, including those providers returning data about specifically designated courses. The fields and criteria used to extract both sets of data are detailed in Annex D.

Data used to monitor equality and diversity

28. Medr use HESA data to monitor the ethnicity, disability, sex and age of students at Welsh HEPs and staff at Welsh HEIs. The analysis is published on the Medr website: Sta/Medr/02/2025: Equality characteristics of students and staff at higher education providers: 2016/17 to 2022/23.

29. HEFCW published a race equality monitoring report. This report takes a more in depth look at ethnicity data than the standard equality monitoring referred to above. Further analysis will be published by Medr.

30. Further information on the fields used is in Annex E.

Data used for publication

31. Medr is a producer of official statistics. We will also publish statistical reports on an ad hoc basis. Details of the data and methodology used in any official statistics publications and statistical reports will be included with the report. Publications can be accessed via the Medr website.

HESA student record data quality analysis

32. Medr provides a summary (referred to as the ‘HESA data quality analysis’) to each HEP of its data for a variety of fields which are used for funding, analysis and monitoring, which is designed to aid improvement of the quality of the student record and to be useful to both Medr and HEPs.

33. These summaries are intended to complement the reports which are provided by HESA when HEPs submit their student record. The data quality summaries are produced for all providers including those providers returning data about specifically designated courses.

34. The summaries produced by Medr, are included in the IRIS output so HEPs can see their own data for the current year and historic proportions data for their HEP and the sector.

35. The format of these outputs were reviewed in June 2025 and the outcome of the review and detail of updated outputs are included in Annex F.

36. Further information on the fields and mappings used in the HESA data quality analysis can be found in Annex F.

Part-time fee waiver

37. From 2022/23 funding, data used in the allocation of the part-time fee waiver scheme have been extracted from the HESA student record. The extraction was added to the IRIS system for 2021/22 and data extracted via the IRIS system will be signed off by HEPs to confirm the data are correct. The process for 2024/25 allocations can be found in HEFCW circular HEFCW part-time undergraduate fee waiver scheme (W24/15HE). For the 2025/26 allocations, details will be published by Medr in autumn 2025. Details of the data extracted for HEPs to sign off can be found in Annex G.

38. Data used to monitor the actual value of part-time fee waivers claimed by HEPs under the Medr scheme are extracted from the HESA student record via the IRIS system. Data extracted via the IRIS system will be signed off by HEPs to confirm the data are correct. The process for 2023/24 monitoring can be found in HEFCW circular HEFCW part-time undergraduate fee waiver scheme (W24/15HE). For monitoring of 2024/25 allocations, details will be published by Medr in summer 2025. Details of the data extracted for HEPs to sign off can be found in Annex G. The part-time fee waiver allocations and monitoring IRIS outputs are only produced for providers that are funded by Medr for their HE provision.

Income analysis

39. As part of the work carried out to monitor income at Welsh HEPs, data relating to student numbers and FTE at Welsh HEPs were used. A summary of the data is included in the IRIS output for information. Details of the criteria used to extract the data can be found in Annex H. The income analysis outputs are produced for all providers.

National measures

40. Data used to monitor national measures are taken from the HESA student, staff, finance and aggregate offshore records; the HESA DLHE and graduate outcomes (GO) surveys; the published UK HE PIs; and the HESA HEBCI survey. Other sources, such as the National Student Survey (NSS), the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) and the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA) are also used. Data for FEIs that are funded for their HE provision by Medr are included in a subset of the measures and these data are taken from the HESA student record, the HESA DLHE and GO surveys; the published UK HE PIs, the NSS, the QAA and the OIA.

The measures monitored using these data are:

• Widening access;
• Participation;
• Retention;
• Part-time;
• National Student Survey;
• Welsh medium;
• Student mobility;
• Quality;
• Complaints
• Employment;
• Graduate employment;
• Continuing Professional Development;
• Total HE-BCI income per FTE of academic staff;
• Spin off activity;
• Start-up activity (graduate);
• Research Staff;
• PGR students;
• PhDs awarded;
• Research income;
• EU/Overseas students;
• EU/Overseas staff;
• Transnational education.

41. A description of each of these measures and the data used to monitor them is included in Annex I.

42. Other areas which are monitored and included in the list of national measures include:

• Diversity of the student population;
• REF impact outcomes;
• REF outcomes;
• Financial health;
• Estates;
• Senior staff pay and gender pay gap;
• Equality and diversity staff data

but individual measures are not specified, instead these are areas which are already analysed more widely and published by Medr. Information on where to find these analyses can also be found in Annex I.

43. The HESA student record based measures are extracted via the IRIS system and will be signed off by HEPs, other than those submitting data about their specifically designated courses, to confirm the data are correct. Those providers submitting data about their specifically designated courses are not included in the publication and monitoring of these measures, though the outputs are available to them through IRIS for information.

44. Both the participation and retention measures were monitored using data collected on the HESA student record, calculated and published by HESA as UK performance indicators. As the UK PIs are no longer being updated we have developed our own methodology for the participation measure, and work continues on calculating the retention measure.

Data used for monitoring degree apprenticeships

45. HEFCW circular W23/04HE announced proposals for funding 2023/24 and 2024/25 degree apprenticeships and provided more information on the submission process for HEPs. In the consultation Medr/2024/02, providers were asked to comment on the proposal to collect data on Medr funded degree apprenticeship programmes as part of the 2024/25 HESES survey, which would replace the three in-year monitoring reports currently being collected. This proposal was accepted by HEPs and implemented as part of the 2024/25 HESES survey.

46. Data used to monitor the end of year picture for the number of students enrolled on degree apprenticeships at HEPs are extracted from the HESA student record via the IRIS system and will be signed off by HEPs to confirm the data are correct. Details of the data extracted for HEPs to sign off can be found in Annex J. The IRIS degree apprenticeship outputs are not produced for FEIs or alternative providers.

47. The HESA data provided in the IRIS system will be used to verify the data that were collected as part of the 2024/25 HESES return, and which were used to allocate funding. It is possible that adjustments to funding will be required. If this is the case, information on how adjustments to funding will be implemented will be communicated with HEPs separately.

Data used in the calculation of Research Wales Innovation Fund (RWIF)

48. HEFCW circular W22/41HE reports on the consultation outcomes for the 2022 review of the Research Wales Innovation Fund (RWIF) and confirms the allocation methodology and other updated RWIF requirements that were introduced in 2023/24. Data used in the allocation is described in Annex K. Only HEIs are included in RWIF funding allocations.

Data used in the calculation of Capital funding

49. HEFCW circular W24/12HE outlines the allocation methodology used for 2024/25 Capital funding. Student FTE data used in the allocation is described in Annex N. Only HEIs are included in the Capital funding allocations.

Data used in the calculation of Race equality funding and Well-being and health funding

50. Medr publication Medr/2024/03 announced race equality funding allocations for 2024/25 and Medr publication Medr/2024/07 announced Well-being and health, including mental health, strategy implementation allocations  and an additional allocation for Well-being and health in 2024/25. Both the race equality and the well-being and health allocations use the same data from the HESA student record which is described in Annex L. The data will be available in the 2024/25 IRIS system and will be signed off by HEPs that are funded by Medr for their HE provision, to confirm the data are correct. The IRIS outputs to calculate this funding are only produced for HEPs that are funded by Medr for their HE provision.

Data used in the calculation of Targeted Employability Support (TES) funding

51. Medr publication Medr/2025/09:Targeted Employability Support for Higher Education (HE) Students: 2025/26 to 2026/27 Delivery Plans and 2025/26 allocations, invites HE providers to submit two-year delivery plans for the period 2025/26 to 2026/27 and sets out institutional allocations for 2025/26. We will use the same funding methodology for calculating 2026/27 allocations using verified data included in the IRIS system for 2024/25. Data is to be signed off by HEPs that are funded by Medr for their HE provision, to confirm the data are correct. Details of the data extracted for HEPs to sign off can be found in Annex M. The IRIS outputs to calculate this funding are not produced for those providers who return data to HESA about their specifically designated course provision.

Data used to calculate the Wales Research Environment and Culture funding

52. Medr publication Medr/2024/08 announced continued funding to support new and existing activities within eligible institutions that enhance positive research cultures and environments. The data used to calculate this funding is described in Annex O. Both HESA student and staff data are used. The student data will be signed off in the 2024/25 IRIS process. Only HEIs, excluding the OU in Wales, are included in the funding allocations and IRIS outputs are produced only for those that are funded.

Other uses of data

53. Any of the data described may be used to inform policy. In particular, data on students taught in whole or in part through the medium of Welsh, and staff who teach or who are able to teach through the medium of Welsh will be used to inform policy on Welsh medium provision. Data relating to students at directly funded FEIs, franchised to FEIs from HEIs, or at FEIs with specifically designated course provision will be used to inform policy on HE in FEIs.

54. HESA operate a historic amendments facility for student data and a fixed database facility for other data streams which provides HEPs with the opportunity to make post-collection amendments to a dataset following closure of the live data collection. This facility is separate to the main data collection process, is subject to a charge and is only available at the express authorisation of Medr. The facility is open for some time after the corresponding live data collection has closed, therefore providers should be aware that data they submit via this facility may not be used immediately and may only appear in future analysis of time series.

55. The data described are also used by Welsh Government in their analysis of the higher education sector, including analysis published in their statistical bulletins and data presented on the StatsWales website.

56. Data relating to forecast student numbers at HEIs only are collected through the forecasts requests publication which is available on the Medr website: Medr/2025/04: Request for forecasts 2025. These data are used for Medr’s internal monitoring and planning processes and are not published at provider level.

57. It should be noted that although this publication details HESA fields used by Medr, any of the fields that HEPs return on the HESA records may be used in future for funding, for regulatory purposes, for monitoring purposes, to inform policy or for publication, and are also used by other organisations. Therefore, it is important that all HESA fields are completed fully and accurately to show a fair picture of the provision and activity at the HEP.

Audit

58. All data used for funding and monitoring are potentially subject to audit. Details of the most recent audit process for higher education data and further detail of the internal and external audit are included on the Medr data and analysis webpage.  

59. 2021/22 was the last year in the current cycle of external auditing of HE data. The external audit process is now the responsibility of Medr where the process will be reviewed.

60. As an interim measure, in place of the external audits, and until the process is reviewed by Medr, members of the Medr Higher Education Statistics team will meet with data contacts at each provider separately, where we will discuss items such as data quality and previous audit findings.

Use of HESA derived fields

61. Where HESA derived fields have been used they are shown in the coding details in each relevant section of the annexes that follow. All HESA derived fields for the student record are shown in the format Entity.Z_FIELDNAME, and for the staff record in the format Xfieldname. HESA derived fields specifications for the 2024/25 student record and staff record are published on the HESA website. Where a derived field has been used, the methodology used to derive the field from the original HESA record fields is available via the HESA website.

Contents

62. The contents of the annexes are as follows:

Annex A	Data used in teaching funding allocations
Annex B	Data used in research funding allocations
Annex C	Data used in the PGR training funding allocation
Annex D	Data provided to Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol
Annex E	Data used for publication and monitoring
Annex F	Data provided to higher education providers in the HESA student record data quality analysis
Annex G	Data used for allocating and monitoring the part-time undergraduate fee waiver scheme
Annex H	Data used in income analysis
Annex I	Data used for monitoring national measures
Annex J	Data used for monitoring and adjustment of degree apprenticeship funding
Annex K	Data used in the calculation of Research Wales Innovation Fund
Annex L	Data used in the calculation of Race equality funding and Well-being and health funding
Annex M	Data used in targeted employability support allocations
Annex N	Data used in the calculation of capital funding
Annex O	Data used in calculating Wales Research Environment and Culture allocations
Annex P	Detail of outputs that each type of provider will receive through IRIS and associated sign-off requirements
Annex Q	Summary of Changes to IRIS Data Quality Analysis Following 2025 Review

Further information

63. Providers are welcome to contact us if they need any further clarity or have comments on the mappings outlined in the annexes, any further updates required will be communicated to providers.

64. Any queries regarding this publication should be directed to Rachael Clifford ([email protected]).

Introduction

1. This publication provides guidance to support anti-racism in higher education, along with 2025/26 anti-racism funding allocations, match funding expectations and monitoring requirements.

2. This funding was originally provided in HEFCW circular W22/05HE: Consultation on funding to support race equality in higher education, to tackle anti-racism and support culture change in higher education, in line with race, access and success policy developments and the Anti-Racist Wales Action Plan. The initial publication included the conditions of match funding and the expectation that universities achieve a race equality charter award by 2024/25. All universities confirmed to HEFCW their intention to meet this commitment by the end of 2025.

3. This publication should be read together with HEFCW circular W23/06HE: Safe and inclusive higher education: supporting equality and diversity education. In October 2024 Medr published its 2024/25 supporting anti-racism in higher education guidance which set the scene for the higher education sector.

4. Welsh Government is committed to an Anti-Racist Wales by 2030. In 2024 Welsh Government published a refreshed Anti-Racist Wales Action Plan to ensure progress at pace against specific actions, including on tertiary education. We expect universities to take account of and contribute to these actions.

5. We welcome that eight Welsh universities now have the race equality charter Bronze Award. Universities have made significant progress in working towards achieving the race equality charter. The charter supports the process of becoming anti-racist universities. We expect all universities to continue to deliver against their charter action plans in 2025/26.

Medr’s duties and responsibilities

6. Medr has a strategic duty to promote equality of opportunity in tertiary education including as this relates to under-represented groups and people with protected characteristics. A detailed explanation is provided in Medr/2024/03 paragraphs 8-11.

7. Medr has published its strategic plan which sets out our funding commitment to work with the Welsh Government and the sector to make progress towards achieving an anti-racist Wales and ensure inclusive learning and work environments for all, regardless of identity. Medr’s operational plan also sets out that we will work with the Welsh Government and tertiary education providers to contribute to the Welsh Government’s Anti-racist Wales Action Plan, including: monitoring tertiary education providers’ progress against action plans and/or charter commitments, and developing and publishing race equality monitoring data.

8. In 2025/26, Medr will be consulting on new regulatory conditions of registration and funding which will include its staff and learner welfare and equality of opportunity conditions. The welfare condition includes a requirement related to staff and learner safety, which in this context means freedom from harms including harassment, violence, misconduct and hate crime. Medr’s regulatory powers will also place an expectation on providers to support equality of opportunity for under-represented students. Under-representation means those experiencing social, cultural, economic or organisational barriers or disadvantage.

9. Welsh Government’s Anti-racist Wales Action Plan’s update has strengthened its emphasis on leadership and priority groups. It is expected that accountability for universities’ commitment to anti-racism will be overseen by the appropriate senior staff (such as Pro-Vice-Chancellors) and supported by governing bodies. It is also expected that universities improve their engagement and support to the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities.

The purpose of anti-racism funding

10. This funding is to prevent inequality, tackle racism and support the embedding of anti-racist policies and practices within universities. It contributes towards changing the culture and meeting the expectations of Welsh Government’s Anti-racist Wales Action Plan.

11. While this funding is framed in terms of race and ethnicity, universities should take a holistic approach to recognise how race and ethnicity intersect with other protected characteristics and societal groups and issues including, but not limited to, identity based harassment, violence and abuse, wellbeing and mental health, refugees and asylum seekers and religion and belief.

2025/26 allocations and conditions of funding

12. In 2025/26 funding allocations:

1. are subject to universities committing to match fund allocations (as in previous years and as set out in the funding table below);
2. use HESA 2023/24 student data, which are based on the HESA standard registration population, reduced to a headcount (i.e. if a student has more than one enrolment, they are counted once);
3. use student data which includes the whole student body: all modes, level and domiciles;
4. are based on verified 2023/24 HESA data which has been verified by the university;
5. as is our usual practice, Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama student data are included within University of South Wales data and allocation; and
6. will be made as one payment in October 2025. Where reporting is unsatisfactory or limited we reserve the right to reclaim funding.

13. Our expectations for the use of match funding are that:

1. the Medr allocation should not result in any decrease in universities’ existing resourcing of anti-racism developments, including their commitment to achieve and demonstrate progress and continued commitment to their charter accreditation;
2. universities commit additional resource to support anti-racism actions, over and above the Medr £1m total allocation;
3. where any existing anti-racism activities or services are funded through fee and access plan or other sources in 2025/26, the delivery of these activities and services may be increased by Medr funding provided through this guidance or the related anti-racism university match funding (fee and access plans remain operational in 2025/26 until the new registration process is operational from 2026/27). Where this is the case, the university must make clear in all reporting and anti-racism monitoring how, and to what level, this funding has enhanced activities and services, and this may be subject to audit by us;
4. match funding or Medr funding can be used to meet the costs of relevant membership subscriptions, externally facilitated training or other external expertise;
5. universities must contribute effectively to the Anti-racist Wales Action Plan goals and actions;
6. universities maintain their commitment to the standards set out in the Race Equality Charter and actions in their action plan;
7. universities work collaboratively and effectively across the tertiary sector and with external partners, including those with lived experience to develop and share learning and practice; and
8. the match funding and the Medr allocation leads to an increase in pace and progress towards tackling racism to embed anti-racist practices, improving race equality, and the continued achievement and/or progression towards a charter award.

14. In 2025/26 allocations are as follows:

Institution	2025/26 Medr allocation (with £50K floor) (£)	2025/26 Sector matched funding  (no floor) (£)	2025/26  Total (£)
University of South Wales	160,566	160,566	321,132
Aberystwyth University	53,881	53,881	107,762
Bangor University	73,830	73,830	147,660
Cardiff University	224,721	224,721	449,443
University of Wales Trinity Saint David	106,160	106,160	212,320
Swansea University	144,340	144,340	288,679
Cardiff Metropolitan University	77,948	77,948	155,896
Wrexham University	54,345	54,345	108,689
The Open University in Wales	104,210	104,210	208,420
Total	1,000,000	1,000,000	2,000,000

Resources and information

15. In July 2023 Universities UK published Tackling racial harassment in higher education: progress since 2020 to review the impact of the 2020 guidance on how universities tackle racial harassment in HE and how they can improve further. Universities UK has also published a series of reports on changing the culture and religion and belief tackling antisemitism and islamophobia) to provide practical guidance to inform race considerations.

16. In March 2024, the Black Leadership Group launched the Higher Education Anti-Racism Toolkit (HEART). It has a ten-point plan to embed anti-racism in higher education systems (including strategy, pedagogy and the student and staff experience). Universities might find this a useful resource.

17. Welsh Government has developed a maturity matrix as a self-evaluation tool linked to the Anti-racist Wales Action Plan. The maturity matrix is attached as Annex A for information. Universities may find this a useful resource.

18. As Medr develops, through consultation, its regulatory conditions and guidance on staff and student welfare and equality of opportunity, we encourage universities to review their anti-racism activities, taking account of regulatory and conditions which will apply to them from 2026/27.

Deliverables and monitoring

19. Monitoring information and deliverables for 2025/26 should build on the 2024/25 plans submitted to Medr informed by learning from the race equality charter process and action planning outcomes, as well as staff and learner experiences. A monitoring template has been provided in Annex B and returns to us should include:

1. The university’s 2025/26 anti-racism action plan,
2. The university’s monitoring template, including progress and deliverables to July 2026; and
3. A funding statement to account for the Medr allocation and university match funding.

20. Where universities’ action plans are the same their race equality charter action plans they can submit the charter action plan to avoid duplication and unnecessary burden of reporting.

21. Should Welsh Government set new expectations on higher education or the tertiary sector during the funding period, we may provide additional information briefings and/or ask for additional monitoring.

Monitoring dates and returns for 2025/26 funding and reporting

22. The submission date for universities’ anti-racism action plans  is Monday, 13 October 2025. Please submit to [email protected].

23. The 2025/26 monitoring submission date is Friday, 23 October 2026. Please return the completed monitoring (Annex B) to [email protected].

Assessing the impact of our policies

24. We have carried out an impact assessment screening to help safeguard against discrimination and promote equality. We anticipate a positive impact on race, sex, disability, age, religion and belief.

25. We also considered the impact of this policy 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. Contact [email protected] for more information about equality impact assessments.

Further information and submissions

26. For further information please contact Savanna Jones ([email protected]).

27. Please submit your anti-racism action plan to [email protected] by Monday, 13 October 2025.

28. Please submit your monitoring template to [email protected] by Friday, 23 October 2026.

Introduction

1. During the 2025/26 academic year, Medr will be collating evidence about the impact and benefit of the previous ‘call to action’ on digital learning for further education (FE) and developing our evidence base on digital learning needs and priorities. We will also work with Jisc on a mid-term refresh for the Digital 2030 strategic framework. These activities will inform planning for Medr’s future strategic approach to digital learning in the tertiary sector.

2. The Welsh Government’s funding settlement to Medr for 2025/26 includes £3 million digital capital funding for FE. This funding is to provide continuity for FE after the call to action; to maintain momentum with progress which has been made over the last three years; and help to address specific funding pressures which have been raised by FE institutions. Each FE institution will also receive a £25,000 digital revenue allocation in 2025/26.

Timelines

Timing	Milestone or action
By 24 October 2025	Each institution to outline its intended use of funding (Annex B).
December 2025	Interim capital payment (50% of allocation) will be processed during December.
March 2026	The remaining 50% of capital allocation and an interim payment of £15,000 revenue funding) will be processed during March.
By 31 July 2026	Expenditure reporting and final claim. (Annex C to be added once interim payments have been made. Nominated funding leads will be notified when this form is available.)