Medr/2026/22: Further Education Professional Learning Funding (PLF) AY 2026/27 – guidance and funding application templates

Introduction

1. The Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Act 2022 (TERA), Section 5 states that Medr must promote continuous improvement in the quality of Welsh tertiary education and, in discharging this duty, must have regard to:
a. the importance of ensuring that members of the tertiary education workforce are capable of providing tertiary education of a high quality, and
b. the reasonable requirements of members of the tertiary education workforce for continuous professional development.

2. Section 5 (3) identifies members of the tertiary education workforce to be
a. teachers of persons receiving tertiary education,
b. persons who provide support to such teachers, and
c. persons who provide support to learners to participate in tertiary education.

3. To support the discharge of this duty, professional learning is featured in Medr’s Strategic Plan under Strategic Aim 3.

Strategic Aim 3 To ensure learners receive the highest-quality provision in a tertiary education sector that strives for continuous improvement.

Growth commitment We will support the tertiary education workforce to access effective professional learning and explore ways to share best practice, extending effective pedagogy across the whole sector.

4. Professional learning in this context may include mandatory training, continuous professional development (CPD), subject and industrial knowledge, professional qualifications, action research and professional inquiry.

Professional Learning Scoping Study

5. In 2019, Welsh Government commissioned a Professional Learning Scoping Study to better understand how professional learning could support the post‑16 workforce in meeting the challenges facing the sector. The study covered further education, work-based learning and adult learning in Wales and was conducted by ICF Consulting Services Ltd, in association with Arad Research Ltd.

6. The study provided a strong evidence base, identifying skills gaps and making a series of recommendations to inform future policy. While this work has been valuable, it has largely focused on FE and related sectors.

7. Building on earlier Welsh Government work and the learning generated through the FE Professional Learning Fund, Medr has commissioned a new scoping study on professional learning across the tertiary sector.

8. The purpose of this study is to establish a robust, initial evidence base to inform future strategic decisions on professional learning beyond FE, including HE. The study will explore:

• Current professional learning activity across different parts of tertiary education
• Barriers to workforce participation in professional learning
• Duplication of provision and efficiencies
• Opportunities for collaboration between providers to meet shared needs

9. The study will also generate practical recommendations that Medr, learning providers and partner organisations can use to shape future professional learning support for the tertiary education workforce. The overall aim is to understand professional learning delivery and future requirements across the sector.

10. The final report and recommendations will be shared with the sector in autumn 2026.

Use of the Professional Learning Fund

11. Medr has allocated £5 million to support the professional learning and development of the further education workforce. £4.8m will be allocated to FE institutions based on the size of institution as a proxy for the number of staff.  Allocations are set out in Annex A. £200,000 will be used to support national projects which will benefit the FE sector as a whole. These include grant funding to:

• Coleg Sir Gâr for the support for a second year of the Professional Learning Network
• Outdoor Education Advisers’ Panel for training for management of educational visits and outdoor activity.
• Education Training Foundation for the promotion of the Technical Teaching Fellowships (TTF)
• Relevant Welsh universities for placements for FE practitioners on the Masters and Education Doctorate Leadership programmes.
• Colegau Cymru for a Teaching and Learning conference.

12. The funding allocated by Medr is made available subject to the general conditions for payment of funds set out in Medr’s Terms and Conditions of Funding.

13. Funding will support professional learning for practitioners and learning support staff, and can be used to enable institutions to deliver or commission professional learning aligned to the themes outlined in this guidance.

14. The funding can be used for activities that reflect each institution’s individual priorities, based on its own policies and the identified needs of its staff. Institutions are also encouraged to use the funding for collaborative activity and can choose to “pool” a proportion of this funding to support collaborative projects.

15. In drawing together applications for use of funding, we expect all institutions to consider:

• Professional standards for FE teachers, WBL practitioners and AL practitioners/Educators Wales
• Collaboration across the sector to improve efficiencies, peer support and sharing good practice. 
• Previous learning to build on and embed the work developed in previous years.
• Balancing the learning needs of the institution (CPD) and the decisions practitioners make about their own professional learning needs and interests.
• The development of staff skills to support complex needs and skills priorities.
• Where institutions are undertaking professional learning relating to digital delivery, we ask them to use the Digital Professional Standards which have been developed by Jisc as part of our Digital 2030 work.

16. Applications must focus on the eligible themes listed below. The list below covers mandatory themes which must be included and optional themes.

Mandatory themes

• Welsh language – develop or strengthen bilingual pedagogy and or support staff to develop Welsh language skills for delivery.
• Professional learning required to create and support an anti-racist culture.

Optional themes

• Digital learning.
• Teaching and learning strategies, including differentiated learning.
• Literacy and numeracy (including ESOL).
• Enhancement of industrial skills linked to labour market needs (including capacity to delivery higher level qualifications).
• Strengthening A level and vocational pedagogy.
• Action research.
• Professional learning for specialist teaching and support staff for learners with complex needs. 
• Delivery of activities designed to accelerate and build expertise for staff which will increase the learner’s knowledge and learning experience.

Institutions will be expected to report against each activity as part of the interim and final reporting requirements.

Key issues and methods of working

17. In preparing applications, institutions should consider other cross cutting policies and ways of working. These must include:

• Promoting collaboration with trade unions
  FEIs are expected to develop their proposals in collaboration with trade unions, to ensure their recognised trade unions are fully involved in planning, decision making, and implementing changes that will affect staff.
• Anti-Racist Wales
  Individuals and institutions should take responsibility for creating an anti-racist culture and driving lasting positive change, and in doing so, we would expect you to consider the professional learning required within your institution to help realise the ambition of an Anti-racist Wales by 2030.
• Welsh Language
  Medr has a role to play in contributing to the Welsh Government’s ambition to achieve 1 million Welsh speakers by 2050 and have a duty to encourage greater use of the Welsh language.  We therefore expect you to consider this when preparing your applications.

Eligible activities

18. Funding can be used to:

• Undertake accredited teaching qualifications.
• Undertake specific modules or units of training to enhance teaching skills (eg MA modules).
• Update and enhance staff’s industrial/vocational skills.
• Purchase bespoke training, including the costs of external trainers or facilitators.
• Purchase or develop e-learning packages.
• Meet the costs of backfill for staff who are undertaking professional learning.
• Undertake research including action research.
• Collaborative design and delivery of professional learning and leadership development, including joint training on a regional basis.
• Developing bilingual professional learning resources and guidance for sector-wide benefit, including in work-based and adult learning.
• Professional learning for specialist teaching and support staff for learners with complex needs. 
• Delivery of activities designed to accelerate and build expertise for staff which will increase the learner’s knowledge and learning experience.

19. The funding cannot be used for the purchase of capital equipment or software or for course development for learners

20. If you are unsure whether your proposed use of funding is eligible please contact [email protected].

Evaluation criteria

21. Proposals must:

• Deliver professional learning in line with the Professional standards for FE teachers, WBL practitioners and AL practitioners/Educators Wales.
• Identify clear benefits and show how impact will be evaluated.
• Be aligned to the themes listed within this guidance.
• Include activities which support Welsh language development.
• Demonstrate professional learning which will create and support an anti-racist culture.
• Demonstrate a clear rationale which reflects the identified professional learning needs of the institution’s staff.

How to apply

22. Each institution is required to complete and return a signed copy of the form at Annex C to:

23. Signed forms should be returned to [email protected] by 3 July 2026.

24. Please notify Medr at the earliest opportunity if you foresee that you will not be able to spend your full allocation. If funding is released by individual institutions, Medr will consider if it is feasible to re-allocate this funding.

Monitoring and payment of funding

25. Subject to the return of Annex C, an interim payment (65% of your institution’s funding allocation) will be scheduled during March 2027.

26. You will be required to provide expenditure information by 31 July 2027 to release final payment. You should only claim against actual expenditure incurred by 31 July 2027. The amount of this final payment will be adjusted in line with the actual expenditure incurred, up to the total value of your institution’s allocation.

27. Interim and final report templates along with end-of-year expenditure information will be added as Annex D. Nominated funding leads will be notified when these forms are available.

28. Confirmation of the allocation is subject to Medr’s approval of activities.

Further information

29. Any queries regarding this guidance and supporting documentation should be directed to Karron Williams at [email protected].