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Creating a bilingual project guide

Why create a bilingual project guide?

When writing your application, you’ll need to consider the Welsh language and clearly explain how you’ll deliver your project bilingually. This will be considered during the assessment process and will be part of the panel’s decision.

To show the panel that you’ve considered the Welsh language, we encourage you to create a bilingual project guide.

This can also be a useful document for those managing the project, and for your service users to see which services are available in Welsh.

If Welsh is not your first language, incorporating it into your project may feel daunting. This guide will direct you to support and resources to help you do this effectively. If you think you’ll need extra support, such as translation services, remember to include these costs in your project budget.

What to include in a bilingual project guide 

Consultation 

It’s important to think about how you intend to run your project bilingually before writing your application. For example, consider: 

  • how many Welsh speakers there are in your community
  • whether there's a group for people learning Welsh in your community
  • whether Welsh speakers and those learning the language can benefit from your project - and if so, how 

What will need to be produced bilingually and how?  

Correspondence 

To support the Welsh language and ensure consistent bilingual communication, you should:

  • send letters bilingually and use a bilingual email signature
  • respond in Welsh to letters and emails you receive in Welsh
  • answer the phone with a bilingual greeting, with Welsh first
  • encourage staff to greet customers in Welsh
  • encourage staff to wear a ‘Working Welsh’ badge, whether they are fluent speakers or learners - you can order free badges and lanyards from the Welsh Language Commissioner
  • clearly display that a Welsh language service is available in reception areas using a ‘Working Welsh’ poster 

Written materials 

All written materials produced as part of your project should support the Welsh language by meeting the following requirements:

  • make all project-related documents available in Welsh, including posters, pamphlets, booklets and website content
  • place Welsh text on the left where content is displayed in two columns, or first where there are no columns
  • use the same font, colour and font size for both languages 

Digital 

Website 

If you use funding for a website, or promote the funded project online:

  • make sure any new website is bilingual
  • ensure any section of an existing website that features the funded project is bilingual
  • use our bilingual logo
  • consider adding the option at the top of each page to switch between languages 

Social media 

When using social media or producing digital content:

  • make sure all social media posts are bilingual
  • answer in Welsh any questions that are asked in Welsh
  • films you produce with our funding must be bilingual where possible, or produced as separate Welsh and English videos
  • plan marketing campaigns bilingually from the start  

There’s guidance on bilingual design, including posters and social media posts, on the Welsh Language Commissioner’s website.  

Planning an event or meeting 

If you hold public events or meetings, you must give people an opportunity to use the Welsh language if they want – including speakers at the event. If they wish to use Welsh and the meeting is held in English, you must provide a simultaneous translation service. 

You must also: 

  • ensure the booking, registration and feedback forms are bilingual, as well as announcements, banners and tickets
  • ensure any PowerPoint presentations are bilingual
  • send bilingual invitations - when sending an invitation to an individual, you must ask them if they’d like to use Welsh and, if so, inform them that a translator will be available
  • arrange a simultaneous translation service if:
    • more than one person is invited and at least 10% (but fewer than 100%) request to use Welsh
    • all those invited request to use Welsh, unless the meeting is held fully in Welsh
  • for public meetings, state in all promotional material that anyone present is welcome to use Welsh
  • ensure that a simultaneous translation service is available at all public meetings
  • use an accredited interpreter 

Advertising job vacancies and the recruitment process 

If you use your funding to employ staff or short-term workers, you should support the Welsh language throughout the recruitment process by:

  • considering whether the role requires a Welsh speaker
  • advertising all new vacancies bilingually and stating whether Welsh language skills are essential or desirable
  • offering candidates the option to have their interview in Welsh
  • providing contracts and ongoing correspondence in the language chosen by the individual, once appointed 

Learning and using the Welsh language 

Encourage staff to learn and use Welsh in their day-to-day work by: 

Providing courses and training 

When providing training in your organsisation: 

  • offer bilingual training in your workplace
  • ensure marketing for training is bilingual
  • record the number of staff who have Welsh skills, and keep your records updated 

Sharing information about your Welsh language services in your workforce 

Make sure staff understand the Welsh language services available by ensuring everyone is aware of the Welsh language services you provide, and share an information pack about Welsh language services with all new starters. 

Working with contractors and partners 

When working with contractors, you should:

  • provide bilingual information or messages to any organisation sharing information on your behalf
  • ensure partners and customers are informed about your Welsh language services 

Translation costs 

Translation costs vary depending on a translator’s experience, but they tend to be between 6-10p per word. If you’re not sure about something, you can email us at welshlanguage.advice@tnlcommunityfund.org.uk. You could also contact a translator for a quote. Find out more from the Association of Welsh Translators and Interpreters. 

Cynnig Cymraeg  

The Welsh Offer (or Cynnig Cymraeg) is recognition by the Welsh Language Commissioner that's given to organisations with a strong plan. It’s an opportunity to transform your engagement with people by showing how proud you are to offer services in Welsh. 

Once you have a policy or plan in place, the Commissioner can work with you to develop it further and work towards gaining official recognition.  

Find out more on the Welsh Language Commissioner’s website.  

Examples of good practice  

You can find further support and examples of good practice to help you work bilingually by:

Useful resources 

For advice on translation, recruitment and all elements of delivering your project bilingually, email our Welsh language team at welshlanguage.advice@tnlcommunityfund.org.uk 

Translation services: 

Welsh Language Commissioner: 

Learn Welsh: 

 Spellcheck, checking terms and dictionaries: 

Recruiting Welsh speakers: