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Our Welsh language policy for funding

The National Lottery Community Fund is the largest community funder in Wales. We distribute 40% of National Lottery funding to good causes that support health, education, environmental and charitable purposes across the UK. 

Our funding backs projects that make communities: 

  • resilient 
  • more inclusive
  • environmentally sustainable 

Between September 2024 and August 2025, we awarded 1,110 grants in Wales, worth a total of £60 million. 

Our funding programmes 

Most of our funding programmes have no closing date. Our two main funding programmes are ‘National Lottery Awards for All’ and ‘People and Places’. 

National Lottery Awards for All 

Funding ranges from £300 to £20,000 to support what matters most to people and communities. We’ll fund organisations with great project ideas that can make a real difference, including projects that: 

  • bring people together to build strong relationships within and across communities 
  • improve the places and spaces that matter to local people
  • help more people to reach their potential by providing early support – especially for people, communities and organisations facing more pressures due to the cost-of-living crisis 

People and Places 

Funding ranges from £20,000 to £500,000 for projects where people and communities work together, using their strengths to make positive change on the issues that matter most to them. 

As well as these programmes, we occasionally launch strategic funding programmes with specific application closing dates. These are usually developed based on feedback from customers and stakeholders, and designed to address specific needs within communities across Wales.  

Examples include: 

We also operate UK-wide funding programmes that are open to applicants in Wales. 

What our Welsh Language Standards say 

In terms of providing funding, Standard 90 is relevant: 

Standard 90: You must produce and publish a policy on awarding grants (or, where appropriate, amend an existing policy) which requires you to take the following matters into account when you make decisions in relation to the awarding of a grant:  

(a) what effects, if any (and whether positive or negative), the awarding of a grant would have on:

(i) opportunities for persons to use the Welsh language, and  

(ii) treating the Welsh language no less favourably than the English language; 

(b) how the decision could be taken or implemented (for example, by imposing conditions of grant) so that it would have positive effects, or increased positive effects, on 

(i) opportunities for persons to use the Welsh language, and 

(ii) treating the Welsh language no less favourably than the English language;  

(c) how the decision could be taken or implemented (for example, by imposing conditions of grant) so that it would not have adverse effects, or so that it would have decreased adverse effects on: 

(i) opportunities for persons to use the Welsh language, and 

(ii) treating the Welsh language no less favourably than the English language;  

(d) whether you need to ask the applicant for any additional information in order to assist you in assessing the effects of awarding a grant on: 

(i) opportunities for persons to use the Welsh language, and 

(ii) treating the Welsh language no less favourably than the English language. 

Bilingual service 

Information and application materials for all our funding programmes in Wales and across the UK are available in both Welsh and English, with equal status. You can apply: 

  • through our online portal
  • using online forms
  • submitting a hard copy application in either language 

You can also choose to communicate with us in Welsh or English, and your application will be assessed in the language in which it is submitted. 

The Welsh language within the application process 

The Fund does not have a specific funding programme for Welsh projects. Instead, all our programmes, whether Wales only or UK-wide, are open to applications from all organisations.  

The Welsh language is embedded throughout our funding process. Before applying, all applicants are asked to read our guide on managing your project bilingually. It explains what to expect and how we support bilingual delivery. 

We welcome applications submitted in Welsh or English. We also ask applicants to indicate their preferred language for communication, allowing them to apply in one language and communicate with us in another if they wish. 

All applications submitted in Welsh - or any English application where a contact has noted Welsh as their language of communication - will be assessed by a Welsh-speaking Funding Officer. We never translate applications from Welsh to English for assessment purposes and the process of assessing and managing grants takes place in a naturally bilingual way. 

All applicants must complete our Beneficiary Monitoring form when applying and, depending on the grant awarded, again at the end of the project. This form helps us understand who benefits from National Lottery-funded projects in grassroots communities across Wales. It includes a question about the Welsh language skills of your project beneficiaries.  

The terms and conditions of funding is a legally binding document that all those who receive funding must sign and commit to before funding is paid out. It sets out your responsibilities as a funded organisation. This includes a legal requirement to consider the Welsh language throughout your project and, where appropriate, to deliver activities through the medium of Welsh. 

As a distributor of public funds, we place clear expectations on the projects we fund.  

These include: 

  • the ability to operate bilingually, and be open and accessible to both Welsh and non-Welsh speakers
  • to not treat the Welsh language less favourably than English (including ensuring that materials, information and services are available in Welsh) 
  • increasing opportunities to use Welsh, such as providing services in Welsh and increasing opportunity to use Welsh in the funded activities 

Project planning and delivery 

We expect projects to:  

  • consider the Welsh language before starting their application and to consider what the project will need to operate bilingually or in Welsh
  • consider whether Welsh speakers are needed to fill any job roles, to ensure that project beneficiaries can access the service in their first or chosen language.
  • consider the linguistic needs of their project beneficiaries when deciding on linguistic skills for job roles as there’ll be occasions when language need is more important than language choice. For example, projects working with small children, people with dementia, or those dealing with mental health issues.
  • advertise all job roles bilingually, regardless of whether Welsh language skills are essential
  • design and print all materials relating to their project bilingually so the information is just as easy to view and read in Welsh as it is in English - find out more about how to use more Welsh in your organisation 
  • have bilingual websites with the ability to switch easily between languages if our funding is paying for the new website. If we’re not funding a website, the web page of the organisation promoting the funded project will need to be bilingual
  • always use our bilingual logo when promoting your project and promoting it on social media, tagging us whenever possible @TNLComFundWales 

Assessment process 

Before you apply to the Fund, you may have already discussed your project idea with us, including any Welsh language requirements.  

When we receive an application, our Funding Officers will review your responses to the main questions regarding the Welsh language. They’ll assess whether the group has sufficiently considered the linguistic needs of the community the project serves.  

Specifically, they’ll consider the following areas: 

Understanding the local linguistic context: Whether the organisation demonstrates knowledge of the area’s linguistic demographics. We’ll check this particularly regarding projects located outside Wales that will deliver services in Wales. If a project is unclear on this, we’ll recommend that they consult the Census statistics or contact the local Menter Iaith. 

Considering community language needs: Whether the project accounts for the community’s linguistic requirements in planning and delivery. For example, if a funded job role requires Welsh language skills, are these clearly reflected in the job advertisement? 

Ensuring equal access through Welsh: Whether the project offers an equal opportunity for everyone in the community to take part in activities or services in Welsh and whether bilingual services are advertised. Projects that restrict Welsh language use will not be funded, though exceptions may be made for specialist services where full Welsh provision is challenging. 

Promoting the Welsh language: Whether the project supports wider use of Welsh in line with the 2050 Welsh Language Strategy. We welcome applications from organisations that aim to increase the use of Welsh. For examples of projects we’ve funded that promote the language, call us on 0300 123 0735 or email welshlanguage.advice@tnlcommunityfund.org.uk. 

Providing support if needed: If an organisation has not provided a satisfactory answer to the question on the Welsh language, or if they’re unsure of the requirements, they’ll be put in touch with a member of the Fund's Welsh Language team for guidance. 

Including bilingual implementation costs: Whether the project includes bilingual delivery, such as translation or website design. We recommend allocating a minimum of £500, though the exact amount can vary depending on the project. 

If you’re successful 

Monitoring and support  

Compliance with the Welsh language condition of funding is monitored in the same way as our other funding conditions. We expect to see evidence that the project:

  • is available bilingually
  • does not treat the Welsh language less favourably at any stage  

Failure to meet this condition may negatively affect your current, and any future, funding. 

If you would like support including the Welsh language in your project or activities, email our Welsh language team at welshlanguage.advice@tnlcommunityfund.org.uk 

Celebrate with your community 

Share your success and the impact of your funding: 

We encourage you to continue highlighting the difference your funding makes throughout your funding period.  

To help all projects understand our Welsh language requirements, we work with the Welsh Language Commissioner’s Hybu (Promotion) Team to provide quarterly training sessions via Teams. If you have not received an invite to the sessions, email welshlanguage.advice@tnlcommunityfund.org.uk. 

Tenders  

We follow the same rules as described above for assessing tenders. The text below will be included in all tender documents for Wales and UK-wide tenders:  

“In accordance with The National Lottery Community Fund's Welsh Language Standards, if your project/service will be available in Wales, you must enable people to engage in both Welsh and English, treating both languages equally. Welsh speakers must be able to access information and services in Welsh and all materials must be produced bilingually.”