Grant recipient area

Operational Handbook (Pathway 1 - 2024)

This guide is for organisations that were awarded funding from the Taith Pathway 1 2024 funding call. Please read it along with your Taith Grant Agreement letter and the 2024 Taith Programme Guides.

If something in this handbook doesn’t quite match your Grant Agreement or the Programme Guides, that’s okay, your Grant Agreement (and its schedules) will always take priority.

If you have questions or want to give feedback, please email: support@taith.wales

Section

Title

1

Grant Agreement Schedules and Signing of the Agreement 

2

Grant Payments

3

Activities

4

Your Project Budget

5

Requests for Additional Funding

6

Making changes to your project

7

Safeguarding

8

Reporting

9

Audit and Assurance and Record Keeping

10

Promoting Your Taith Funded Project: Branding Guidelines & Publicity Expectations

1.0. Grant Agreement Schedules and Signing of the Agreement

The Grant Agreement has a number of schedules, which are listed below

Pathway 1 2024 projects (approved in June 2024).


Schedule Number

Title 

Purpose 

1

Payment Schedule Process

Details of the payment schedule process. This includes an explanation of terminology and the different budget headings, when payments are expected to be made, and reporting dates. 

2

Grant Activities and Budget Profile

Sets out the approved grant activities and awarded budget.

3

Forecast of Spend Activity and Targets

Details on when mobility activity will take place, when expenditure will take place and to provide an indication of countries involved, the number of participants and % of participants from under-represented groups.

4

Request for Additional Funding

Details of additional funding available upon request, including green travel and inclusion support for Disabled participants, those who have Additional Learning Needs, or are from a disadvantaged background.

5

Reporting Requirements

Details of the different types of reports that should be submitted throughout the project lifecycle.

6

Eligible Expenditure

Details of the amount of Grant that can be used in relation to the delivery of your grant activities, and the type of expenditure permitted by Taith under your Agreement.

7

Certificate of Expenditure

To be completed if you receive a grant of more than £50,000 alongside the final report to provide independent assurance that funds have been used for the delivery of funded activities.

8

Project Change Process

To outline the rules for project changes. It provides a breakdown of the different budget categories and gives details of the changes that can be made to a project without needing approval from Taith.

9

Financial Management and Governance Declaration

Confirmation that the appropriate financial governance, risk management and internal controls are in place to oversee the agreed project activities.

10

Contact Details

A summary of a project’s main contact points, for example the lead contact person and Legal Representative.

11

Safeguarding

Details of Grant Recipients’ responsibilities with regards to safeguarding, including the protection of children and vulnerable adults and insurance.

12

Taith IP

Provides a copy of the Taith logo that Grant Recipients must use.

13

Branding Guidelines

Provides guidelines on how to promote the Taith programme in line with your project. A Branding Guidelines presentation is available on the Grant Recipient area.

2.0. Grant Payments

Taith will pay you in British pounds (GBP) and send the money to the bank account you gave us.

To see when payments will be made, how much, and what percentage of your grant you’ll get, check Schedule 1 – Payment Schedule Process in your Grant Agreement letter. Please note that payment dates and amounts might change depending on your reports and how much of the grant you’ve spent so far.

If your bank details change, you must tell Taith straight away by emailing support@taith.wales You’ll need to fill in a New Supplier Form and send a recent bank statement (from the last 3 months). Taith will check the new details before sending any more payments.

3.0. Activities

Period of activity

Projects start on 01 September 2024 and end on the date shown in clause 2.5 of your Grant Agreement letter.

Before Taith can send any pre-payment, you must return your signed Grant Agreement and schedules. Taith will check everything first.

This agreement is legally binding, so if you spend money before signing it, you do so at your own risk.

You can spend money up to 3 months before the project starts, but it’s at your own risk. All project activities must happen within the dates in your Grant Agreement.

You’ll only get funding for activities (called “mobilities”) that happen during the approved project period. These activities must also follow the programme’s rules for minimum and maximum duration.

If your final activity finishes before the official end date, you can submit your final report early to close the project — just make sure to let us know as this helps you get your final payment or return any leftover funds. Please note that if your project finishes much earlier than expected and doesn’t match the timeline you originally gave us, it might cause a delay in your final payment.

For more details, check the ‘Reporting’ section.

Pre-departure cancellation

Please see section 6.0 Making changes to your project 

Early returns

Please see section 6.0 Making changes to your project 

Short durations 

Please see section 6.0 Making changes to your project 

Force majeure 

Force majeure means an extreme event outside your control stops you from doing your planned project activities. You can ask for force majeure support only if you can’t reschedule the activity and would lose money because of it.

You can only ask for force majeure in clear and serious situations that affect the participant’s activity or wellbeing. These include:

  • Serious illness or injury (with a medical certificate). Make sure you have proper travel insurance. Extra funding is only a top-up, not a replacement.
  • Bereavement (death of close family like parents or grandparents).
  • Major political problems or natural disasters in the host country.
  • Traumatic experiences, like being involved in or seeing a serious accident or crime.
  • Covid-19 issues, like cancelled activities or lockdowns that were not expected.

You must give full evidence for your situation. Taith must approve your force majeure request before you send your final report.

Force majeure does NOT cover:

  • Arguments between participants and host organisations that could be solved.
  • Cancelled classes or sessions.
  • Participants just wanting to go home.
  • Problems that could be fixed by the participant or organisations.
  • Strikes, money problems, broken equipment, or delays in getting materials.

This list isn’t complete—Taith will look at each case individually.

If a shorter stay is approved, update the participant’s report with the actual dates they were abroad. The grant only covers the real time spent abroad. Any extra money must be paid back by the participant.

If a mobility is paused due to force majeure, the participant can continue later, as long as the new end date is still within the project’s final deadline.

To make a force majeure request:

  • Send an email to us support@taith.wales
  • You can find help and guidance on the Grant Recipient area of the Taith website.

Interruptions/ non-funded days

If a participant does something not related to their mobility, it won’t be funded. These days will be taken off the total mobility duration.

For example:

  • If someone goes home for a short visit during their mobility, those days are non-funded.
  • If someone extends their stay to do unrelated activities, those extra days are also non-funded.

Even after removing non-funded days, the mobility must still meet the minimum required duration.

You must:

  • Report the start and end dates of the mobility.
  • Clearly show how many non-funded days there were.

Choosing participants

You are responsible for selecting who goes on mobilities. The process must be:

  • Fair
  • Clear
  • Well-documented

Participants must meet the criteria in the Taith Programme Guide. You can’t charge them any fees or deposits to take part.

Paying participants

The funding amount for each outward participant was worked out using the grant calculator you submitted with your application.

To work out the funding for inward participants (if you have any), please use the inward participant grant calculator in your project folder.

Make sure all participants—both outward and inward—get the full amount they’re entitled to for travel and living costs.

4.0. Your Project Budget

The grant money is split into different cost categories. You can find the full breakdown in Schedule 2 – Grant Activities and Budget Profile in your Grant Agreement letter.

Please remember: You must spend the grant only on things that help deliver your project.

Organisational Support

You can choose how to use the Organisational Support funding, as long as it helps with the agreed project activities.

This funding helps cover costs for supporting learners and staff during their mobility (whether they’re going abroad or coming to the UK), including both physical and virtual activities.

The funding starts at £500 per participant for the first 10 participants. The amount goes down as the number of participants increases.

To see the full breakdown of rates, check Section 6 of your sector’s Programme Guide.

The amount of Organisational Support is based on the total number of mobilities (outward and inward) in your project.

Organisational Support funding may be used for activities such as:

  • Language course, to support language learning of the host country
  • Networking, social and cultural events for mobility participants
  • Local cultural trips organised for mobility participants
  • Contribution towards insurance and visa fees
  • Events to promote participation in Taith
  • Promotional materials, including those produced by mobility participants
  • Taith ambassadors’ activities
  • Taith project management staff costs
  • Contribution to cover staff backfill, e.g., supply teachers (this does not cover long term absence)
  • Additional passport or visa costs
  • Use of experts
  • External Audit costs for the completion of the annual certificate of expenditure

Subsistence

Each participant’s funding is based on:

  • How long their mobility lasts
  • Where they go (destination country)

Countries are grouped by cost of living:

  • Group 1 – High cost
  • Group 2 – Medium cost
  • Group 3 – Low cost

Taith pays the full amount to you.

Each participant must get their full funding, either:

  • As a direct payment to them
  • Or by you paying costs on their behalf

Make sure to check your organisation’s financial rules to see if you need to keep receipts for your own records.

Travel 

Purpose: Covers the cost of a round trip between Wales and the destination country.

Amount: Based on the distance travelled (up to 12,000 km).

Green Travel Bonus: Higher grant available for using eco-friendly transport. See Schedule 4 – Request for Additional Funding of your Grant Agreement letter about how to claim.

Payment: Taith pays the full travel grant to you.

Distribution: Each participant must receive their full entitlement—either directly or through covered travel costs.

Receipts: You should check your own financial rules to see if receipts are needed for auditing.

Other Public Funding: If participants receive other public funds for travel, they must declare it. These amounts will be deducted from the Taith grant.

5.0. Request for Additional Funding 

You can ask Taith for extra funding for:

  • Green Travel
  • Exceptional Costs
  • Inclusion Support

Requests must be sent as soon as possible and no later than 30 calendar days after the activity happens.

Late requests won’t be accepted unless there’s a very good reason.

Each request must:

  • Show value for money
  • Be linked to the specific participant who needs the extra funding

To apply:

  • Fill in the Pathway 1 Additional Funding Request Form
  • You can find the form and guidance on the Grant Recipient area of the Taith website

For more details, check Schedule 4 – Request for Additional Funding in your Grant Agreement letter.

Example of a request

Four learner participants on an individual mobility plan to travel from Cardiff to Bristol Airport. A number of transport options have been explored, with the outcome being that a public coach offers the best value for money. The total paid by the organisation for the four participants is £100, or £25 per person; one of these participants is considered as disadvantaged, so the Grant Recipient submits an application to Taith for additional funding for this participant’s coach fare (£25).

Green Travel

For Taith, Green Travel means using low-emission transport instead of flying.
Examples include:

  • Bike
  • Train
  • Coach
  • Minibus
  • Carsharing

You must use these options for most of the round trip (to and from the destination).

Ferries are not considered green travel because they produce high emissions.

If Green Travel costs more than the standard travel grant, you can apply for extra funding.
You’ll need to show proof of best value for money—for example, that you chose the cheapest reasonable option.

Exceptional costs

  • Travel to a UK Transport hub – learner participants only

This funding helps cover the cost of getting to and from a UK transport hub.

Examples of transport hubs include:

  • Airports
  • Train stations
  • Ports
  • Bus stations

You can use different types of transport, like:

  • Train
  • Bus
  • Boat

For train travel, participants can claim:

  • The train ticket cost
  • A railcard, if the total cost of both is less than the ticket alone

Participants aged 16–21 travelling by bus should use mytravelpass

If travelling by car (minimum of three people sharing), the rate is £0.45 per mile.

The rates are:

 Group Mobilities: You can claim £500 per mobility, up to a maximum of £1,500 per project, based on actual costs.

This funding is available for projects in the following sectors:

  • Schools
  • Youth
  • Adult Education
  • Further Education and Vocational Education Training (FE/VET)

It is not available for Higher Education projects.

Individual Mobilities: Participants from disadvantaged backgrounds can get up to £100 per mobility, based on actual costs that offer good value for money.

This funding is available for all sectors.

Inclusion Support

This funding is for participants who:

  • have Additional Learning Needs (ALN)
  • are Disabled
  • come from disadvantaged backgrounds

You can find more details in:

  • the Programme Guide
  • Schedule 4 – Request for Additional Funding
  • Schedule 6 – Eligible Expenditure in your Grant Agreement letter

Participants with ALN or Disabilities

  • Can get up to 100% of eligible inclusion costs
  • This applies to both staff and learners
  • Taith holds this funding centrally and releases it when needed

ALN definition: As defined by the ALN Act 2018 and the ALN Code for Wales 2021
Disabled definition: A person with a physical or mental condition that has a serious and long-term effect on daily life (Equality Act 2010)

Participants from disadvantaged backgrounds

  • Can get up to 100% of actual costs for extra travel needs like:
    • Visas
    • Passports
    • Travel insurance
    • Luggage (if needed)
  • In Higher Education only, staff / accompanying persons can also apply for up to 50% extra subsistence & travel funding for trips over 4000 km. Learners automatically receive this uplift in the grant calculator tool (other sectors already have inclusive travel rates).

Check Table 1 in your documents for the full list of who qualifies as a disadvantaged participant (staff and learners).

Table 1


Criteria

Schools

FE/VET/AE

HE/RE

Youth

Evidence Required

Total household income below 26,225K  

Yes 

Yes

Yes

Yes

Last three months bank statement showing all income being received by the household; name and address must be visible on statement. If the organisation has an internal process for determining financial disadvantage, then we would accept confirmation of this. 

Participant receiving Universal Credit or income-related benefits in their own name

N/A

Yes

Yes

Yes

Total household income – wages and/or benefits/pensions combined – must still be less than 26,225K.

Universal Credit – screenshots of workbook detailing amount paid and any deductions for the last three months; name and address must be visible on statement.

Benefits – last three months’ bank statements showing amount in benefits being received.

Participants who are care-experienced, currently in care, or from a looked-after background

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

A letter from a social worker, support worker, personal assistant, local authority, housing association or charity, confirming the participants’ situation – current or past.

This refers to anyone who is or has been at any stage of their life, no matter how short. This includes adopted children who were previously looked-after, or those who are care-experienced and access care-related bursaries in other parts of the UK before moving to Wales.

Participants who have caring responsibilities for a disabled child, or an adult who, due to illness, disability, mental health problems or addiction, cannot cope without their support

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

A letter showing that the participant is in receipt of Carer’s Allowance.

A letter from a social worker, support worker, health professional or charity organisation confirming that the participant undertakes caring responsibilities for an immediate family member. A certificate from the applying organisation as outlined in the guidance above.

Asylum Seekers or Refugees

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Application Registration Card or letter from the Home Office.

Participant is estranged from parents

N/A

N/A

Yes

N/A

Evidence required in line with SFW/Stand Alone.

Eligible for Means Tested Free School Meals

Yes

N/A

N/A

Yes

Letter from school or local authority confirming eligibility

For further information on additional funding, please contact us at support@taith.wales

If you can’t get evidence

At Taith, we understand that it’s not always easy to get certain documents. For example:

  • A participant might be an unpaid carer and not have official proof.
  • A participant might not be able to access their parents’ financial details.

If you can’t get the usual evidence, here’s what to do:

  1. Explain your internal process
    Tell Taith how your organisation identifies disadvantaged participants.
    For example, if your Wellbeing, Counselling, or Pastoral Care team supports these learners, they can confirm the participant meets the criteria.
  2. Write a letter on headed paper. This letter should confirm:
    1. That your internal process was followed
    2. That the participant meets Taith’s criteria for being disadvantaged
  3. If you don’t have a support team write a certificate on headed paper. It must be signed by:
    1. Your Taith Project Lead
    2. The participant
    3. A parent or carer (if needed)
  4. Keep the letter or certificate. Store it with your Taith project documents for 12 years. Taith may ask to see it later.

This process helps you support participants who need extra funding, without asking for personal or hard-to-get documents.

 Disadvantaged staff participants

If a staff member wants to apply for extra funding because they are disadvantaged:

  • They must meet at least one of the criteria in Table 2.
  • You must keep at least one piece of evidence to prove this.

Table 2


Criteria 

Evidence required 

Household income below £26,225

Last three months’ bank statements showing all income being received by the household; name and address must be visible on statement. If the organisation has an internal process for determining financial disadvantage, then we would accept confirmation of this.

Participant receiving Universal Credit or income-related benefits in their own name

Total household income – wages and/or benefits/pensions combined – must still be less than £26,225.

Universal Credit – screenshots of workbook detailing amount paid and any deductions for the last three months; name and address must be visible on statement.

Benefits – last three months’ bank statements showing amount in benefits being received.

Participants up to the age of 25 who are care-experience, currently in care, or are from a looked-after background

A letter from a social worker, support worker, personal assistant, local authority, housing association or charity, confirming the participants’ situation – current or past.

This refers to anyone who is or has been care experienced at any stage of their life, no matter how short. This includes adopted children who were previously looked-after, or those who are care-experienced and access care-related bursaries in other parts of the UK before moving to Wales.

Participants who have caring responsibilities for a Disabled child, or an adult who, due to illness, Disability, mental health problems or addiction, cannot cope without their support

A letter showing that the participant is in receipt of Carer’s Allowance.

A letter from a social worker, support worker, health professional or charity organisation confirming that the participant undertakes caring responsibilities for an immediate family member.

A certificate from the applying organisation as outlined in the guidance above.

Asylum Seekers or refugees

Application Registration Card or letter from the Home Office.

Participant is estranged from parents

N/A

Eligible for free school meals

N/A

6.0. Making Changes to your project

You can make changes to your project while it’s running, if needed. But the changes must not affect the main goals or the reason your project was given funding.

There are two types of changes:

  1. Project changes – changes to the overall administration of the project. This includes changes due to Force Majeure and Project Extension requests, which must be sent by email to support@taith.wales. All other requests must be sent as a signed PDF letter on your organisation’s headed paper by email to support@taith.wales
  2. Activity changes – changes to specific mobility activities. To request activity changes in the Schools, Youth, FE/VET, and Adult Education sectors, you must fill in the Change Request Pro forma (saved in your reporting folder) at least 30 calendar days before the mobility starts. Higher Education has a different process (explained later in the guide).

As detailed below, some but not all changes will need Taith’s approval before you go ahead.

Project Changes that do not require Taith approval 

Change of Legal Representative, CFO, or Contact Person

  • If someone in one of these roles changes during the project, please send us a signed PDF letter on your organisation’s headed paper from an authorised source stating the nature of the change. For changes to the legal representative or chief financial officer, the letter must also confirm that the new person is authorised to sign legal documents.

Project Changes that require Taith approval 

Consortium Changes

  • If you want to add a new partner to your consortium, Taith must approve it.
  • We will check:
    • The impact of the change
    • That all eligibility rules are met
    • That the quality of the consortium stays the same

Project Duration

  • If you want to extend your project, please send us an email support@taith.wales at least 60 calendar days before the approved project end date.
  • If your project will end earlier than planned, let us know as soon as possible so that we can send your final report template for completion. Please note that if your project finishes much earlier than expected and doesn’t match the timeline you originally gave us, it might cause a delay in your final payment.

Check Schedule 8 – Project Change Process in your Grant Agreement letter for more details.

Activity Changes that require Taith’s approval

If you need to change a mobility activity, you must:

  • Fill in the Change Request Pro forma (this is saved in your reporting folder)
  • Complete it at least 30 calendar days before the change is due to happen

Once you complete the form:

  • Column Q will show “pending”
  • Taith will update it after reviewing your request

You should have received a link to your reporting folder by email. The folder contains:

  • The Change Request Pro forma
  • Guidance on how to fill it in — please read this before completing

If you need help, email support@taith.wales

Important Notes

  • If the new destination has a higher grant rate, your budget will change
  • Taith will update your live grant calculator to reflect this
  • However, Taith can only fund up to your original grant award
  • The new duration must still meet the minimum and maximum limits set by the programme.
  • You still meet the underrepresented groups requirement by the end of the project

Organisational Support

  • This funding is based on participant numbers.
  • If participant numbers go down, your Organisational Support funding will also reduce.

Travel Safety

  • You must follow travel advice from the UK government’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
  • Taith will not fund travel to places where the FCDO advises against foreign travel.

If travel advice changes for a country where you planned a mobility:

  • You must make alternative arrangements, like choosing a different destination.
  • Contact Taith first before making any changes.

Process for HE Grant Recipients

Reporting Changes

  • HE projects don’t need to inform Taith about changes right away. Instead, institutions must complete the relevant section of your Bi-Annual Progress Report. If all of the specific information is not provided, this could impact the final grant payment.
  • The template is in the Reporting Guidelines section of the Grant Recipient area.

In the report, you must show that:

  • Your project’s aims and objectives are still being met
  • The minimum mobility duration is still met
  • You still meet the underrepresented groups requirement by the end of the project
  • Learner mobilities cannot be changed to staff mobilities, without prior approval by Taith
  • If course fees are not spent, this budget cannot be transferred to another activity
  • You must follow UK government travel advice (FCDO). Taith will not fund travel to destinations where the FCDO advises against travel.
  • If travel advice changes for a planned destination, you must rearrange the mobility and contact Taith before making changes.

Changes That Do Not Require Taith Approval

You can make certain changes within your project without needing approval from Taith, as long as they stay within the limits below. These changes must be updated in the participant reporting tool once the mobility is completed.

Inward Mobility Budget

Your inward mobility budget is based on a percentage of your outward mobility budget.

  • So, if you reduce the number of outward participants, your inward mobility funding will also go down.

Organisation Support funding is linked to the number of participants.

  • Fewer participants = less Organisation Support.

7.0. Safeguarding

In line with Schedule 11– Safeguarding of the Grant Agreement letter, you will have completed a Safeguarding checklist as part of the formal acceptance of the funding. The checklist details the requirements that must be adhered to when directly working with participants who are under the age of 18 and / or vulnerable/at-risk adults, or when delivering work that has an impact on participants who are under the age of 18 and / or vulnerable/at-risk adults.

You have a responsibility to safeguard the welfare of participants who are under the age of 18 and vulnerable/at-risk adults (as defined under Part 7 of the Social Services and Wellbeing (Wales) Act 2014), in accordance with the relevant legislation and accompanying guidance.

The Wales Safeguarding Procedures can help you to understand and apply the duties set out in this legislation and guidance.

All education settings in Wales have a legal duty to ensure that children have access to a safe learning environment. It is important that education settings are clear about how they continue to meet their statutory duties for safeguarding children and young people when making arrangements for foreign exchange visits, as set out in statutory guidance Keeping Learners Safe.

You also need to consider the relevant legislation governing safeguarding in the country/territory to which they send any participants, and where appropriate, incorporate this into their processes/ procedures.

It is a requirement for you and Consortium organisations (if applicable) participating in the Taith programme to have the following in place:

  • An up-to-date safeguarding policy and other appropriate policies e.g. child protection policy, complaints policy, whistleblowing policy, anti-harassment and bullying policy, data protection policy
    • Safe recruitment procedures
    • Up-to-date training records
    • A code of conduct for participants
    • A code of conduct for staff and volunteers
    • A clear mechanism for reporting any safeguarding concerns
    • A clear mechanism for carrying out suitable checks on host families and appropriate procedures in place for visits and planning (where applicable)
    • A named individual who holds a senior position within the organisation with responsibility for safeguarding
    • Appropriate risk assessments and checks, including where appropriate, criminal record and/or DBS checks
    • Suitable insurance, to include travel insurance

All Grant Recipients and Consortium Partners (if applicable) who will run Grant Activities (including virtual exchanges) involving under 18-year-olds and/or vulnerable/at-risk adults are required to complete a checklist as part of the Grant Agreement Letter. All requirements which form part of the checklist must be complied with before an activity takes place.

Consortia led by third parties within the School sector, who have a responsibility to safeguard the welfare of pupils, need to ensure approval for participation has been given from the relevant Local Authority prior to a mobility taking place. Evidence of this approval needs to be provided to Taith prior to the mobility.

Reporting safeguarding incidents

If a safeguarding incident takes place, as per the grant agreement, it is your responsibility to ensure the incident is managed within your Safeguarding policy and procedures and in accordance with any relevant legislation. You are not required to report any incidents to Taith, however in certain circumstances such as where the incident may affect the project delivery or outcomes or where an incident may become public, you may wish to contact Taith and keep us informed.

You can contact us through the support mailbox support@taith.wales or by completing a form below. Alternatively, if you would like to speak to a Safeguarding Officer in confidence you can contact one of the team below:

One of our safeguarding team will be in touch as soon as possible once you have made contact.

If you have any queries at all, please do contact the team support@taith.wales

Complete an initial incident report form 

Complete a final incident report form

8.0. Reporting

All Taith-funded projects must submit various reports throughout their lifecycle. These help monitor progress, ensure accountability, and determine payments.

a. Participant reporting

  • Purpose: Collection of data on participants after the mobilities have taken place.
  • Deadline: Must be submitted within 28 calendar days of mobilities taking place and prior to submitting your final report.
  • Location: Saved in your individual reporting folder, which includes guidance.

b. Quarterly reports

  • Required: Based on project duration or risk rating.
  • Deadline: As specified in Schedule 1 – Payment Schedule Process.
  • Submission: Must be completed and saved in your project folder.
  • Purpose: Assesses project progress against the original grant application.
  • Outcome:
    • Feedback provided.
    • May include recommendations or actions to complete.
    • Further payments depend on satisfactory progress of your project and approval by Taith.

c. Interim reports

  • Required: Based on project duration or risk rating.
  • Deadline: As specified in Schedule 1 – Payment Schedule Process.
  • Submission: Must be completed and saved in your project folder.
  • Purpose: Assesses project progress against the original grant application.
  • Outcome:
    • Feedback provided.
    • May include recommendations or actions to complete.
    • Further payments depend on satisfactory progress of your project and approval by Taith.

 

d. HE Bi-annual reports

  • Required for: Higher Education projects.
  • Deadline: Communicated via email.
  • Submission: Must be completed and saved in your project folder.
  • Purpose: Review progress and any changes to activities.
  • Note: No payments linked to this report.

e. Final report

  • Required for: All Pathway projects.
  • Deadline: Within 30 calendar days of the project end date (or earlier if all activities are complete).
  • Submission: Must be completed and submitted in your project folder.
  • Purpose:
    • Provides a full overview of activities and spending.
    • Enables budget reconciliation.
  • Requirements:
    • Declaration confirming delivery of agreed activities.
    • Must include a digitally signed final report and a Certification Statement (for grants of £50,000 and under).
    • Certificate of Expenditure (for grants of over £50,000).

Templates are available in the Grant Recipient area.

  • Consequences of Late Submission:
    • May result in withheld, suspended, or reclaimed grant payments.
  • Final Payment Conditions:
    • Based on actual delivery and expenditure.
    • If the grant activities aren’t carried out as planned or cost less than expected the grant may be reduced or you may have to repay any extra money received.

f.  Certification Statement

  • Required: Must be submitted within 30 calendar days of the project end date.
  • Purpose: Confirms completion of grant activities and triggers the final payment process.
  • Approval: Subject to Taith’s review.

 g. Certificate of Expenditure

  • Required for: Grants over £50,000.
  • Deadline: Within 30 calendar days of the project end date.
  • Completed by: Independent auditor/accountant
  • Cost: Can be covered by project support costs

h. Participant feedback

  • Details: More information is in Schedule 5 of your Grant Agreement letter.

9.0. Audit and Assurance and Record Keeping

Taith may carry out audits to check your compliance with financial and programme rules. These audits will look at:

  • General project administration
  • Banking arrangements
  • Evidence of spending
  • Payment procedures
  • Cost eligibility
  • Travel records
  • Proof of activities and meetings

If you’ve received additional funding (e.g. Green Travel, Inclusion Support, Exceptional Costs), you will have a desktop audit before the project closes.

Types of audits

a. Desktop audit

  • Done remotely
  • Basic compliance check

b. On-Site audit (during project)

  • In-depth review of records and interviews
  • May be supportive for new organisations
  • Helps avoid future funding recovery

c. On-Site audit (after project)

  • Detailed review
  • Triggered by serious issues found earlier
  • Immediate action may be taken

d.Reports

  • Quarterly reports will be required for very high-risk projects over the duration of the project.
  • Interim reports will be required for all projects.
  • Final reports will be required for all projects.

Supporting evidence requirements

You must keep clear records to prove that activities and spending match your approved Grant Agreement.

For Unit Cost Categories (e.g. travel, subsistence, organisational support):

  • Signed attendance certificate or spreadsheet (with participant names, dates, purpose)
  • For under-18s, signed by accompanying person
  • Applies to both inward and outward mobilities
  • Must include Taith unique participant ID
  • Include full details and correspondence with partner organisations

For approved Additional Funding (For green travel, inclusion support, or exceptional costs)

You must keep and provide:

  • Invoices/receipts showing:
    • Supplier name and address
    • Amount and currency
    • Date
    • For travel: route and travel date
  • Evidence for participants with ALN, a Disability or are disadvantaged
    • Use participant ID, not names
  • Proof of value for money:
    • Items over £300: written quotes
    • Items under £300: cost comparison
  • Other documents may be requested to support your claim (e.g., estimates or quotes)

 If Taith requests evidence:

Important notes:

  • Credit card statements are not valid evidence
  • Receipts must show item cost, supplier, date, currency, and VAT number (if applicable)
  • All records must be kept for 12 years after the closing date of your project
  • Applies to subcontractors and consortium members too
  • You must allow Taith access to sites and records as per your Grant Agreement

Underrepresented Groups

You must report progress on targets for underrepresented groups using the participant reporting tool. Full guidance is available in the Grant Recipient area of the Taith website.

Recoveries

How Recoveries Work

We try to avoid recoveries where possible. If a recovery is needed:

  1. Offset: we will work out your final grant amount and take it off your remaining payment.
  2. Invoice: If you’ve been paid more than your final grant amount, we will send you an invoice asking you to pay it back straight away.
    • You’ll have 10 working days to pay.
    • If you don’t pay the invoice, we will send you a final letter before taking legal action.

If you don’t pay back the money you owe us, it could affect payments for your other Taith projects or stop you from getting future funding from us.

Your Responsibility

Whether the recovery is taken from a future payment or paid by invoice, it’s your responsibility to make sure you have enough funds to complete all approved Taith projects.

10. Promoting Your Taith Funded Project: Branding Guidelines & Publicity Expectations

We encourage you to actively promote your Taith funded project and share your experiences with others. To help ensure consistency and raise awareness of the Taith programme, we ask that you follow these key guidelines:

a. Follow Taith Branding Guidelines

  • All promotional materials (digital and print) should follow Taith’s official branding guidelines to maintain consistency and clarity in how Taith and its projects are represented.
  • Ensure the Taith and the Welsh Government logos are included and used correctly. You will find usage guidance and downloadable logo files in the branding guidelines section of the Grant Recipient area.
  • If operating bilingually (e.g., in Wales), consider using both English and Welsh in your materials where possible, in line with inclusive communication practices.
  • Ensure you have appropriate permissions and consent for any photos or videos used in promotional materials.

b. Use Social Media to Promote Your Activities

  • Share updates, photos, videos, and reflections from your project on your organisation’s social media channels.
  • Tag Taith in all posts so we can engage with and amplify your content. Taith is active on:
    • X (formerly Twitter)
    • Instagram
    • Facebook
    • LinkedIn
    • BlueSky
    • Threads
  • Where relevant, consider using hashtags like #Taith, #TaithWales or project-specific ones to broaden reach.
  • Ensure you have appropriate permissions and consent for any photos or videos used in promotional materials.

c. Share Your Story with Taith

  • Submit your experience through our ‘Share Your Story’ online form. Whether it’s a blog, case study, or participant reflection, we’d love to hear how Taith has impacted your participants and organisation.
  • Your stories help showcase the real-world impact of international learning and inspire others to get involved, especially those who may not have considered these opportunities before.

d. Media Outreach

  • If your project garners press or local media coverage, please inform the Taith communications team so they can support or coordinate messaging.
  • If you would like some help in creating a Press Release to send to the media then please get in touch.