3. Eligibility
This section details all the information on eligible organisations, activities, durations, participants and costs for the Higher Education sector. Information relating to other sectors can be found in the relevant sector’s Pathway 1 Guide.
3.1. Project duration
Eligible project durations are:
- 12 months
- 18 months
- 24 months
When considering the length of mobilities, please ensure you investigate the visa requirements of the country(ies) to which you plan to travel and allow sufficient time for the visa application process (where relevant).
Taith is unable to provide advice on visas or provide support for organisations or individuals with visa applications.
3.2. Eligible organisations
Organisations can only submit one application per sector per Pathway funding call. Applicants should ensure that multiple applications to the same Pathway funding call are not submitted by different parties in the same organisation. Where organisations work across more than one sector, they can submit one application per sector, provided they meet the eligibility criteria for those sectors.
Eligible organisations should apply directly to Taith for funding on behalf of their participants. Individual participants are not eligible to apply directly to Taith.
3.2.1 Eligible applying organisations:
- Any Welsh higher education institution (HEI), regulated or funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW);
- A higher education provider, whose courses have been specifically designated for the purposes of being eligible for student support, and operates in Wales.
3.2.2 Eligible receiving organisations:
Eligible applying organisations in Wales can send eligible participants to the following receiving organisations outside of the UK and the British Overseas Territories:
- HE provider recognised or regulated by the relevant national competent authorities or regulatory body/bodies of the country within which the HE provider is operating and incorporated and/or domiciled (including overseas campuses operated by a Welsh HEI);
- Any public or private organisation active in the labour market or in the fields of education, training and youth.
Orphanages are not eligible receiving organisations.
3.2.3 Eligible sending organisations (inward mobilities):
Higher Education providers registered with the relevant regulatory body/bodies and operating outside the UK and the British Overseas Territories, can send eligible participants to be hosted in Wales.
Eligible participants are expected to be hosted at the Welsh applying organisation. The applying organisation may arrange for the participant to be hosted by a third party, in exceptional circumstances.
Further information on eligible receiving and sending organisations can be found in the eligibility section of the Taith Programme Guide (link).
3.3. Eligible mobilities, participants and costs
Taith’s purpose is to create life-changing opportunities for learners and young people across Wales, in particular those from underrepresented groups. At least 25% of learners or young people taking part in the planned project must be from underrepresented groups and applicants will be expected to demonstrate that this target will be met within their application.
If learners or young people aren’t participating in the project, applicants will need to explain why this is not feasible and how the proposed project will create immediate and lasting benefits for learners or young people, in particular those from underrepresented groups.
Grant rates and eligible cost can be found in section 4.
Applying organisations must have tuition fee waivers in place for outward and inward credit-bearing mobilities, where participants would otherwise be liable to pay tuition fees. This is not a requirement for non-credit bearing activities or credit-bearing summer schools.
Participants can be in receipt of multiple sources of funds to support their mobility, however, if any of those are deemed as public funds and the intent is to use them to cover the same mobility costs that would also be covered by Taith (such as travel, subsistence and eligible additional costs), this would be defined as double funding and must be avoided, where possible.
Student finance
Travel
Where a participant is eligible for a travel grant from the Student Loans Company (SLC), Taith funding for travel should always be utilised first. Participants can apply to the SLC for eligible additional costs that have not been covered by Taith funding, such as travel between their accommodation and placement/institution whilst aboard, or additional return journeys.
Additional funding for participants with disabilities and/or additional learning needs
Where a participant is eligible for Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) through the Student Loans Company additional funding required to support their participation in Taith should first be sought through this route. To allow sufficient time for any DSA claims to be processed, beneficiary organisations must ensure that they inform participants as soon as possible that their mobility is taking place and should provide sufficient support/signposting to the relevant institutional team to enable them to progress the claim. Information on student finance products available to students from England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland can be accessed on each student finance body’s website.
Where DSA does not cover the required additional funding to support a participant to access a Taith opportunity, the beneficiary organisation can apply to Taith for additional funding to cover these costs. Further information on additional funding for participants with disabilities and/or additional learning needs can be found in Annex 1.
Eligible participants:
For all mobilities:
- All students registered in a HEI and enrolled in an undergraduate or postgraduate taught programme leading to a recognised degree.
- All students enrolled on Foundation Degree, Higher National Diploma (HND) or Certificate of Higher Education course.
For work placement mobilities:
- Students as per the above definition.
Students who have not completed their first year at undergraduate level are only able to participate under the Group Mobility, or Virtual Mobility categories.
It is possible for an individual to undergo multiple mobilities (e.g. a 6-month individual mobility in Spain, followed directly by a 6-month mobility in France), for year-long placements. Participants are however limited to a maximum of 12 months’ participation for each distinct study programme leading to a recognised qualification/degree.
In the case of long term mobilities, the mobility period is calculated from the first day that the learning exchange activity takes place and the end date is the last date of the learning exchange activity. If the mobility period includes long breaks like summer or winter holidays when there is no provision for students at the host institution, those days will be considered as non-funded days. This does not apply to weekends or public holidays that interrupt the mobility period.
3.3.1 Learner Mobilities
Group Mobilities
Minimum 2 weeks – maximum 1 month.A group mobility is an opportunity for groups of students to experience an international learning exchange, accompanied by staff who can support them and guide the learning experience. Lecturers or other qualified staff from the HEI must accompany the students for the entire duration of the activity. If needed, other adults may also act as accompanying persons to support the accompanying lecturers. Activities must have clearly defined learning outcomes and should be centered around the experiences, knowledge and skills of the academic curriculum. Learning can be formal or informal but must involve exchange and collaboration with peers from an international partner HEI or organisation, enabling students to develop skills, competencies, intercultural awareness and understanding.
Mobilities which do not involve exchange with peers from another country/other countries are not eligible for funding.
Eligible costs
Detailed information on eligible costs and grant rates can be found in section 4.
- A subsistence grant
- A travel grant
- 100% of actual costs for additional travel related costs for participants from disadvantaged backgrounds.
- 100% of actual identified inclusion costs for Disabled people and people with additional learning needs.
- The applying organisation(s) will receive an organisational support grant for each outward (and inward) participant.
For students from disadvantaged backgrounds:
- An additional 50% top-up to the subsistence grant.
- An additional 50% top-up to the travel grant for destinations beyond 4,000km.
Eligible participants
- All students registered in a HEI and enrolled in an undergraduate or postgraduate taught programme leading to a recognised degree.
- All students enrolled on Foundation Degree, Higher National Diploma (HND) or Certificate of Higher Education course.
- Accompanying persons: Learners must be accompanied by staff employed by the HEI– teaching or non-teaching. If needed, other adults approved by the HEI may also act as accompanying persons to support the accompanying staff.
3.3.2 Staff Mobilities
All staff mobilities should create immediate and lasting benefits for learners, particularly those from underrepresented groups. Applicants are expected to provide details on how this will be achieved under ‘Objective 1- Ensure Exchanges Provide the Greatest Impact’ of the Pathway 1 assessment criteria.
Job shadowing and Placements
A minimum of 3 days – a maximum of 2 months.A teaching mobility must comprise of a minimum of 8 hours of teaching per week (5 working days). If the mobility is more than one week, or in the case of an incomplete week, the minimum number of teaching hours should be proportional to the mobility length (not including travel days except in cases travel takes place in the evening of the final teaching day). A 3-day teaching mobility (not including travel) will carry an obligation to teach for a total of 4 hours. A 4-day teaching mobility (not including travel) will carry an obligation to teach for a total of 6 hours.
Teaching placements for academic staff in any study field to teach and collaborate at a partner institution abroad. Academic teaching placements may also involve the providing of training for the development of the partner institution in a particular field.
Job shadowing will involve mobility opportunities for academic or professional services staff to undergo a job shadowing mobility, facilitating best practice, knowledge exchange, career development and continued professional development.
Teaching placements and job shadowing may be combined during a single period abroad.
Eligible costs
Detailed information on eligible costs and grant rates can be found in section 4.
- A subsistence grant
- A travel grant
- 100% of actual costs for additional travel related costs for participants from disadvantaged backgrounds.
- 100% of actual identified inclusion costs for Disabled people and people with additional learning needs.
- The applying organisation(s) will receive an organisational support grant for each outward (and inward) participant.
Eligible participants
For academic teaching placements:
- All staff with an active teaching or teaching & research contract (fixed term or open-ended) with the applying organisation.
For all other staff activities:
- All staff with an active contract of employment (fixed term or open-ended) with the applying organisation.
Eligible staff activities (staff mobilities outlined below) are not permitted to/from overseas campuses operated by a Welsh HEI.
3.4. Inward Mobility
Applicants may request an additional 30% of the amount requested for outward mobility activities to bring people into Wales. Information on eligible sending organisations can be found in section 3.2.3 .
Eligible participants
Learners
All students registered in a HEI and enrolled in an undergraduate or postgraduate taught programme leading to a recognised degree.
Staff
For teaching placements: All staff with an active teaching contract with the eligible sending organisation
For all other activities: All staff with an active contract of employment with the eligible sending organisation.
Eligible activities
All activities defined as eligible activities for outward mobility are also eligible for the purposes of inward mobility. All restrictions and requirements are the same for inward mobilities as are in place for outward mobilities.
Eligible costs and payments
Inward mobility participants are eligible to receive grant funding for travel and subsistence for their mobility to Wales. The applying organisation in Wales, as the Taith Grant Recipient, will receive an organisational support grant for every inward participant to Wales. Funding for inward mobility activities will be paid to the Welsh applying organisation to appropriately distribute to the partner (sending) organisation.
The applying organisation in Wales, as the Taith Grant Recipient and host of the inward participants, will be expected to clearly communicate the terms of any contributions to be made and to specify the amount of financial support allocated to the inward participant(s).
Inward mobility participants will receive Group 1 subsistence rates, and a travel grant at the same level as the rates defined for the equivalent outward mobility. Payments to an inward participant may not exceed the equivalent grant rate of an outward participant from Wales to a Group 1 country for the same duration and type of mobility activity.