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£425,000 has been awarded to 26 innovative projects that promote Welsh in the community and Welsh language technology, the Minister for the Welsh Language and Lifelong learning, Eluned Morgan has announced.

The Cymraeg 2050 Grant is a key element of the Welsh language strategy, Cymraeg 2050: A million Welsh speakers. It will provide small grants of up to £20,000 each to fund innovative, short-term projects which aim to increase people’s daily use of the language and to promote technology which supports the use of Welsh.

Projects include a website that enables Welsh speaking volunteers to create audio Welsh language content for those with sight loss and a scheme to develop technology to enable Welsh speakers at risk of losing their ability to speak to build personal synthetic voices so they can continue to communicate in their native language.

£300,000 was originally allocated to the scheme, however, due to the exceptional quality of the bids received the fund has been increased. 

The Minister said:

“We want the use of Welsh to be a routine part of everyday life so that speakers at all levels feel confident in using it in formal and informal situations. The projects announced today will make it easier for people to use the language, whether face to face in the community and in the workplace or through digital platforms.

It is very heartening that we have had to increase the fund to accommodate the excellent projects put forward to us. We’re under no illusion about the challenge of creating a million Welsh speakers by 2050 and I’m delighted there are so many organisations and people who are willing to join us in this task”

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