The Flexible Skills Programme (FSP) is a Welsh Government funded initiative that helps businesses across Wales build a stronger, more skilled workforce. Employers can apply for funding to cover up to 50% of the accredited training costs, with a maximum value of £50,000 per application. Whether you’re looking to fill skills gaps, retain staff, or attract new talent, the Flexible Skills Programme can help you invest in your team’s future. This funding is available to employers operating in any industry across Wales. To be eligible, your business must be based in Wales, be financially solvent and commit to releasing staff to complete the training by the end of March 2026.
Priority sectors it covers include net zero, tourism and hospitality, digital and exporting skills.
The Welsh Government is building a stronger, fairer, greener country, with an economy based on fair work, sustainability and the sectors of the future.
We help businesses, the third sector, public sector bodies and research organisations to innovate and create new products and services. This can help increase commercialisation, improve skills and ensure Wales remains competitive and strives towards carbon-free in the future.
SMART Flexible Innovation Support (FIS) is open to any organisation wishing to engage in Research, Development and Innovation (RD&I), including the third sector, local authorities and health boards.
The Cookalong Clwb is a transformative project aimed at addressing food insecurity and promoting kitchen confidence in children. Initially focused on providing healthy, affordable meal options for families, the project now spans beyond food poverty to teach essential life skills that empower young people to cook independently and sustainably.
In partnership with Size of Wales, the initiative also tackles climate change by working with students to design deforestation-free, locally sourced menus for Monmouthshire schools. Through a combination of online and in-person lessons, the project is helping children develop lifelong skills around food, cooking, and sustainability.
Project goals
The Cookalong Clwb aims to:
Teach children essential cooking and budgeting skills.
Increase knowledge of healthy, locally sourced foods.
Empower children to make informed food choices and reduce food waste.
Raise awareness of climate change and the importance of sustainable sourcing.
“If children leave primary school knowing how to cook, budget, and make healthier food choices, they are set up for life. They’ll know how to feed their families, and they’ll have the confidence to make better decisions about food, whether it’s cooking or shopping.” – Angharad Underwood, the Cookalong Clwb
The project also works with disabled teams, teaching them how to shop and cook independently, promoting autonomy and self-reliance.
Impact and outcomes
The Cookalong Clwb has already made significant strides in fostering positive, long-lasting changes in children’s lives. Through both online and in-person sessions, the program has cultivated:
Kitchen Confidence: Children have learned to chop, cook, and manage the kitchen with sharp knives and hot pans, giving them practical skills that will last a lifetime.
Waste Reduction: Kids are now mindful of food waste, with tips like reviving lettuce stalks or broccoli stems by placing them in water for ten minutes.
Family Engagement: Children share their newfound skills with family members, subtly shifting family dynamics and sparking discussions about healthier cooking and reducing food waste.
Sustainability Advocacy: The collaboration with Size of Wales has inspired children to advocate for sustainable, deforestation-free school meals, with the Monmouthshire County Council committing to becoming the world’s first deforestation-free county.
Additionally, the project has inspired some children to pursue vocational qualifications, opening doors to careers they hadn’t previously considered.
Realisations and insights
While initially focused on food poverty, the project uncovered that socioeconomic status doesn’t necessarily correlate with cooking skills. As one participant reflects:
“The wealthier you are, the more likely you are to buy ready-made meals. The less wealthy, rely on food banks and ultra-processed foods. What we realised is that kids of all backgrounds are lacking kitchen skills.”– Angharad Underwood, the Cookalong Clwb
Another key realisation is the widespread fear around cooking and food preparation, often due to a lack of exposure or confidence. The project is working to break these barriers, especially when it comes to managing the kitchen environment and understanding food’s real value.
Challenges faced
The main challenge has been securing consistent funding to ensure long-term sustainability. Without reliable resources, expanding the project into more schools and reaching a larger audience remains a significant hurdle. As emphasised: “You can’t charge for this. Schools don’t have budgets, and we need the funding to continue delivering these lessons.”
Future plans and vision
Looking ahead, the project plans to:
Expand: Reach more schools across Monmouthshire and Wales, providing cooking lessons to a broader audience.
Teacher Training: Equip teachers with the tools and confidence to deliver cooking lessons within the curriculum.
Community Kitchens: Explore the creation of community kitchens where families can gather, cook together, and share meals.
Sustainability Focus: Continue advocating for deforestation-free, sustainable school menus and sourcing locally and ethically grown produce.
“We are excited to be growing veg for schools because it’s important that children have nutritious food and know where it comes from. Healthy food, healthy children, healthy Wales.” — Geraint Evans, Welsh Grower
Introduction
The Welsh Veg in Schools initiative is a pioneering project that aims to increase the production and consumption of organic Welsh-grown vegetables by supplying them directly to primary schools. By aligning local food production with public sector procurement, the initiative offers a powerful example of how sustainable food systems can support health, education, and the environment, while strengthening local economies.
Launched with support from the Backing Local Firms Fund, the project brings together farmers, distributors, policymakers, and educators to deliver fresh, organic produce to school meals across Wales creating meaningful connections between children and the food they eat.
Background and vision
At the start of this project, an overwhelming 94% of vegetables used in primary schools in Wales were sourced from outside the country, often frozen and non-organic. The Welsh Veg in Schools project set out to change that by:
Increasing local organic vegetable production.
Creating new markets for Welsh growers.
Promoting sustainable agriculture and biodiversity.
Supporting children’s health and food education.
The project is coordinated by Food Sense Wales, in collaboration with Castell Howell (Wales’ largest food distributor) and Farming Connect Horticulture, run by Lantra. These partners are part of a wider network of growers and stakeholders working to create a fairer, more resilient food system in Wales.
Growth and progress
What began three years ago with just one grower has now grown into a vibrant, multi-stakeholder project. By 2024:
8 growers were actively supplying schools.
14 tonnes of organic Welsh veg were used in school meals.
The project reached 219 schools across 6 local authority areas – Cardiff, Carmarthenshire, Monmouthshire, Powys, Bridgend and the Vale of Glamorgan.
400 children visited four farms enabling them to connect directly with the land and the farmers growing their food.
By 2025, the initiative has scaled to:
15 local growers participating.
12 local authorities engaged.
3 wholesale partners distributing produce across school catering networks.
This expansion means that approximately 1 million portions of local, organic veg will be served to school children in Wales.
Challenges and lessons learned
2023 presented significant challenges:
Delays with funding disrupted planning cycles, misaligning crop production with school meal requirements.
Adverse weather led to reduced yields, impacting supply.
However, these challenges led to valuable learning:
Earlier coordination with local authorities began in late 2023, allowing better crop planning.
More growers were brought on board to build resilience and reduce risk.
Castell Howell’s existing supply chains absorbed surplus produce, avoiding waste.
The Backing Local Firms Fund played a critical role in allowing experimentation, system development, and the formation of new networks. It also opened doors to collaborate with other food projects across Wales.
Impact and looking ahead
The project has proven that a local, organic supply chain for school food is not only possible but desirable. Interest has grown across Wales and beyond, with stakeholders from across the UK contacting the team to learn how to replicate the model in their own regions.
Key highlights to date include:
A shift from imported to local organic veg in school meals.
Creation of alternative income streams for Welsh growers.
Hands-on learning experiences for children, connecting food, farming, and health.
The establishment of a new North Wales growers’ group, expanding the reach of the project across the country.
In April 2025, Food Sense Wales published a series of reports noting the project’s achievements. You can read the various reports by clicking on the relevant links below:
Looking to the future, Food Sense Wales is actively exploring new funding opportunities to grow the project further. The ambition is clear: to bring more Welsh-grown organic produce into more Welsh schools, involving more local authorities, more growers, and more children in the journey toward a sustainable, healthy food system.
Conclusion
The Welsh Veg in Schools project exemplifies how public procurement can drive meaningful change, from farm to fork. It strengthens local economies, supports sustainable farming, and helps young people understand and appreciate where their food comes from. Thanks to the support of the Backing Local Firms Fund, the foundation is set for long-term, scalable success across Wales and beyond.
“Food Hour has been such a success at the school. We’re usually dragging parents in from the playground to join our courses… this was fully booked within an hour of being advertised, and they all turned up! The children and teachers loved getting involved.” — Claire Crockford, Deputy Head, Trelai Primary School
Introduction
The Food Hour project, funded through the Welsh Government’s Backing Local Firms Fund, is a hands-on educational initiative designed to build lifelong food skills and increase food confidence among children and families. Designed in alignment with the new Welsh curriculum, the project integrates cooking, growing, nutrition, and sustainability into everyday learning, nurturing a new generation of informed, confident food citizens.
Building on the success of the nationally recognised Food & Fun programme, Food Hour is the latest innovation delivered in collaboration with Food Sense Wales, Public Health Nutrition and Dietetic Services at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board and the education catering team at Cardiff Council, made possible by the Welsh Government’s Foundational Economy team.
Background: Building on proven success
The Food & Fun pilot began in 2015 as a response to concerns around food insecurity and holiday hunger. Designed to provide nutritious meals, physical activity, and food education during school holidays, the pilot was a major success and has since been adopted as a national programme across Wales.
Inspired by that model, Food Hour was developed to embed food education into the school day, equipping children with the knowledge, skills, and enthusiasm to engage with food in healthy, sustainable ways. Additionally, the Food Hour initiative sought to encourage more students to take advantage of the Wales Free School Meal program.
The food hour approach
The Food Hour is a daily, curriculum-aligned programme delivered in primary schools, centred around four core themes:
Nutrition Education
Practical Cooking
Growing Food
Sustainability
Through these themes, pupils explore where their food comes from, how to prepare it, and how to make informed choices, both for their health and the planet. The sessions focus on real-life, practical learning, including:
Cooking and budgeting skills
Seasonal and local food awareness
Growing fruit and vegetables
Sustainable food systems
To support whole-community engagement, the project also includes:
Staff training for school and catering teams
Family engagement sessions such as “cook and create” events
Take-home recipe kits and training opportunities for parents to build a home-school food connection
Early outcomes and impact
The pilot phase has reached 210 Year 5 pupils across six primary schools, with overwhelmingly positive feedback from teachers, pupils, and families and a self-reported increase in the uptake of free school meals due to taking part in the Food Hour.
Feedback Highlights:
97.5% of pupils enjoyed the Food Hour sessions
90% learned something new
100% participated in healthy eating activities
94% enjoyed the recipes they cooked
95% reported learning about sustainability
“Brilliant parent bonding experience! Even my child with food aversions enjoyed making the food—even if he didn’t eat it.” — Parent from a Cook & Create session
“I was nervous about how my Year 5s would behave, but they all loved it and were really engaged. I thoroughly enjoyed myself too!” — Year 5 Teacher, Hywel Dda Primary School
Evaluation
Challenges and learnings
Like many school-based pilot projects, timing proved a key challenge. The project began gaining momentum just as the summer term ended, requiring the team to consult, develop, and deliver simultaneously.
Despite this, the pilot demonstrated the concept’s potential and produced a robust set of resources that are ready to be rolled out or picked up at a later date if immediate funding isn’t secured.
The Backing Local Firms Fund was pivotal in making this pilot possible, providing the funding and capacity required to bring the concept to life in real-world settings.
Looking Ahead: From Pilot to Programme
Following the path of Food & Fun, partners hope to see Food Hour evolve from pilot to national programme, with a broader rollout across primary schools in Wales.
Discussions are already underway about:
Adapting content for younger and older primary age groups
Scaling delivery across more schools and regions
Evaluating impact on Free School Meal uptake and long-term behaviour change
While continued funding will be essential for this next stage, the tools, partnerships, and enthusiasm are already in place to take Food Hour forward.
Conclusion
The Food Hour project is more than just a series of school activities, it’s a foundation for long-term change. By equipping children with the skills to cook, grow, and think critically about food, it lays the groundwork for a healthier, more food-literate generation.
Backed by the Backing Local Firms Fund, this project shows how education, health, and the foundational economy can come together to create a stronger, more resilient Wales—one Food Hour at a time.
On April 28th, 2025, Cynnal Cymru hosted the Foundational Economy Celebration event in partnership with the Welsh Government’s Foundational Economy team. The event showcased over 15 projects operating within the foundational sectors, many in the food sector focused on increasing Welsh food in the public sector. Projects showcased such as Welsh Veg in Schools with Food Sense Wales and Castell Howell, Cardiff Food Hour, Larder Cymru with Menter Môn, Cook Along Clwb, Well-being of Future Generations menu pilot with Carmarthenshire County Council, Welsh food index with BIC Innovation, and Future Farms with Social Farms and Gardens.
The projects emphasise the importance of providing healthy, fresh, seasonal, local, and affordable meals. They also work to develop the Welsh supply chain to ensure the commercial viability of Welsh-grown vegetables and meat products, thereby supporting local farmers, reducing carbon emissions, and promoting sustainability. The promotion of local and seasonal foods plays a vital role in advancing sustainable practices across the sector.
The Welsh Government is committed to supporting businesses in parts of our local, everyday economy, also known as the Foundational Economy. Its aims are to build a resilient society and improve goods and services, together with the economic and social relationships that underpin them, which are essential to living a good life.
Please join us at this event to celebrate the Foundational Economy and launch a new Foundational Economy Mission Statement.
We will be showcasing results from Welsh Government funded projects that have applied innovative approaches across a range of Foundational Economy sectors such as food, transport, housing and construction.
Foundational Economy projects showcased by organisations such as:
Castell Howell – Authentic Cuisine and Celtica Foods
Food Sense Wales – Welsh Veg in Schools
Development Trust Association Wales (DTA) – The Assured Growing Toolbox#
Menter Môn – Larder Cymru and Tech Tyfu
Social Farms and Gardens – Future Farms
Cookalong Clwb
Menter a Busnes
BIC Innovation – Increasing Welsh Food
Cardiff Council – Cardiff Food Hour
Carmarthenshire Council – Wellbeing of Future Generations menu development and School Meals Pilot
Monmouthshire Council – Meals on Wheels service
Can Cook – Well Fed Social Enterprise
Cardiff Met – Foundational Economy Innovation Network, CEIC Programme
PLANED
Simply Do – WISH project
Wood Knowledge Wales
Cyfle – Building Skills
NetRet Group
The Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy, and Planning will also attending to meet project leads and give a keynote speech, launching the new Foundational Economy Mission Statement.
There is no charge to attend this event, please note there will be video recording and photography on the day and lunch will be provided.
This event will be hosted by the Welsh Government in partnership with Cynnal Cymru.
Agenda to follow shortly.
Date: Monday 28th April 2025 Time: 10:30 am – 14:30 pm Location: Norwegian Church Arts Centre, Harbour Drive, Cardiff Bay, CF10 4PA.
Today is International School Meals Day, celebrated this year on the 13th March. This day emphasises the importance of ensuring that every child has access to healthy, sustainable, and delicious school meals. As a sustainability charity and the facilitator of the Foundational Economy Capabilities Network, funded by Welsh Government, we care deeply about access to sustainable and healthy food for everyone across Wales. Food and education are foundational sectors of our economy, and we work with many organisations working to improve the availability of sustainable, healthy and nutritious food in schools.
International School Meals Day promotes healthy eating habits, highlights the connection between nutrition and education, and encourages an understanding of the significance of providing quality, nutritious meals in schools.
Nutritious school meals are essential in promoting child health, wellbeing and learning. Healthy food nourishes students to support social and academic development and promote healthy eating habits. The link between healthy eating, education and better learning cannot be understated.
On International School Meals Day, schools, educators, parents, and policymakers come together to emphasise the importance of providing healthy and balanced meals for students. The focus is on sharing best practices in nutrition education and ensuring every child has access to nutritious meals that support their potential.
Take a look at some programmes in Wales supporting nutritious food in schools.
Universal Primary Free School Meal Programme
Over the past two years, Wales has been implementing the free primary school meals programme. In Wales, all primary school children can access the Universal Primary Free School Meal Programme, ensuring that no child goes hungry at school. This initiative tackles child poverty and promotes healthy eating within schools. It also increases the variety of food options available, improves social skills during mealtimes, and enhances both behaviour and academic achievement.
Evidence indicates that school meals have numerous benefits: children are more likely to attend and remain in school, learning outcomes improve, socioeconomic disparities diminish, food insecurity is reduced, and low-income families experience less financial pressure.
In Wales, leading projects such as Welsh Veg in Schools are aiming to get more organically produced Welsh veg into primary school meals across Wales. Coordinated by Food Sense Wales, the pilot project works with partners including Castell Howell and Farming Connect Horticulture to help get more locally produced organic vegetables into school lunches.
Can cook aims to eliminate Ultra Processed Foods, tackling child poverty and obesity rates. Their “Well Fed” programme includes initiatives like Cook-at-Home meal boxes, mobile shops, and Meals on Wheels. Check out our full story on Can Cook.
How do school meals relate to the wider world?
School meals in Wales and across the world are crucial interventions resulting in lasting positive impacts across multiple sectors the sustainable development goals. Read more on the School meals Coalition.
Our global food production and consumption systems are unsustainable and are currently the largest contributors to the climate crisis, the nature emergency, deforestation, the global water crisis, and biodiversity loss.
The broader benefits of school meal programmes have the potential to positively impact multiple sectors, including health, education, climate, and economic outcomes. These programs can serve as a catalyst for improving children’s health by engaging them in food systems and nutrition education. Additionally, school meal initiatives provide opportunities for UK-based industries to grow, invest, and develop more sustainable food systems.
Investing in school meals could align with the green growth agenda by emphasising the delivery of healthy and sustainable meals. This focus can inspire innovation and encourage investment by businesses throughout the entire value chain, from agriculture and food production to distribution. Such initiatives can create jobs and enhance productivity, leading to direct growth that is both inclusive and sustainable.
By prioritising sustainable suppliers along the whole value chain, there is opportunity for public procurement to make progress towards climate and environmental sustainability goals such as, eliminating plastic waste, reducing food waste and supporting sustainable land use practices. An extended school meal programme has the potential to improve health education, life outcomes and to catalyse innovation, and investment across multiple sectors, transforming food systems benefiting not only job growth but also aligning with our climate and biodiversity goals.
Cynnal Cymru facilitates the Foundational Economy Capabilities Network, funded by Welsh Government. The foundational economy covers the sectors that are crucial to our daily lives, including food and education. Read more about the foundational economy and the work of the capabilities network here.
Supporting the Foundational Economy: Connecting Local Suppliers to Social Housing Providers
Challenge-led innovation has the potential to fundamentally transform social housing within Wales, not just for residents, but for local supply chains who will benefit from increased contracting. Combining this with the broader social impact created by better homes, and more ‘Made in Wales’ suppliers will also benefit the communities around us, creating a prosperous future for Wales
Lee Sharma, Chief Executive Officer, SimplyDo
A consistent challenge for the Foundational Economy in Wales has been a lack of connections between ‘anchor’ institutions and local suppliers.
A challenge-led partnership – funded by Welsh Government – between innovation management company SimplyDo and five social housing providers set out to change this. The goal was to increase access to Made in Wales supply chains, particularly from smaller and harder-to-reach organisations that could also contribute to sustainability objectives.
The Welsh Innovation in Social Housing (WISH) project led to the identification of over 700 local suppliers to meet specific needs in the social housing sector whilst also enabling the modernisation of processes and wider contributions to Net Zero goals.
Here’s how it was done.
Who are SimplyDo, and why are they working with Welsh Government?
SimplyDo’s mission is to bring innovative people together to solve transformational challenges. The Wales-based team offer a proven combination of a state-of-the-art digital product with people-powered innovation that streamlines services and business operations and, crucially, helps organisations solve complex challenges by connecting the right people with the right ideas. As a result, they enhance impact and efficiency.
The Welsh Government has recognised the value of both innovation and collaboration in its work to strengthen the Foundational Economy. This is the part of the economy that supports everyday life, such as housing, care, and food. Policy objectives include supporting more and better jobs with fair working practices, increasing living standards, and growing Wales-based businesses by supporting the public sector and other organisations to increase the use of ‘Made in Wales’ products.
Having run a successful pilot working with a housing association around the Optimised Retrofit Programme, SimplyDo received further Welsh Government support to scale up activity to support five social housing providers.
Project Partners
Caredig Housing – Caredig Housing provides over 2,900 high-quality, affordable homes and provide a range of services to people and communities across Swansea, Carmarthenshire, Neath and Port Talbot, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire.
Caerphilly County Borough Council – The council delivers a wide range of services to almost 180,000 people living in the Caerphilly County Borough including education, environmental services, highways, leisure facilities, planning and social services.
ClwydAlyn– ClwydAlyn was formed in 1978, and is a Registered Social Landlord managing over 6,200 homes in North and Mid-Wales.
Rhondda Housing Association (RHA)– RHA (Wales) is a Housing Association (now called Beacon Cymru) based in Rhondda Cynon Taff. It owns and manages more than 2,100 homes and properties and provide a range of services for over 3,000 people.
Trivallis– Trivallis provides homes to 25,000 people in Rhondda Cynon Taff and Cardiff Bay. Its primary role is delivering homes which are safe, secure and affordable to people who are in greatest need.
Getting Started
The WISH programme started in 2023, working with five social housing providers to solve specific challenges linked with the Foundational Economy. Although these varied amongst the different partners, most related to difficulties in finding and vetting suitable local suppliers due to lack of data, particularly if there were extra characteristics needed, such as specific accreditations or being based in a specific locality. The problems were compounded by lack of time for horizon scanning and exploration of potential solutions.
This experience echoed one of the key findings of Cynnal Cymru’s Foundational Economy Community of Practice – that ‘anchor’ organisations in Wales, such as local authorities and housing associations, struggle to find local suppliers to carry out work for them, and local suppliers can find procurement processes inaccessible and complicated.
The WISH project’s approach to bridging this gap focused on removing barriers on both sides of the procurement relationship.
The first step was to use data analytics to complete a horizon scan for the social housing sector in Wales. This was to help generate both incremental and radical ideas to solve some of the issues appearing over the next 5, 10 and 20 years.
Five challenges were then identified with the project partners. Four of these were procurement-led, focusing on connecting better with existing suppliers and products:
Caredig Housing required a new automated invoice system to replace inefficient manual processes, but had limited time to horizon scan for a localised solution amongst a global marketplace.
Caerphilly County Borough Council required Welsh suppliers with capabilities in housing retrofit coordination, assessment, design, and evaluation, to support carbon reduction.
ClwydAlyn also required retrofit installers within Wales, especially when trying to find suppliers within north Wales.
RHA Wales required local suppliers and fitters of carpet and sheet vinyl flooring. This was both aimed at increasing their spend with local suppliers, and improving their purchasing impact through their ability to use recyclable and recycled materials.
The challenge from the fifth partner, Trivallis, had a different focus, requiring a supplier that could provide or help design a product to schedule, and prioritise the most critical, of the 56,000 tenant maintenance requests generated per year. Requirements included connecting and combining diverse data sets to identify trends and predictive cycles.
Once the challenges were identified, SimplyDo used their ‘Made in Wales’ AI-powered product to produce a long-list of potential suppliers, and in-house research to rate and shortlist these potential suppliers.
The Results
The project had originally set a goal of engaging 400 suppliers across all the challenges with 5 being shortlisted per challenge.
The actual outcome went far beyond this, with 747 suppliers identified for the four procurement challenges:
Caredig’s challenge of a new automated invoice system to replace inefficient manual processes resulted in 264 potential businesses being identified, 99 rated as suitable, with 11 applications submitting applications and 5 ultimately shortlisted.
For Caerphilly County Borough Council’s project, a total of 156 organisations were found, with 66 of these being within specified postcodes. These suppliers are being invited to join Proactis in order to be part of future procurement activity.
ClwydAlyn’s challenge resulted in a total of 195 organisations being identified, with 64 of these based in north Wales, the area the association most wished to target. These suppliers have been invited to join a new hyper-local procurement micro-framework as part of work with the newly formed Onnen organisations.
RHA’s challenge resulted in a total of 132 organisations being found, with 88 within the CF/NP postcodes. These suppliers are being engaged in future procurement activity in line with the RHA’s maintenance strategy.
Trivallis’ challenge-led innovation resulted in the creation of a draft Expression of Interest form for SBRI Centre of Excellence funding.
Capturing the collaborative power of innovation across so many social housing providers was wonderful, and means that we were able to create the broadest possible impact and share learning across those organisations.
John Barker, Associate Director of Innovation, SimplyDo
Contribution to the Foundational Economy Objectives
Through the WISH project, hundreds of local suppliers were identified to meet the needs of the housing associations, building relationships with local and hyper-local businesses that will contribute both towards the Welsh Government’s ambition to increase spend on ‘Made in Wales’ products and services and sustainability objectives,
As one WISH partner identified: “This has provided us with an enhanced pool of suppliers to engage in readiness for procurement activities.”
These local suppliers have now been linked with some of their key local anchor institutions – not just for the lifetime of this project, but as potential partners for longer-term procurements.
The suppliers were also sourced with specific attention to their ability to contribute to Net Zero aims. Two social housing providers were equipped to better deliver retro-fitting services whist RHA created an opportunity for suppliers to explore the greater use of recycled and recyclable materials.
The ClwydAlyn challenge also identified 26 Welsh organisations whose staff could be upskilled to acquire the PAS and MCS accreditations relating to renewable energy systems and installations, supporting a future-ready and highly skilled workforce in Wales.
The Welsh Government has Foundational Economy objectives of helping to achieve Net Zero, promoting environmentally friendly production and consumption, and increasing the use of ‘Made in Wales’ products to build a strong and productive supply chain. The WISH programme has clearly made outstanding contributions to these objectives.
Spreading and Scaling
SimplyDo has identified potential areas to spread and scale the findings from this project.
The learning from this project has led SimplyDo to identify further potential uses of this proven process. This includes potentially focusing on Foundational Economy areas with similar supply chain opportunities. For example, decarbonisation innovation in areas such as public transport and healthcare.
Environmental Management Systems – A guide for Welsh SMEs
Consuming electricity and water, producing waste, operating machinery and processing natural resources – these are just some of the ways that businesses interact with the environment at operational level and through their supply chains.
Businesses of all sizes are realising the need to understand, manage and improve their environmental impacts to ensure they can operate and grow sustainably. AnEnvironmental Management System (EMS) proportionate to the size and activities of the organisation is a key framework for helping businesses to do this.
However, it can be more challenging for SMEs to measure, manage and report on climate and environmental goals, due to constraints of time, cost and human resources. So, what are the options? Do you need to comply with the internationally recognised ISO 14001 or are there alternatives?
We hope that this guide will help with understanding (i) the key elements of an EMS, (ii) the benefits and opportunities they bring for SMEs and (iii) provide an overview of the different certification standards for EMS implementation and support for SMEs in Wales.
Remember, there are many benefits to gaining an EMS certification but it is the journey towards it that counts in terms of practical actions and outputs. All certifications will require resource. If this is not possible for your organisation right now we hope that this guide will still be valuable to steering you towards meaningful actions.
1. What is an EMS?
An EMS is a structured framework of policies, procedures and practices which help organisations assess, manage and improve their environmental impact.
The primary goals of an EMS are to ensure:
Compliance with environmental requirements (for example, under an environmental permit issued by Natural Resources Wales)
The efficient use of resources
Waste reduction and minimal pollution
The continual improvement of environmental performance
A core strength of any EMS should be enabling continual improvement of environmental performance. Continual improvement as defined in ISO 14001, refers to recurring activities to enhance environmental performance. For example, organisations can identify improvement opportunities through audits and monitoring progress against objectives and targets.
For an SME, this could be implementing behaviour change initiatives to support carbon reduction and nature related goals, such as eliminating deforestation.However, from a wider perspective, continuous improvement might look like an increasing number of business areas or processes being covered by the EMS, or an accumulation of knowledge and skills in dealing with environmental issues. Overall, it’s about a move from operational management of the environment to a more strategic approach.
2. The benefits of implementing an EMS for SMEs in Wales
Manage and improve environmental impacts: by integrating environmental considerations into their operations, SMEs can minimise their ecological footprint and reduce negative impacts on the environment.
Risk Management: The tools within an EMS provide a systematic approach to identifying and managing environmental risks and help SMEs to future proof their business and avoid potential liabilities and disruptions.
Cost savings: Implementing efficient resource management practices can lead to cost savings for SMEs. By optimising energy and water usage, reducing waste generation, and implementing recycling initiatives, SMEs may see reductions in utilities bills and other financial benefits from more efficient and innovative processes.
Compliance with regulations: An EMS helps SMEs comply with environmental regulations and legal requirements. By staying up to date with environmental legislation, SMEs can avoid penalties and legal issues.
Enhanced reputation and competitive advantage: Demonstrating a commitment to environmental sustainability is important for many potential employees and customers. Increasingly, it is also a requirement for public sector buyers to take into account the sustainability of their contractors. For example, in Wales, the Social Partnerships and Public Procurement (Wales) Act introduced a Socially Responsible Procurement Duty and at UK level, PPN 06/21 mandates that carbon reduction plans be taken into account in major government procurement contracts.
Improved access to finance: An EMS can help SMEs to identify andmanage steps they can take to fulfil requirements under Business Wales’ Green Growth Pledge. It can also act as the catalyst for innovation financing, for example, the Green Business Loan Scheme from Development Bank of Wales.
3. EMS Standards and Certifications
When starting out to create an EMS, there are a number of standards available for SMEs in Wales. The main ones covered in this guide are:
ISO 14001:2015(Environmental Management Systems – Requirements and Guidance for Use)
The most widely used voluntary EMS standard globally, providing a holistic framework ‘encompassing all aspects of an organisation’s environmental management and offering tools for continuous improvement’. Certification is available for organisations that have implemented the requirements of ISO 14001.
ISO 14005:2019(Environmental Management Systems – Guidance for a flexible approach to phased implementation)
This standard provides guidance for a phased approach to establish, implement, maintain and improve an EMS. It may be particularly useful for SMEs as it provides flexibility and allows organisations to develop their EMS at their own pace. Full implementation of the guidance will result in an EMS that aligns with ISO14001.
Note that BSI’s earlier guidance standard for SMEs, BS8555, which also provided a phased approach to EMS implementation has now been withdrawn and replaced by ISO 14005.
Green Dragon is a UK based environmental accreditation awarded to ‘businesses that take action to understand, monitor and control their impacts on the environment’. It operates on a staged based system over five levels, allowing a business to progress in its own time. At Level 5 the Green Dragon standard is equivalent to ISO 14001. One of the advantages of Green Dragon is its recognition and support from Business Wales and its acknowledgement in Welsh Government procurement processes.
Green Key is an eco-accreditation awarded to businesses operating in the tourism sector. Green Key certified businesses meet a set of high standard environmental requirements across 13 areas including environmental management, staff involvement, energy and water conservation, waste management, and food and beverage. In Wales, Green Key is operated by Keep Wales Tidy on behalf of the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE).
EMAS is the EU’s voluntary scheme applicable to all organisations in the public and private sectors who want to evaluate, manage and improve their environmental performance. EMAS is broader and more rigorous than ISO14001 (as explained below) but ISO 14001 satisfies the requirements for the EMS component. Following Brexit, the UK no longer has a ‘competent body’ responsible for EMAS, however, organisations doing business in the EU might find EMAS Global registration useful and we have included information about the main requirements and links to further information in this document for completeness.
It is worth noting that businesses do not need to adhere to a certain standard for their EMS and might decide to design a bespoke system. However, using one of the available standards might well be less resource intensive and can help to ensure a robust EMS that provides reassurance to stakeholders.
The following sections of this guide provide a bit more detail about the above standards to help you identify which might be the right approach for your business.
Please note this is a guide based on a summary of available online information. Please check the web links given for the most accurate and up to date details.
4. International EMS standards
ISO14001:2015 (Environmental Management Systems – Requirements and Guidance for Use)
ISO 14001:2015 is an internationally recognised, holistic framework for an EMS, encompassing all aspects of an organisation’s environmental impact and offering tools for continuous improvement.
What is involved?
The basis of ISO 14001 (as with other EMS standards) is the management system process Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA). The PDCA cycle is applied to the overall EMS, as well as individual processes, and enables organisations to achieve continual improvements to their environmental performance through improvements to the EMS.
The Guidance describes the requirements for setting up and implementing an EMS including:
An environmental policy: A statement that outlines an organisation’s commitment to environmental sustainability.
Planning: This involves identifying environmental aspects and objectives of an organisation, setting targets and establishing programmes to achieve them.
Implementation: This stage involves putting plans into action, allocating resources and assigning responsibilities.
Checking: Regular monitoring of performance against objectives and targets is critical to ensure the timely implementation of corrective actions.
Management review: A formal review of the EMS supports its continued effectiveness and suitability.
EMS Plan-Do-Check-Act Model (Source: Westcon,2017, online)
Costs, Certification and Training
The standard can be purchased from the ISO website for approximately £130 and businesses can choose to implement the standard without the costs of certification. There are also various free and IEMA accredited training modules to assist with implementation.
As mentioned above, certification is optional but can provide both organisations and their customers assurance that ISO 14001 has been implemented in a robust manner.
Costs of certification from organisations accredited by The UK Accreditation Service (UKAS) vary but online quotes without commitment can be readily obtained.
Certification is typically awarded for three years, subject to annual surveillance visits. The standard itself undergoes revisions periodically (typically every 5-10 years).
ISO 14005:2019 (Environmental Management Systems – Guidance for a flexible approach to phased implementation)
Whilst ISO 14001 is applicable to all types and sizes of organisation, the full implementation of an EMS at the same time might be prove challenging for some organisations and particularly SMEs where time, cost and human resources can be limited.
At international level, a phased approach to implementing an EMS was therefore developed (previously the BSI standard BS8555:2016 which has been subsumed by ISO 14005)to encourage and guide SMEs to meet the requirements of ISO 14001.
What is involved?
The phased approach in ISO 14005 is designed to provide flexibility for an organisation to develop their EMS over a number of phases to ultimately meet the requirements of ISO 14001.
The number of phases an organisation chooses to implement at any one time is flexible and can be determined depending on resources and priorities. Each phase is broken down into six consecutive stages to be completed over time. SMEs can monitor progress using the maturity matrix in Annex A of ISO 14005 and the free supporting documents provided by ISO 14005.
The Assessment Sheet (on the supporting documents page) provided by ISO is a helpful tool that enables organizations to monitor and record progress through five levels of maturity corresponding to each EMS subclause. An EMS that satisfies the maturity Level 1 (Column 1) through to full maturity at Level 5 (Column 5) meets all the requirements for a particular clause of ISO 14001:2015.
Costs, Certification and Training
The Guidance can be downloaded from the ISO website for approximately £130. As the aim of ISO 14005 is to assist SMEs with reaching 14001, there is no separate certification for this standard. However, it is a good reference to turn to for ideas and practical examples on how to make your implementation of ISO 14001 more effective.
5. Alternative EMS standards recognised in Wales
For SMEs based in Wales, there are alternatives to the above standards that are administered by national organisations and recognised by the public sector in the procurement process.
5.1 Groundwork Green Dragon Environmental Accreditation
The Green Dragon Environmental Accreditation is a comprehensive standard administered by Groundwork, a UKAS accredited inspection organisation. It is awarded to businesses that take action to understand, monitor and control their impacts on the environment.
What is involved?
Similar to ISO 14005, the standard operates on a staged based system (Levels 1-5), allowing organisations to join at any stage and progress their EMS in their own time.
Organisations can choose which level is appropriate to the nature and scale of their activities and upon completion of each level they will receive a certificate. At level 5, the Green Dragon standard is equivalent to ISO 14001.
Groundwork provides several useful documents on its website to accompany the standard, including an Environmental Review Workbook. There is also a list of organisations across Wales who have achieved Green Dragon accreditation.
Certification and costs
To achieve and maintain the Green Dragon Environmental Standard, an annual audit with Groundwork is required. The cost of the audit varies depending on the level, with Level 3 being the most common entry point for organisations and costing.
5.2 Green Key – A sustainability standard for the tourism sector
Green Key is an international environmental certification programme for the tourism and hospitality industry. It has been awarded to more than 3,200 businesses from across the sector in 65 countries and is open to businesses from across the sector.
Green Key promotes sustainable practices and recognises businesses that meet specific criteria related to environmental management and sustainability. Criteria are set out over 13 thematic areasincluding energy and water conservation, waste management, sustainable procurement, and environmental education.
The FEE has developed criteria and explanatory notes for businesses in six different categories (hotels and resorts, small accommodation, campsites, restaurants, attractions and conference centres).
In each category, there are ‘imperative’ and ‘guideline’ criteria. For example, creation of a sustainability policy and interaction with stakeholders are imperative criteria, whilst a target to reduce carbon footprint is a guideline criteria. Each organisation applying for a Green Key certificate must achieve all imperative criteria and then for each subsequent year that they apply they must meet an additional 5% of the guideline criteria.
In addition to the general benefits of EMS implementation, Keep Wales Tidy highlights that travellers and tourists are increasingly keen to support sustainable businesses and that investment in a Green Key certification is a key market differentiator. Keep Wales Tidy has collated case studies of organisations across Wales who have invested in Green Key.
Certification and costs
The application process for certification consists of three parts:
Sending the application documents
Receiving on-site audits
Decision by an independent entity (third-party verification)
More information about the application process in Wales can be found on the Keep Wales Tidy website.
Keep Wales Tidy aims to keep certification costs affordable and to ensure Green Key is accessible to all tourism providers. Investment levels therefore vary depending on the size of the business:
The Seren Scheme is based on BS8555 and follows the same phased approach. Organizations can choose to use the Seren Scheme to achieve other EMS standards such as ISO 14001 or EMAS, or register at a phase that aligns with the nature and scale of their business and remain at that phase.
The Seren Scheme is applicable to both large and small organizations and places a strong focus on continuous improvement.
BS8555 is divided into 5 phases:
Stage 1: Leadership, context, and commitment
Stage 2: Ensure compliance
Stage 3: Plan and develop the EMS
Stage 4: Implement the EMS
Stage 5: Check and update the EMS
As long as organizations pass an annual inspection, they can stay at that particular phase indefinitely and use their EMS to demonstrate their commitment to environmental management to stakeholders and customers.
The Seren Scheme is administered by a private company called Tarian Inspection Services, which conducts inspections in a friendly, down-to-earth, and highly practical manner. They ensure that companies have a robust Environmental Management System that enhances their credibility, good management, and cost savings.
EMAS is a voluntary environmental management scheme designed by the European Commission. Its overall aim is to enable continuous improvement in the environmental performance of companies, language similar to that in ISO 14001. However, ISO 14001 aims for continual improvement of the system itself hopefully leading to improved environmental performance of the organisation. EMAS requires improved environmental performance of the organisation to be assessed through indicators relating to six core areas – energy efficiency, material efficiency, emissions, water, waste and land use with regards to biodiversity.
EMAS is more rigorous than ISO 14001, however, ISO 14001 satisfies the EMS component of EMAS requirements.
Registration with the scheme requires the following steps:
Conduct a preliminary environmental review – this will be the baseline for improvement
Adopt an environmental policy and programme in which you involve employees and external stakeholders
Establish and implement an EMS
Prepare an environmental statement
The EMS and environmental statement to be verified and validated by an environmental verifier.
Recognising the challenges faced by SMEs, EMAS has amended rules for SMEs to encourage participation in the scheme. These include verification every four years (rather than three) and publication of the environmental statement every two years, rather than annually. There is also financial support available in some Member States and a number of tools and guidance to assist SMEs.
SMEs increasingly need to demonstrate an understanding of environmental impacts and a strategic approach to minimising climate and environmental impacts to satisfy potential customers and to future proof their business.
In light of the prevalent tick-box culture in environmental matters, many organisations are seeking broader and more engaging systems, examining the impacts on their staff, communities, and supply chains.
Regardless of the framework used for environmental, biodiversity, sustainability, or ESG reporting, businesses still need to adhere to similar concepts: focus on leadership and staff ownership, understand impacts, prioritise, plan, communicate, implement, and review.
If you need further support or advice with any of these activities please reach out to our sustainability advisors.
Serving both private and public sector hospitality and food service providers in Wales and beyond, the company recognises its responsibility to be agents for change, working towards the goals of the Economic Action Plan.
‘Optimising the Welsh food system necessitates a focus on onshoring production for enhanced social value and nutritional content. This entails aligning menus with seasonal harvests, improving yield and supply chain data, and extending produce shelf life. Collaborative efforts will foster a more resilient system that empowers our farmers, delivers nutritious meals to the public sector, and minimises risk. While cost and efficiency challenges exist, a pragmatic approach focused on long-term objectives can yield significant benefits. Transparent procurement practices that prioritise not just price point, but also social value, environmental impact, and community engagement are essential.’
Edward Morgan – Group Corporate Social Responsibility & Training Manager, Castell Howell Foods.
This case study highlights four independent yet interlinked projects that demonstrate how the supply chain can collaborate to instigate change that leaves a social, environmental and economic legacy within the foundational economy and beyond.
1. Locally grown veg to Cardiff food and fun – ‘The Courgette pilot’
In the summer of 2022 Castell Howell (CHF) collaborated with growers Blas Gwent, Food Sense Wales and Cardiff Council to deliver locally-grown vegetables to the Welsh Government funded and WLGA managed Summer Food and Fun programme.
Courgettes grown near Cardiff were delivered to 22 local schools, and CHF’s development chef worked with the Council’s nutritional team to create dishes that were nutritionally balanced, palatable, and attractive to the children. The summer programme included activities such as cooking demonstrations and vegetable art.
Food Sense Wales published a report highlighting the efficacy of the pilot and how the inclusion of locally-grown vegetables in school meals can reduce environmental impacts and benefit both the grower and the children.
Phase 2 extended beyond Cardiff Council to Monmouthshire and Carmarthenshire, and included three small-scale vegetable growers: Blas Gwent (Wentloog), Langtons Farm (Crickhowell), and Bonvilston Edge (Bonvilston). Their vegetables were used for the Summer Food & Fun project by all three local authorities, with a longer-term project in Monmouthshire extending to their autumn and winter menus. To ensure that food safety was maintained, Tyfu Cymru/Farming Connect delivered safety and process training.
Managing the supply chain
Yield forecasts, menus and harvesting all had to be aligned, and allow for flexibility for seasonal variations. Authentic Foods (Hirwaun) were contracted to grow vegetables to be harvested, prepared, and, after a programme of new product development work, included in kitchen-prepared, multi-portion meals to the public sector. Dialogues with local authority catering teams on nutritional compliance, acceptability, palatability, pricing and the practicality of using school kitchens were essential to the project’s success, and in May 2023 the partners met at Langtons Farm, where a commitment was made to plant 1,000 cauliflowers to harvest in early 2024, for use in school-compliant multi-portion meals from March 2024 onwards.
Lab results for the micronutrients for the meals developed at Authentic were of particular interest. Except for the standard Welsh Tom Pizza sauce, the results seem in line with expectations. Particularly good to see the addition of the Welsh grown spinach and chard boosting the iron and zinc values of the Cauli Cheese meal. It’s not clear what portion size a primary school child would eat, however it is hoped that the 20% added would exceed the 3g of these micronutrients that is a general baseline.
The Welsh Beef Bolognaise (with the added spinach/chard base) seems to perform well too.
Provided that the children are ok with 20% added Cauliflower Cheese meal (not too green looking etc), this could be great news for our cohort of growers, helping us to narrow down what can be grown well and profitably in Wales for a target customer i.e. schools.
Welsh Tom Pizza Topping
With 10% Spinach
With 20% Spinach
With 10% Chard
Knorr Tom Basil Sauce
Maggi (Nestle) Rich & Rustic
Tin Chopp/Plum Toms
Welsh Beef and Welsh Bolognese
Welsh Cauli Cheese
With 10% mixed leaves
With 20% mixed leaves
With 10% spinach
Energy
KJ/100g
168
155
161
150
213
257
80
354
359
337
329
337
Protein
g/100g
1.8
1.8
2.1
1.8
1.2
1.4
1.1
5.5
3.4
3.5
3.5
3.4
Fat
g/100g
0.3
0.2
0.3
0.3
1.1
2.8
0.1
4.6
5.3
4.9
4.5
4.8
Sugars
g/100g
5.2
4.5
4.4
4
6.9
5.7
3.8
2.7
2.7
2.4
2.3
2.3
Fibre
g/100g
2.6
2.5
2.4
2.7
0.7
1.1
0.8
2.8
1.6
2
2.33
1.7
Sodium
mg/100g
204
202
183
169
n/a
n/a
n/a
292
220
213
231
198
Zinc
mg/100g
<2.00
2.23
3.37
3.78
n/a
n/a
n/a
11.6
5.56
8.65
11.3
5.62
Iron
mg/100g
7.17
5.41
6.22
6.13
n/a
n/a
n/a
7.84
1.81
3.54
5.53
2.74
2. Gower grown veg, field to fork
In collaboration with Swansea Local Authority, Bishopston Secondary school and 4theRegion, Castell Howell developed a pilot local supply chain for vegetables grown in Gower to feature on the menu at Bishopston school. The school held a fortnight of food-based activities in lessons, a school visit to the growers, and helped with the development of meals that featured on a Gower Grown school menu.
This project helped raise awareness of nutrition, environmental impact, financial fairness across the supply chain and local food resilience.
3. Sustainable supply chains, and ‘Scope 3’ on menus
Food miles and Scope 3 supply chain emissions are inextricably linked. Working with hospitality providers to decide on menu options, and then with suppliers, can reduce the total environmental impact of the products.
An example of the circular economy in action was demonstrated by the collaboration between Celtic Pride, CHF’s premium Welsh beef supplier run by the Rees family from Bryn Farm, in Pendoylan, Vale of Glamorgan, and NFU Energy. Bryn Farm received biosolids from Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water, a by-product that is a rich source of nutrients and allowed the farm to reduce the need for synthetic fertilisers, which is one of the biggest challenges faced by the agricultural sector.
Communicating the positive benefits to stakeholders
CHF promotes the environmental and social benefits of a sustainable supply chain to stakeholders through positive messaging on menus, supported by further information accessed via QR codes.
A sustainably sourced menu for a farming conference
In collaboration with Cardiff Catering, CHF developed a sustainably sourced menu for the 2022 Nuffield Conference banquet. The key suppliers adopted a range of environmental objectives, including a Farm Carbon Audit with the beef farmer, net-zero potatoes, Gower-grown vegetables and cheese from regenerative farms. This film shows how the menu was created with sustainability at its heart and showcases the sustainability journey of the food producers, as well as highlighting how this was communicated to the diners.
4. Digestibility and nutrient density project
There is a growing acceptance of the health risks posed by ultra-processed foods. CHF partnered with Aberystwyth University on a Welsh Government funded project to develop prepared meals for NHS Wales that demonstrate that nutritional, environmental, social and commercial goals need not be mutually exclusive.
The outcomes were achieved with a range of multi-portion meals following a new and innovative product development pipeline, which included measuring the true nutritional quality of the new meals, via amino acid compositional analysis and in-vitro gastrointestinal protein digestibility scores. Protein derived from UK grown pulses was successfully substituted for red meat, ensuring that the meals still met the required nutritional standards.
The project found that a range of flexitarian or “hybrid” meals, based on well-established and recognised meals but substituting plant-based protein sources for meat wherever possible, were the most viable in meeting the requirements. Where meat was used this was predominantly pasture-grazed Welsh beef aligned with Hybu Cig Cymru’s ‘Welsh Way’ vision of lower carbon protein derived from Welsh livestock. However the increasing price of meat since the start of the project underlined the important commercial aspects of “hybrid” foods that contain an element of Welsh meat alongside UK grown pulses.
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‘I cannot overstate the importance of these projects, in terms of developing the supply chain, generating product development and providing more Welsh products to Welsh schools.’
Edward Morgan – Group Corporate Social Responsibility & Training Manager, Castell Howell Foods
We at Cynnal Cymru are excited to keep you informed about the progress of this work.
