What Institute of Welsh Affairs does

The Institute of Welsh Affairs (IWA) is an independent Welsh think tank founded in 1989, registered as a charity (numbers 1078435 and 205846) and company (02151006), and headquartered at Room 6.01, sbarc|spark, Maindy Road, Cardiff (CF24 4HQ). It is the self-described leading independent think tank in Wales, organised around three priority themes — democracy, public services, and economy — with a stated mission of improving political education, accountability, and transparency in Wales. The organisation operates bilingually (English/Welsh) and is also known by its Welsh name, Sefydliad Materion Cymreig.

The IWA's product portfolio comprises (i) the welsh agenda, a twice-yearly current affairs magazine delivered in digital and print formats with funding acknowledged from the Books Council of Wales; (ii) multi-tiered memberships — Individual, Young Person (under 30), Fellow, and Organisational — with Organisational pricing ranging from £300 to £1,200 per year depending on entity size; (iii) policy research and reports covering Welsh democracy, economy, and public services; (iv) professional training courses on how decisions are made in Wales and how to influence them; and (v) high-profile in-person and virtual events marketed as must-attend gatherings for policymakers, academics, and civic society. Podcasts and videos extend the content reach, and event ticketing is managed via Eventbrite. All outputs are released under Creative Commons as an open-access policy.

Operationally, the IWA runs on standard third-party SaaS infrastructure: Salesforce for CRM, MailChimp for email marketing and engagement tracking, Eventbrite for event ticketing, and Asperato, GoCardless, and SagePay for payment processing. The revenue model blends recurring membership subscriptions, one-off donations (Gift Aid-eligible from UK taxpayers, adding 25p per £1), grants from charitable trusts (the organisation explicitly refuses governmental or party-political funding), event sponsorships (promoted to a 3,000+ contact database), paid event tickets and training fees, and Welsh Agenda sales to non-members. The organisation distributes primarily within Wales with UK and overseas membership options. GDPR compliance is documented and a privacy notice is published.

Name

Institute of Welsh Affairs

Legal name

Institute of Welsh Affairs

Website

https://iwa.wales

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Institute of Welsh Affairs is an independent, Wales-based think tank founded in 1989 that produces policy research on democracy and the economy, publishes the welsh agenda magazine, hosts events, and runs professional training supported by a multi-tier membership programme.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Policy Research and Think Tank Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Political Organizations (81394)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Think Tanks, Policy Research & Public Policy Institutes (BPAGAFAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

News, Politics & Current Affairs Magazines (MPAJAEAO), Education Policy Research Institutes & Think Tanks (EDADADAA)

Keywords

• Independent think tank
• Policy research
• Civic engagement
• Welsh governance
• Public affairs

Headquarters

HQ city

Cardiff

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Annual membership fees from individual members, young persons, fellows, and organisational members (charities, SMEs, large organisations) ranging from £300 to £1,200 per year.
2. Donations: One-off or regular donations from the public; the organisation can claim Gift Aid on donations from UK taxpayers.
3. Grant Funding: Funding from grant makers; the organisation does not accept governmental or party-political funding.
4. Event Sponsorships: Sponsorship of IWA events providing branding, promotion to 3,000+ database, and advertorial opportunities in the Welsh Agenda.
5. Event Tickets and Training: Revenue from paid conferences and professional training courses on Welsh political processes.
6. Publication Sales: Sales of the Welsh Agenda magazine to non-members in digital or print format.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Institute of Welsh Affairs is an independent think tank that produces original policy research and reports on Welsh democracy, public services and the economy; publishes "the welsh agenda" current affairs magazine twice yearly; delivers in-house professional training on Welsh political decision-making; and hosts high-profile events and conferences. The organisation sustains this work through a tiered membership programme (individual, young person, fellow, and organisational), charitable donations, grants from non-governmental funders, event sponsorships, and publication sales.

Product overview

The Institute of Welsh Affairs operates as an independent think tank offering a portfolio of products and services focused on Welsh policy research and democratic engagement. The core offering includes 'the welsh agenda' magazine (published twice yearly), professional training courses on Welsh governance, and policy research publications. The organization supports its work through a multi-tiered membership program (Individual, Young Person, Fellow, and Organisational memberships) and hosts regular events including conferences and the annual AGM. All memberships include access to the magazine, with organizational tiers offering additional benefits such as conference stands and advertising. The organization does not accept governmental or party-political funding, relying on memberships, donations, and grants.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• the welsh agenda: A twice-yearly current affairs magazine published by the Institute of Welsh Affairs, recognized as one of Wales' leading current affairs publications.

Products and services

• the welsh agenda magazine A twice-yearly current affairs magazine recognised as one of Wales' leading publications. It is available as a free subscription for IWA members and can be purchased in digital or hard copy by non-members, covering politics, people and places, culture, and voices across Welsh civic life.
• Professional Training Courses In-house training courses helping participants understand how decisions are made in Wales and how to influence those decisions for real impact. Includes discounted access for IWA members.
• Individual Membership Core membership for individuals supporting IWA's policy development work. Includes subscription to the welsh agenda magazine and access to events and reports.
• Young Person Membership Reduced-rate membership for people under 30, offering networking opportunities and involvement in IWA's work on Welsh policy.
• Fellow Membership Prestigious membership category recognising individuals making significant contributions to civil society in Wales in their field of expertise.
• Organisational Membership Membership for organisations of all sizes across Wales with tiers for charities (from £300/year), standard businesses with fewer than 250 employees (from £600/year) and large organisations with more than 250 employees (from £1,200/year). Includes access to events, reports, magazine advertising and conference stands.
• Events High-profile events bringing together diverse audiences with varied perspectives, including both in-person and virtual formats. Major annual events include conferences and the AGM.
• Policy Research and Reports Original research, policy analysis, and reports on Welsh democracy, economy, and public services. Available to members and the public, with select reports free to download.

Named customers6 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• NESTA: UK innovation foundation with policy research, events, and grant-making. Comparable in its use of open-access publishing, events, and training to drive policy influence, though operating at much larger scale and broader remit than IWA.
• New Economics Foundation: Independent UK think tank combining policy research, journalism, and convening. Comparable as a charity-funded research and influencing organisation with membership-style supporter base and emphasis on economy and democracy themes.
• Resolution Foundation: UK think tank focused on living standards, economy, and inequality. Comparable as an independent, grant-funded research and convening organisation producing flagship reports, events, and training — a useful scale benchmark for IWA's potential.
• IPPR (Institute for Public Policy Research): UK's leading progressive think tank. Comparable in mission (independent policy research, convening, events, training) and business model (membership, grants, events), though at far broader UK scope versus IWA's Wales focus.

Direct peers

• Smith Institute: UK think tank with a comparable size, governance and funding model (charity, foundation grants, policy research, events). Operates a similar programming mix — events, publications, training — making it a natural like-for-like scale benchmark.
• Bevan Foundation: Wales' most prominent independent think tank focused on social justice and economic inequality. Directly comparable: Welsh-only focus, independent registered charity, membership/community model, and prioritisation of policy research and public debate.
• Wales Centre for Public Policy: Wales-based independent public policy research centre. Directly comparable to IWA as another Welsh-focused, non-governmental policy research outfit serving Welsh Government, academics, and civic society with similar convening and research functions.

Regional players

• Carnegie UK: UK-and-Ireland charitable foundation with strong Wales operations and policy research output. Comparable as an independent, grant-funded policy and research organisation with overlapping funder base (foundations, trusts) and similar themes (wellbeing economy, democracy).

Emerging players

• Centre for Cities: UK policy research organisation focused on city/regional economic policy. Comparable in its research-plus-events model and similar-size staffing, with overlap on the economy theme that IWA explicitly prioritises for Wales.
• Welsh Governance Centre / Cardiff University: Academic policy unit within Cardiff University, already a partner of IWA. Comparable as a Wales-based producer of Welsh political and policy research and convening events, representing both a peer and an institutional partner/competitor for grants and policy attention.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/iwa_wales
• Facebookfacebook.com/instituteofwelshaffairs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/instituteofwelshaffairs

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Institute of Welsh Affairs