Can colleges use capital funding to pay for Node XR?
This question comes up because so much existing headset kit was bought with capital money that cannot be spent the same way again.
What the main funds did
The Local Skills Improvement Fund ran from 2023 to 2025 and totalled £165 million, £80 million in 2023-24 and £85 million of capital in 2024-25, supporting facilities and equipment against local skills priorities. It has closed.
In Wales, Medr's digital capital funding for further education institutions is £3 million a year and covers device replacement, teaching equipment and piloting new technologies, while excluding staff costs and ongoing licence subscriptions.
What this means in practice
Hardware and capture equipment often fit a capital bid. A platform subscription usually sits in revenue budgets instead. Fund terms change, so read the current guidance rather than a previous round.
Low-cost ways to start
The free tier needs no credit card, the 14-day trial gives full Pilot or Department features, and a Single Month Pass is £199 as a one-time payment for a single intake.