Correspondence

ESFA Update further education: 26 June 2024

Published 26 June 2024

Applies to England

Information: National professional qualifications targeted support fund 2023 to 2024 allocations

The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) has published the national professional qualification (NPQ) targeted support funding 2023 to 2024 grant allocations for participants who started in the 2023 to 2024 academic year.

Allocations will be paid to academies and maintained schools in June 2024. A further payment will be made to independent special schools from July 2024.   

A sweep up payment will be made in autumn 2024, ensuring all eligible schools and organisations not captured in the summer payment window will be paid in-year.

If you think you meet the eligibility criteria but have not yet received a payment as indicated on the published grant allocations, contact your training provider. They will be able to provide confirmation that training engagement was submitted to the department.

If you do not have a training provider or have any queries, email continuing-professional-development@digital.education.gov.uk.

Eligibility is assessed using information provided during registration, including pupil data. For state-funded primary schools with 1 to 150 pupils and state-funded primary schools with more than 150 pupils, funding amounts may vary dependant on the point of registration.

You can read further information about NPQ courses on GOV.UK.

Information: Apprenticeship funding rules 2023 to 2024 version 4

On Monday 17 June 2024, the Department for Education (DfE) published updated apprenticeship funding rules for 2023 to 2024. These updated rules relate to changes to co-investment arrangements announced in March.

For new starters from Monday 1 April 2024 with non-levy paying employers, the government will fund the apprenticeship training costs (up to the funding band maximum) for apprentices aged 22 to 24 years old who have either an education, health and care (EHC) plan or have been in the care of their local authority.

The apprenticeships technical funding guide is currently being updated. It will include information on:

  • how this will be applied
  • the actions that providers will need to take

Reminder: Deadline to submit the post-16 subcontracting standard report

Providers who subcontract £100,000 or more of their post-16 delivery, across all ESFA funding streams, are required to submit a subcontracting standard. This report must be submitted to the ESFA by Wednesday 31 July 2024.

If you completed the standard for academic year 2022 to 2023, you should have received a letter with your outcome. Those who met the standard will not need to resubmit until July 2026.

Providers that are in scope, who did not complete the standard last year, will need to submit reports by Wednesday 31 July 2024 using ESFA Document Exchange. If you have any questions, contact your DfE case manager.

Read the ESFA subcontracting standard guidance for more information.