ESFA Update further education: 27 March 2024
Published 27 March 2024
Applies to England
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Action: Post-16 subcontracting – approval to continue with existing arrangements or enter into new arrangements
The deadline for requests has been extended to Tuesday 30 April 2024.
Remember that lead providers who intend to:
- subcontract more than 25% in any given funding stream
- subcontract 16 to 19 distance learning
- subcontract their 16 to 19 whole programme for the 2024 to 2025 academic year must seek approval to do so, as per the guidance
Exemption request forms are available from the Enquiries service Enquiries.ESFA@education.gov.uk. Please specify which forms are required:
- distance subcontracting
- maintain current subcontracting over 25%
- whole programme subcontracting
In addition, lead providers must seek our written approval if they are subcontracting out provision for the first time for:
- the adult education budget
- 16 to 19 provision
You must write to us at least 12 weeks before any learner’s planned start date.
More information can be found on GOV.UK Post 16 - Request approval to subcontract.
We reserve the right to decline requests. If we do decline a request, we will explain why we are declining it.
Information: 2024 to 2025 student financial support scheme guides published
ESFA student financial support scheme guides set out the funding rules for the different schemes. We review and update them annually and we have recently published the guides for the 2024 to 2025 academic year for:
Please review the updated guides and remind yourself of the funding rules which apply to each scheme to ensure you understand them, and that your processes and documentation comply with them, including audit requirements.
We aim to publish the 16 to 19 Bursary Fund and Care to Learn guides later in spring.
Information: College Accounts Direction, Post-16 Audit Code of Practice, and Regularity Self-Assessment Questionnaire 2023 to 2024
ESFA has published the College Accounts Direction (CAD) for the year 2023 to 2024.
The intended audience for this document is FE colleges, sixth form colleges, and designated institutions established or designated under the provisions of the Further and Higher Education Act 1992.
ESFA will publish the Finance Record for the year 2023 to 2024 later this year, as appropriate.
ESFA has also published the Post-16 Audit Code of Practice and Regularity Self-Assessment Questionnaire for the financial year 2023 to 2024.
The intended audience for this document is a range of post-16 providers, and their respective auditors or reporting accountants, whether they are funded directly by ESFA or by one of the Mayoral Combined Authorities (MCAs) or the Greater London Authority (GLA).
Information: Two-year apprenticeship growth pilot launches from 1 April to stimulate training in 13 high-value standards
The new £50 million apprenticeship growth sector pilot will help alleviate investment barriers to stimulate delivery of high-quality training.
Eligible apprenticeship providers will receive £3,000 for every apprentice start on 13 apprenticeship standards once they deliver a minimum of 15 starts – meaning a payment of at least £45,000 for providers who meet this threshold.
The standards in scope have been selected based on stakeholder discussions, evidence of skills shortages and where there is currently a moderate level of take up, indicating a case to stimulate growth.
Growth pilot payments will help providers with capital investment costs which can prohibit delivery and growth of training. This includes the purchase of equipment, tools, and machinery – capital items not recognised in funding rates for individual apprenticeship standards – as they will support long term capability and needs.
The growth pilot funding rules will be made available for eligible providers. Contact apprenticeship.strategy@education.gov.uk with any questions.
Standards in scope:
- Electrical Power Networks Engineer
- Machining Technician
- Pipe Welder
- Plate Welder
- Process Leader
- Nuclear Technician
- Water Environment Worker
- Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Practitioner
- Construction Design and Build Technician
- Construction Support Technician
- Surveying Technician
- Science Manufacturing Technician
- Laboratory Technician
Information: Tailored Learning aims for 2024 to 2025 published
On Tuesday 12 March, ESFA published the new learning aims for non-regulated Tailored Learning for the academic year 2024 to 2025.
The new learning aims cover the existing Community Learning aims. We have added levels to some aims to support evidencing of progression, including sub-levels for some entry level essential skills aims. These aims also replace the existing non-regulated formula funded learning aims which will no longer be in use.
We have also introduced a set of aims for employer-facing provision that are based on Sector Subject Areas. The new aims can be found by using the new non-regulated Tailored Learning category code (75) on the Find a Learning Aim service.
Information: Funding guidance for young people 2024 to 2025
ESFA has published 2 documents from the Funding guidance for young people 2024 to 2025:
We will publish the individualised learner record (ILR) funding returns guidance later in spring.
Information: Apprenticeship funding rules 2023 to 2024 version 3
On Thursday 28 March 2024, we will publish Version 3 of the apprenticeship funding rules for 2023 to 2024. These updated rules reflect the recent apprenticeship announcements made by the Prime Minister:
- the removal of co-investment, for new starts from 1 April 2024, for non-levy paying employers taking on apprentices aged 16 to 21
- raising to 50%, from April, the proportion of their levy funds that employers can transfer to other businesses
In respect to the changes to co-investment, please note that the associated changes to our payment systems will take several weeks to introduce. This means that providers will continue to receive monthly payments representing 95% of the agreed price for training and assessment until June, when backdated payments for April and May for the 5% balance of funding will be made.
Your feedback: Apprenticeship funding rules 2024 to 2025
On Thursday 28 March 2024, we will publish a draft version of the apprenticeship funding rules for 2024 to 2025. These draft rules contain a range of proposed changes to simplify processes and reduce burdens for training providers and employers, including changes to onboarding an apprentice.
Stakeholders can provide feedback to fundingrules.comments@education.gov.uk until Friday 26 April 2024. Following a review of all feedback, we will issue an updated version 1 of the funding rules in May 2024.