Guidance

Higher technical education skills injection fund 2022 to 2023: information for successful applicants

Updated 6 November 2024

Applies to England

The higher technical education (HTE) skills injection fund closed for applications on Wednesday 5 October 2022.

This guidance is for successful applicants for the higher technical education (HTE) skills injection fund 2022 to 2023 (‘the fund’). Building on the previous HTE provider growth fund 2021 to 2022, we widened the criteria to enable more providers to apply, including those new to market.

The fund is to support providers to deliver (teach) level 4 and 5 technical qualifications that are recognised by the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) or the Office for Students (OfS) and help grow high-quality provision in higher technical qualifications (HTQs). Alongside the approved level 4 and 5 qualifications, the fund will help deliver the newly approved occupational routes and years of delivery.

Aim of the HTE skills injection fund 2022 to 2023

We launched the HTE skills injection (SIF 1) fund with a total budget of up to £32 million, comprising up to £22 million in capital for specialist equipment and perpetual software licence costs, and up to £10 million in resource.

The aim of the fund is to support providers to create additional capacity to grow and deliver high-quality level 4 and 5 provision and HTQs. As we build the foundations for the LLE, we want to ensure that the quality of HTE provision is sustainable, and that courses and providers support learners to build up qualifications more easily at levels 4, 5 and 6 throughout their lives.

The role of providers and funding uplifts

We have applied additional uplifts in funding to applications from IoTs or providers that are located in local skills areas (LSAs). LSAs are the areas that the government is using to focus skills-based interventions in levelling up areas. As referenced in the published analysis, they are identified according to skills levels at a local authority level.

Who the fund is for

The HTE skills injection fund is for successful applicants from:

• institutes of technology (IoTs)
• further education colleges
• higher education providers
• independent training providers
• consortia

HTE skills injection fund providers

To be eligible, at the point of application, providers met one of the following conditions:

• an Ofsted rating of ‘requires improvement’ or better
• registered with the Office for Students (OfS)

Only the lead partner in a consortium was required to meet these eligibility criteria. 

Providers within IoT applications were not required to meet these eligibility criteria.

Previous growth fund applicants

If you have already successfully received funding through the growth fund 2021 to 2022, you could apply again for funding to deliver a different HTQ within the same or a different occupational route. For example, if you received funding to deliver a network engineer qualification you could not apply for funding to deliver another level 4 and 5 network engineering qualification but could apply to deliver a new software developer or cyber-security HTQ.

September 2023 and January 2024 delivery only

Providers were eligible for funding to deliver level 4 and 5 technical qualifications in these occupational routes:

• digital
• health and science
• construction and the built environment

Providers can view the list of approved qualifications on the IfATE website.

September 2024 and January 2025 delivery only

Providers were eligible for funding to deliver level 4 and 5 higher technical qualifications in these occupational routes:

• business and administration
• education and early years
• engineering and manufacturing
• legal, finance and accounting

The SIF 1 spending window ended on 30th March 2024.

Monitoring and evaluation

For SIF 1 Year 1 where the delivery ended in March 2024, providers have returned a final certificate of expenditure (Annex Gi) and their final learner enrolment data. This will be used to calculate the recovery of underspend and clawback in FY24/25. This will also help us to build an evidence base and enable us to share good practice.

For SIF 1 Yr2 which begins delivery in September 2024, we will be requesting monitoring data to assist with the evaluation of the fund in terms of spend and value generated.

Clawback update

In accordance with the terms of funding agreements, providers are subject to clawback of funds in the following situations:

• if funds have been misspent (namely not in accordance with grant agreements) or remain unspent at the end of the grant period

• where a provider decides not to deliver an approved Higher Technical Qualification
• if the provider fails to reach 80% of their predicted learner numbers. We would claw back the difference between their actual number and 80%. For example, if they had 70% of predicted learner numbers, we would claw back 10% of funds

These measures are in place to ensure that funds are used in compliance with the agreed-upon objectives, performance targets and reporting requirements. If providers offer more than one Higher Technical Qualification, the clawback clauses will be applicable to each course associated with the respective route(s) offered.

Since the funds have been allocated, we have been monitoring the spend throughout the grant period.

Those providers in recipient of Skills Injection Fund funding whose delivery has ended will be subject to clawback measures as per the current terms. The department will begin recovering performance related spent funds in the financial year 2024 to 2025 where learner numbers have not been met.

We encourage all providers to carefully review their contractual obligations and to maintain accurate and timely records. This will help to confirm the final position before we begin any recovery actions.

We will write directly to individual providers confirming their recovery position and timelines for those impacted in financial year 2024 to 2025.

Important dates

From September 2023 (SIF year 1 delivery) and from September 2024 (SIF year 2 delivery), providers of business and administration, education and early years, engineering and manufacturing, legal, finance & accounting must:

• confirm the number of learners enrolled to inform clawback
• complete and return evaluation reports detailing spend confirmation and impact of funding

Contact

If you have any questions or need more information, email Team.HigherTechnicalEducation@education.gov.uk.