Guidance

Further education area reviews: funding to restructure colleges

Guidance and forms for further education colleges to apply for financial support from the government's restructuring facility.

From:
Education and Skills Funding Agency
Published
26 May 2016
Last updated
16 May 2019 — See all updates

This publication was withdrawn on

This page has been withdrawn as the programme has ended.

Applies to England

Documents

Restructuring facility: guidance for applicants

PDF, 659 KB, 35 pages

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Details

The guidance and application forms are for further education colleges that:

  • need to make major changes following an area review recommendation
  • cannot fund it themselves

It’s not for sixth-form colleges - restructuring is part of the process of becoming an academy.

Applications for the restructuring facility have now closed.

Restructuring facility: progress to date

As at end April 2019

We have received 76 applications for the restructuring facility. Of these, 62 cases have been assessed and approved.

The 76 applications comprised 30 applications from 31 sixth form colleges expressing plans to convert to academy status, the majority of which have not had any funding committed to support this conversion; and 46 applications to support restructuring within the college sector.

Of the 62 applications assessed and approved, 36 include a commitment of funding to support restructuring. Of the remaining 26, 17 include a commitment of VAT funding only to meet VAT liabilities arising from the change of ownership of buildings and 9 relate to sixth form colleges conversions to academy status that did not apply for restructuring facility financial support and required a viability and sustainability assessment and approval to convert.

Total spend so far is £405 million. More than £5 million has been repaid to date. £40 million has been made available in 2019 to 2020 to support cases where it was essential that funding was provided to this timeline.

We have now published case summaries of providers that formally agreed restructuring facility terms by 30 November 2018. For more information, see annex C in the guidance above.

Updates to this page

Published 26 May 2016
Last updated 16 May 2019 + show all updates

  1. We have updated the restructuring facility guidance for applicants with an update on the progress to date.

  2. We have updated the restructuring facility: guidance for applicants and have provided an update on the applications process.

  3. We've updated the restructuring facility: progress to date information.

  4. Updated restructuring facility: guidance for applicants.

  5. Updated restructuring facility: guidance for applicants.

  6. Annex C - case summaries of providers that agreed restructuring facility funding prior to 31 December 2017 added.

  7. Updated the guidance for applicants with the inclusion of principles (pages 6-7) which will be used by officials and a reminder that the deadline for final applications is 28 September 2018.

  8. Added information about the restructuring facility: progress to date.

  9. Updated restructuring facility guidance for applicants.

  10. Updated document 'Restructuring facility: guidance for applicants'.

  11. Updated document 'Restructuring facility: guidance for applicants'.

  12. Updated restructuring facility guidance and funding application forms.

  13. First published.

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