Relief scheme for providers of apprenticeship training to public sector employers
Information for public sectors employers wanting to provide additional relief to their post-16 training providers during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
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This scheme has been introduced to enable public sector employers, who pay the apprenticeship levy to provide relief to their suppliers of apprenticeship training if they consider that they meet the requirements as laid out in the above guidance, in line with Cabinet Office Procurement Policy Note 02/20 – Supplier relief due to Covid-19 dated March 2020 (“PPN 02/20”) and Procurement Policy Note 04/20 - Recovery and Transition from COVID-19 dated June 2020 (“PPN04/20”).
Please note that only training providers designated by a public sector employer as a ‘critical supplier’ will be invited to apply to this scheme. Eligible providers will have to be able to demonstrate a financial need for exceptional support and will be subject to open book accounting scrutiny to determine proper use of funds. Training providers should contact their public sector employer(s) to discuss their eligibility, and not ESFA.
Public sector employers that would like to support their training provider(s) through the scheme should speak to their usual contact in the National Apprenticeship Service in the first instance. Public sector employers must notify the ESFA by 21 August 2020 if they want to request that relief is paid to their apprenticeship training provider(s).