Guidance

Reconciliation thresholds for under and over-delivery for Education and Skills Funding Agency adult education budget (AEB) academic year 2022 to 2023

Updated 22 October 2024

Applies to England

1. Scope

The reconciliation thresholds apply to Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) adult education budget (AEB) adult skills, including non-formula funded community learning and 19 to 24 traineeships level 3 free courses for jobs (FCFJ) offer and advanced learner loans bursary (ALLB) providers.

In areas where the AEB has been devolved, Mayoral Combined Authorities or the Greater London Authority are responsible for considering any provider flexibilities in their areas.

2. Over-delivery

We have increased the over-delivery threshold for ESFA grant and contract funded AEB skills for the academic year 2022 to 2023 from 103% to 110%.

This brings the over-delivery threshold for the academic year 2022 to 2023 in line with the thresholds for 19 to 24 traineeships and the level 3 FCFJ offer.

In addition to the threshold increase, in academic years 2022 to 2023 and 2023 to 2024 we will apply a 2.2% increase to the final earnings for all AEB formula-funded provision (excluding associated learner and learning support). In addition, we will apply a 20% boost on top of earnings for all AEB formula-funded provision in 6 sector subject areas: Engineering, Manufacturing Technologies, Transport Operations and Maintenance, Building and Construction, ICT for Practitioners, and Mathematics and Statistics.

These funding boosts will apply to both grant and contract funded providers. We will apply it automatically to your total earnings at the end of each of the 2 academic years. You will not see the increases in your earnings each month through the current system.

3. Under-delivery

Under-delivery thresholds for the academic year 2022 to 2023 for ESFA AEB grant-funded providers remain as published.

Funding Under-delivery threshold
AEB (adult skills and 19 to 24 traineeships and FCFJ) 97%*
ALLB 100%

*If you deliver less than 97% of your allocation at the end of the year (excluding community learning over delivery), you will need to repay all under delivery.

4. Contact us

If you have any questions, please contact your territorial team or use our customer help centre.