Guidance

Multiply in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

Updated 13 December 2024

Multiply is a new up to £559 million programme to help transform the lives of adults across the UK, by improving their functional numeracy skills through free personal tutoring, digital training, and flexible courses. Multiply provision should complement but not duplicate existing provision.

With the launch of Multiply, all local areas across the UK will be able to receive funding to deliver bespoke adult numeracy programmes over the next three years.

Through Multiply, we want to see these local areas invest in meaningful participation that boosts people’s ability to use maths in their daily life, at home and work – and enable adults to achieve formal qualifications that can open doors for them (such as career progression, or progression to further study). Adults who need to improve their numeracy (up to and including Level 2/SCQF Level 5) will be able to access free flexible courses that fit around their lives – whether that be in person or online, at work or in the evening, part time or intensive. The prospectus sets out how.

The Department for Education will also launch a programme to test innovative approaches to reducing adult learning barriers and improving adult numeracy to build an evidence base on what works.

Multiply success measures

The overall objective of Multiply is to increase the levels of functional numeracy in the adult population across the UK. We have identified the following success measures for the whole programme at a national level:

1. More adults achieving maths qualifications / participating in numeracy courses (up to, and including Level 2/ SCQF Level 5).

2. Improved labour market outcomes e.g. fewer numeracy skills gaps reported by employers, and an increase in the proportion of adults that progress into sustained employment and / or education.

3. Increased adult numeracy across the population – this overall impact, which goes beyond achieving certificates or qualifications, will track both the perceived and actual difference taking part in the programme makes in supporting learners to improve their understanding and use of maths in their daily lives, at home and at work – and to feel more confident when doing so.

In Scotland Wales and Northern Ireland, Multiply will be delivered as part of the single UKSPF investment plan developed by areas. This prospectus has set out the total allocation for each Region/Local Authority linked to Multiply and we will expect areas to set out how they intend to deliver Multiply interventions in line with that level of funding in their UKSPF investment plans.

They should take account of the aims, objectives and priorities of Multiply when developing local plans for people and skills interventions.

Multiply interventions

To support local places to identify the right provision, we have designed a menu of interventions that local areas can choose to select from, or design new options that lead to a mix of interventions that best suit their areas.

This menu is based on the growing evidence base on the barriers that hold people back from addressing their numeracy skills and what works in tackling poor adult numeracy, as well as engagement with local places, providers and other numeracy organisations. See the list of interventions.

General principles for use of Multiply funding

Target audience

Target learners are adults 19+ who have not previously attained a Level 2/ SCQF Level 5 or higher maths qualification. They can either be working towards a maths Level 2/ SCQF Level 5 or Functional Skills Qualification, need specific numeracy skills for their work or progression, or just want to brush up on the skills to help them get on in life and work.

Existing arrangements

Interventions should not displace, replace and / or duplicate any existing adult numeracy provision. Multiply boosts funding for adult numeracy, enabling local areas to deliver more innovative approaches and reach more people. We expect local areas to demonstrate how this is complementary and different to existing interventions, in their investment plans.

Funding allocations

See all funding allocations, including each place’s Multiply allocation.

Partnerships

Each area should submit their own UKSPF investment plan. We welcome joint interventions carried out between two or more places where there is added value in these. We also encourage local places to develop interventions in partnership with providers and employers, as well as other partners in their local area as we see this as important to maximising value for money and ensuring delivery of effective learner solutions.

Funding non-learning activities and capacity support

In recognition of the need to establish the programme on a successful footing, local areas will be permitted to use a proportion of funding for administrative expenditure, in order to build the necessary capacity for successful delivery. This is set out in the UKSPF prospectus for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The Department for Education will implement the local element of Multiply in England, a UK-wide digital numeracy platform, and randomised control trials and evaluation activity to test innovative approaches to reducing adult learning barriers, and build the evidence base on what works. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government will work with lead local authorities and the devolved administrations to deliver Multiply in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.