Awarding organisations: submitting qualifications for approval
Single access point for awarding organisations to submit level 3 alternative academic qualifications or level 2 and 3 technical qualifications for approval.
Applies to England
Documents
Details
Guidance for awarding organisations seeking approval of L2 and L3 qualifications starting in the 2025 and 2026 academic years.
The ‘Overview’ explains the upcoming changes.
‘Submit a level 2 technical occupational qualification for approval’ provides guidance for the 2025 to 2026 academic year.
‘Submit a level 3 small alternative academic qualification (AAQ) or technical occupational qualification for approval’ provides guidance for the 2026 to 2027 academic year.
‘Diagram showing high-level outline of the approvals process for academic and technical qualifications’ provides a flow chart for the academic and technical qualifications funding approval process.
Read how we approve funding in ‘Qualifications funding approval manual: from August 2025’.
Updates to this page
Last updated 10 January 2024 + show all updates
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Updated the 'Submit a level 3 alternative academic qualification (AAQ) for approval' guidance, adding a link to the 'Post-16 Registration of Intent Form Level 3 Cycle 2' and updating dates.
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Updated the 'Submit a level 2 technical or level 2 non-technical occupational qualification for approval' guidance, adding the details for non-technical qualifications.
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Updated 'Submit a level 3 small alternative academic qualification (AAQ) or technical occupational qualification approval' for qualifications that will be taught in the 2026 to 2027 academic year.
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'Submit a level 3 small alternative academic qualification (AAQ) or technical occupational qualification for approval' has been updated to inform applicants that the submission window for proposals to deliver qualifications for cycle 1 has now closed.
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Updated the information about the submission windows for level 2 technical occupational qualifications and level 3 small alternative academic qualifications.
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'Submit a level 2 technical occupational qualification for approval': added a link to the form to submit a proposal if your additional specialism is not on IfATE’s pre-defined list.
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A link has been added in the 'Submit a level 2 technical occupational qualification for approval' guidance to information on the conditions and requirements for level 2 technical occupation qualifications.
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Added information about a webinar for awarding organisations on approving level 2 technical qualifications in ‘Submit a level 2 technical occupational qualification for approval’. The webinar is on 26 April at 1pm.
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First published.