Scope of this qualification funding approval manual
Summary of what this manual includes and where to find additional information.
This section explains:
- who this manual is for
- what it includes
- when it will next be updated
- what the manual does not include
This manual is for awarding organisations who intend to submit the following qualifications for funding approval in England:
- level 3 technical qualifications, excluding technical qualifications in T Levels
- level 3 alternative academic qualifications
We are considering qualifications for funding approval in a phased way, these will be called windows. We will provide more information on the timing of these windows following the conclusion of the curriculum and assessment review.
This manual explains how we will approve qualifications for funding to be taught from 1 August 2026.
It sets out:
- DfE’s funding approval criteria
- DfE’s process to approve qualifications for funding including how and when we will review qualifications
- how and when the moratorium on approving newly regulated qualifications for funding will change
- what will happen to qualifications currently approved for funding
- a summary of how we will review funding approval outcomes
It should be read alongside:
- the guide to post-16 qualifications at level 3 and below in England, which provides an overview of the post-16 qualification review reforms and timelines
- the outcomes of the review of the post-16 qualifications reform
This manual does not include information about the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) general conditions of recognition or qualification level conditions for AAQs and technical qualifications. This manual also does not include information about qualification criteria approval of technical qualifications.