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Funding

We appreciate that understanding funding can be complicated when considering using our qualifications and units, so we have done our best to collate and summarise the key information about public funding available for our qualifications and include this on each qualification page wherever possible.

Below we have tried to outline the major funding sources and provide links to more information where it is available. We alert our providers on changes in funding policy via our blog and newsletter, and our regular funding webinars are always extremely popular and informative.

Expert Webinar Funding


This funding information is provided in good faith and it is always advisable to check directly with the funding agencies before committing to delivery.

Learning Aims Search

The Hub provides a Learning Aims Search which you can use to check the funding status of any qualification or unit.

Advance learner loans
Details of qualifications eligible for funding through loans

From 2016/2017 eligibility for Advanced Learner Loads were extended to learners ages 19+.

An increasing number of our qualifications, including all our Access to HE Diplomas, are eligible for funding via Advanced Learner Loans.

The Advanced Learner Loans catalogue for 2017/2018 was updated by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) on 24th May 2018 and contains 133 of our qualifications.

In order to receive funding for your provision through this route, you will need to be on the ESFAs Register of Training Organisations and have an Advanced Learning Loans facility agreement with the Skills Funding Agency.

There is more information for colleges, training organisations and employers about advanced learning loans on the ESFAs Advanced Learning Loans webpages.

 

EFA Funding
Details of qualifications on Section 96 and eligible for EFA Funding

The Department for Education Section 96 approved qualifications list identifies qualifications that are currently approved on Section 96 and availalebl for delivery to young people. The list can be searched or downloaded from the DfE website.

SFA Funding
Details of qualifications fundable by the Skills Funding Agency

More information about the SFA’s services, for existing SFA providers, and for organisations that want to become providers is available on their website.

The SFA funding rates and formula webpage lists all provision which the Skills Funding Agency has approved for public funding and their funding rates.

The Learning Aims Search on The Hub provides a searchable database of qualifications and units which are eligible for each funding aim. If you discover qualifications which meet the funding eligibilities but do not appear on the Hub, please contact us so that we can investigate and rectify the issue.

2017-2018 Funding

The SFA has confirmed that qualifications currently eligible for funding will remain eligible for 2017-18. In an update on local flexibility the SFA stated:
“In anticipation of future changes such as devolution and technical education reforms there will be no changes to the local flexibility offer or the criteria that we apply to determine if the qualification is eligible for funding in 2017 to 2018. Qualifications that are currently eligible for funding will continue to be so in 2017 to 2018 unless the qualification is no longer on Ofqual’s Register of Regulated Qualification or has been withdrawn by the awarding organisation.”

This means that over 350 of our qualification remain eligible for funding under local flexibilities for 2017-2018. Details of these new qualifications are now on the Hub.

2016-2017 Funding

In addition, units from within fundable qualification will be eligible for funding under the unit offer.

So, for example, whilst our smaller bite-sized English and maths qualification do not appear in their own right, all of the smaller qualifications are included as units within the larger, fundable, Certificates and can therefore be funded as units of these larger qualification, and we will honour the learners achievement and certificate the smaller qualification for no extra charge.

Unit Funding
Information on fundable units and how to check eligibility on the Hub

The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) has confirmed that units (often referred to as components) within fundable qualifications will be automatically eligible for funding. See Qualification Eligibility Principles 2017/2018, paragraph 25.

In simpler terms, if a qualification is funded the units within it will be funded.

If a qualification isn’t included on the list of current fundable qualification, the units within this qualification could still be fundable as they may be used in a fundable qualification.

So, if you have found that a qualification you are running is no longer on the funded list, it is worth looking on the unit list. One of the benefits of working with Gateway Qualification is many of our units are shared across qualifications.

For a step-by-step guide, take a look at our How to Search for a Fundable Unit post.

Bite-sized English and maths

Our Centres have found the most noticeable change of funding has been with bite-sized English and maths – while the Certificate sizes are fundable, the smaller award qualifications no longer appear on the funded list in their own right.

But do not despair, thanks to the qualification structure of the English and maths qualifications at Gateway Qualifications , all of the units in the smaller award qualification feature within the Certificate sizes. Therefore the awards, which are one unit qualifications, are fundable through the unit funded list.

This is probably best explained through an example:

Gateway Qualifications Entry Level Award in English – Read for Purpose and Meaning (Entry 1) is no longer fundable as a qualification, according to the Learning Aims Database. However, an alternative way of funding can be claimed.

This Award is made up of one unit – Read for Purpose and Meaning – which is funded according to the units section of the Learning Aims Database website. This is because this unit is also included within another qualification which is funded.

For your learners, this meaning if they achieve the unit, they will be awarded the Entry Level Award in English – Read for Purpose and Meaning qualification, as this unit if the full qualification.

And, as an added bonus, Gateway Qualifications will only charge the lower qualification cost, not the credit achievement cost. Your learners will achieve a qualification certificate and you can also claim the funding.

Study Programmes
Develop a curriculum that meets the requirements of the Study Programme and supports other priorities facing the 16-19 market

We offer a range of qualification which meet the requirements of the Study Programme and support other priorities facing the 16-19 market.

Professor Wolf recommended that Study Programmes should be governed by a set of general principles, namely that courses taken by 16-19 year old should:

  • not be wholly occupational and should include at least one qualification of substantial size which offers progression either into higher levels of education or into skills employment
  • include both qualification and non-qualification activity including, as and where appropriate, tutorial time and high quality work experience or internships
  • include the study of English and mathematics and work towards the achievement of GCSE A*-C for all students who do not already have these qualifications

We have a growing portfolio of vocational qualification in a range of Entry Levels to Level 2 that offer progression into employment and higher level studies.

Find out more about our Suite of Skills Qualifications.

We also offer a number of qualification which can be delivered alongside the Study Programme to prepare your learners for securing employment at the end of their course and support them with their work placement.

Traineeships
How can we help build a suitable curriculum for these learners

The Traineeship Programme consists of work experience and English and Maths, along with job preparation such as CV-writing tips and advice on how to prepare for an interview. This means that learners can concentrate on developing the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to enable them to progress on to Study Programmes, Apprenticeships or into work.

We have more information available here along with a free downloadable whitepaper.

ESF Contracts
A selection of resources designed to help you when delivering ESF contracts

Gateway Qualifications works with a number of organisations to support their delivery of European Social Fund (ESF) contracts. Our mix of qualifications, units and accredited training packages are ideal to demonstrate the required steps towards progression for the learner.

We are always happy to discuss your individual needs, so please feel free to pick up the phone and ask to speak to our Business Development team on 01206 911 211.

Funding Rules and Evidence Requirements

A couple of key documents available from the Skills Funding Agency (SFA), which you should be aware of in conjunction with the ESF contract specification, are provided on the SFA website and linked to below:

Our top three tips
  1. Work backwards to progress
    That might sounds a bit oxymoron but the key thins about ESF contracts is to focus on the “progression” outcome and then work backwards to develop the most appropriate type of learning package to deliver that progression outcome.
  2. Assemble audit evidence
    You will have multiple audits for your ESF contract so assembling and being able to provide a clear, coherent audit trail is vitally important. Where the progression is to achieve a qualification, this evidence will naturally be assembled by meeting the learning aims and assessment criteria, and ultimately achieving the qualification. However, since not all ESF contracts require the delivery of a qualification or unit, you will need to carefully plan how you demonstrate this where the learning package isn’t certified or externally quality assured.
  3. Pick and mix to meet your leaners’ needs
    ESF contracts often allow a large degree of flexibility in the elements you can include. Many of the organisations we work with will include a range of learning activities when building their programmes to support their contracts and learners. These often include elements such as small qualifications, unit delivery from within qualifications, work experience or placements, online training and many others.
    Whilst this approach is great for building a flexible programme, it can present a challenge to tracking and evidencing achievement so many providers find our Gateway Assured offer valuable as it provides you with an externally quality assured audit trail of activity, and learners with a certificate of their achievement from a nationally recognised awarding organisation.
Learn more in our webinar

Our free, on demand webinar is aimed at anyone who has applied form or has won an ESF contract or sub-contract. During this webinar, sector specialist and Director of Business Development, Paul Saunders, expands on these tips and provides examples to help you hit the ground running.

Watch our How to Successfully Deliver an ESF Contract webinar.

Our products to support your delivery

Where qualification, units and external quality assurance are desirable, we have a wealth of experience and products to support you.

Since the contracts and learners’ needs vary so much, the best approach is always to call us and have a chat – call 01206 911 211 and ask to speak to our Business Development team or use our Contact Us Form.

For a flavour of the types of products we might recommend, please use the links below to browse our website:

Programmes aimed at supporting young people whoa re 18-24 who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) or are risk of becoming NEET

  • Vocational studies leading to Suite of Skills qualifications – flexible vocational qualifications assessed by a portfolio of evidence benefitting from shared units across the suite to enable co-teaching and reduce withdrawals.
  • Case Study – Improving Retention and Progression for Learners at Risk of becoming NEET
  • Progression Qualifications – devised with the aim to progress learners into further learning and/or employment
  • Enterprise Qualifications – designed to support learners to develop the kinds of entrepreneurial skills that will be useful if they set up and run their own businesses but will also be useful to them in any work environment
  • Gateway Assured – providing an externally quality assured audit trail and a certificate of achievement from a nationally recognised awarding organisation

Programmes aimed at improving the delivery of Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG)

  • Information, Advice or Guidance Qualifications – Search ‘Information, Advice or Guidance’ on our Qualifications Page for help with upskilling the IAG workforce
  • CPD Programmes in IAG – for staff
  • Gateway Assured – providing an externally quality assured audit trail and a certificate of achievement from a nationally recognised awarding organisation

Education and training that helps unemployed and inactive people to enter into (and then sustain) employment

  • Employability Skills – this can be delivered as a stand-alone qualification or embedded within vocational studies or Suite of Skills vocational qualifications
  • Vocational Studies – providing tasters across a range of vocational sectors
  • Suite of Skills Vocational Qualifications – flexible vocational qualifications assessed by a portfolio of evidence benefitting from shared units across the suite to enable co-teaching and reduce withdrawals
  • Enterprise Qualifications – designed to support learners to develop the kinds of entrepreneurial skills that will be useful to them in any work environment
  • Volunteering Qualifications – intended to accredit the training that volunteers undertake to prepare for a volunteering role
  • Gateway Assured – providing an externally quality assured audit trail and a certificate of achievement from a nationally recognised awarding organisation

Programmes to support the needs of local employers and employees in the LEP area specific groups such as migrants, care leavers, travellers, teenage parents and Work Programme leavers

  • We have over 620 qualifications, containing over 5,000 units, on the Ofqual register covering a huge range of subjects and levels from Entry Level to Level 6
  • Access to HE Diplomas and Pre-Access courses to support learners to return to learning and progress to Higher Education and University
  • Bite-sized English and maths Qualifications to support specific skills gaps and progress learners to Functional Skills and GCSE
  • Functional Skills
  • ESOL Skills for Life Qualifications – flexible assessment allows you to assess your learners when they are ready and at a time that suits them. A Pre-ESOL qualification is also available for non-native speakers who have no or very limited exposure to English
  • Independent Living – for learners who need to develop or further develop skills in specific areas
  • Gateway Assured – providing an externally quality assured audit trail and a certificate of achievement from a nationally recognised awarding organisation