Correspondence

DfE Update further education: 21 May 2025

Published 21 May 2025

Applies to England

© Crown copyright 2025

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dfe-update-21-may-2025/dfe-update-further-education-21-may-2025

1. Action: Declare your subcontracting arrangements for the 2024 to 2025 academic year

Post-16 providers are required to submit a fully completed subcontractor declaration on Manage your education and skills funding (MYESF).

The window for declaring arrangements for 01 August 2024 to 31 July 2025 is now open. This declaration should be an updated and final account of your subcontracted delivery for the 2024 to 2025 academic year.

The deadline to complete your declaration is Monday 30 June 2025.

If you do not subcontract, you must still provide a nil return to confirm this (schools and academies do not need to submit a declaration).

Further information on ‘How to declare subcontracting for post-16 education and training’ is available on GOV.UK.

Please use the Customer Help Portal if you have any questions.

2. Information: Adult funding allocations for 2024 to 2025

We have published updated adult funding allocations for funding year 2024 to 2025 for training providers to account for in-year changes since the initial publication.

The publication covers the funding values for colleges, training organisations and employers with an adult skills funding, apprenticeship carry-in or advanced learner loan contract for 2024 to 2025, including in-year changes.

This allocations data is published in the interests of transparency.

3. Information: Release of Apprenticeship funding rules, 2025 to 2026, Version 1

On 15 May 2025, we published Version 1 of the Apprenticeship funding rules for the 2024 to 2025 academic year.

We have updated the rules to include foundation apprenticeships, shorter duration apprenticeships, changes to the off-the-job training (OTJT) policy and reforms to end-point assessment.

These updates and clarifications have been informed by feedback from organisations representing the sector. We particularly appreciate the advice of the Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP), the Association of Colleges (AOC), the University Vocational Awards Council (UVAC) and our expert provider group, which has helped to shape and clarify key sections of the rules.

4. Information: Earnings adjustment statement (EAS)

We have published guidance for submitting the EAS in the 2025 to 2026 funding year. This year’s version contains the following changes:

  • updated adjustment type field for the Prince’s Trust to the King’s Trust
  • added new source of funding (SOF) codes for the 3 new devolved authorities in 2025 to 2026 (East Midlands Combined County Authority, York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority and Cornwall Council)
  • deleted funding line types for apprenticeship frameworks, which can no longer be certificated after 31 March 2025

You can now access published guidance and supporting documents, including a template CSV file and validation rules, to help you with your return.

5. Information: New foundation apprenticeships available from 1 August 2025

The first foundation apprenticeships will be available from 1 August 2025 for young people aged 16 to 21, and for those up to the age of 25 who are a care leaver, a prisoner/prison leaver, or have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) in:

Construction and the built environment:

Engineering and manufacturing:

Health and Social Care:

Digital:

These new apprenticeships are jobs with training at level 2 and have a minimum duration of 8 months. They provide a broad curriculum focusing on job-specific knowledge and skills, while also developing employability skills and behaviours to support the transition from education to work.

Employers can receive up to £2,000 for the first wave of foundation apprenticeships, to help with the costs of taking on a young person and supporting their progression.

More detail can be found within the Apprenticeship funding rules, 2025 to 2026.

6. Reminder: Year-end funding claim for 2024 to 2025 

The year-end funding claim window will open at 9am on Monday 9 June 2025.  

Please submit your year-end funding claim by 5pm on Thursday 12 June 2025. The claim form will be available on submit learner data. The funding claims user guide is available to help you complete the form.    

You will need to submit a claim if you receive funds through these contracts:    

  • grant funded – DfE-funded adult skills fund (ASF) (adult skills, tailored learning, funding for innovative provision, and level 3 free courses for jobs offer)
  • grant funded – advanced learner loans bursary (ALLB)   

For 16 to 19 delivery, you do not need to take any action for the year-end (R10) funding claim. The 16 to 19 delivery section of the funding claim only needs to be signed off for your final (R14) funding claim.   

We will review claims to ensure they are substantiated by the data you have submitted in your ILR and present value for money.   

Once you have submitted your year-end funding claim on submit learner data, you will also be able to view it on Manage your education and skills funding.

If you have any queries, contact us through the Customer Help Portal.

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