Correspondence

ESFA Update further education: 24 April 2024

Published 24 April 2024

Applies to England

Action: Business case deadline for adult funding allocations 2024 to 2025 – Sunday 28 April 2024

This is a reminder to carefully review your 19+ funding allocation and raise a business case if you:

• had a significant data error that has affected your allocation
• have a contract value for the 2023 to 2024 funding year (for the relevant funding stream) but did not receive a 2024 to 2025 allocation

The deadline for the following funding streams is Sunday 28 April 2024:

• the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) adult skills fund (non-procured), including free courses for jobs
• advanced learner loan facilities and bursaries

Submit your business case using the new digital form. You can find this on manage your education and skills funding or in our 19+ funding allocations guidance.

Information: ESFA adult skills fund contract for services (procured from 2023) allocations

We are currently preparing allocations for the ESFA adult skills fund contract for services (procured from August 2023) allocations, based on the individualised learner record (ILR) data you return at R09. It is important that your data is accurate and up to date at this point. 

We have published a timeline so that you know when to expect information from us. We will update our 19+ technical guidance which will explain how we have calculated your allocation. You can find the ILR return deadlines in the 2023 to 2024 schedule for uploading ILR achievement data to the personal learner record (PLR).

Information: 2024 to 2025 advanced learner loans application service

The 2024 to 2025 advanced learner loans application service will be available from Monday 10 June 2024, for learners who wish to start eligible qualifications from the 1 August 2024, funded by a loan.

ESFA has updated learning and funding information letters for 2024 to 2025 which are available on GOV.UK.

Information: Submitting independent training providers financial forecasts

From Monday 22 April 2024, the Department for Education (DfE) has written to a sample of independent training providers (ITPs), asking them to submit a financial forecast by Friday 31 May 2024.

Details of how to submit the financial forecast is included in the individual notification and within the submit financial information for ITPs guidance on GOV.UK.

Only ITPs who are contacted will need to submit a financial forecast.

Why are providers being asked to submit a financial forecast?

ITPs are an important part of the Skills infrastructure. They play a key role in:

• supporting young people, especially the most vulnerable, in achieving their learning and career goals
• helping employers and the economy to recover

We are improving our oversight by asking a selection of ITPs to submit financial forecast information to ensure that the ITP sector is in a sound financial position.

Information: Eligibility for the Levelling Up Premium

From autumn 2024, the Levelling Up Premium (LUP) will be worth up to £6,000 annually. This applies to key STEM and technical subject teachers in the first 5 years of their career, including maths, construction and engineering, and early years education.

Teachers in general further education (FE) colleges, sixth form colleges, and 16 to 19 schools will be eligible for the levelling up payments for the first time. Levelling up payments for secondary school teachers will double in value. Payments for all settings will be worth up to £6,000.

Eligible teachers can apply for LUP payments from the autumn 2024 until spring 2025.

DfE will make the payments in the academic years 2024 to 2025 and 2025 to 2026. This represents a £100m investment in the financial years 2024 to 2025 and 2025 to 2026.