Higher technical education skills injection fund 2022 to 2023: guidance provided to applicants

Question 1

Deadline for applications

Accepted Answer

The deadline for submitting applications under this guidance is 11.59pm on Wednesday 5 October 2022. If you have any problems submitting your application, email team.highertechnicaleducation@education.gov.uk.

Question 2

Policy context: growing level 4 and 5 higher technical education

Accepted Answer

The government is committed to growing high-quality level 4 and 5 provision to help raise productivity and unlock potential. This is a key part of the post-18 skills system reforms, given the skills shortages and employer demand. Growing high-quality level 4 and 5 provision includes increasing the uptake of HTQs.

In the government response to the HTE consultation, the Department for Education (DfE) set out the government’s plans to make HTE a more popular and prestigious choice that provides the skills employers need. The reforms include a new national approval scheme to identify HTQs that meet employers’ skills needs, improving the quality of HTE, and encouraging more people to take HTE courses.

On 24 February 2022, the government announced major reforms to make the higher education (HE) system in England fairer for learners and taxpayers. It also launched 2 consultations, now closed: one on the lifelong loan entitlement (LLE), which sets out the overall ambitions for the policy, as well as its scope and delivery in practice^{[footnote 1]}, and one on HE reform.

The HE policy statement and reform consultation set out the range of steps we are taking to stem the generational decline in study at level 4 and 5 and significantly grow uptake. We are:

introducing the LLE from 2025 to support a more accessible, flexible system
providing investment through this HTE skills injection fund and £8 million this year through the strategic priorities grant to encourage and support growth of high-quality level 4 and 5 provision
supporting the Open University with up to £10 million to work with further education colleges s to grow provision, targeting cold spots across the country
consulting on other policy interventions through the HE reform proposals, which could tilt providers of HE away from 3-year degrees as a default offer and towards level 4 and 5 (note: the consultation has now closed and the government will respond in due course)
raising the profile and prestige of higher technical courses through improved communications and information, advice and guidance, including through the national communications campaign that launched in January 2022
continuing to roll out reforms to HTE to ensure that, over time, HTQs are established as a flagship offer at level 4 and 5. This includes providing access to HE student finance tuition fee loans and part-time maintenance loans to learners studying HTQs from the 2023 to 2024 academic year ^{[footnote 2]}

Question 3

Aim of the HTE skills injection fund 2022 to 2023

Accepted Answer

We are launching the HTE skills injection fund with a total budget of up to £32 million, comprising up to £22 million in capital for specialist equipment and perpetual software licence costs, and up to £10 million in resource. It is available to providers who meet the eligibility criteria below.

The aim of the fund is to support providers to create additional capacity to grow and deliver high-quality level 4 and 5 provision and HTQs. As we build the foundations for the LLE, we want to ensure that the quality of HTE provision is sustainable, and that courses and providers support learners to build up qualifications more easily at levels 4, 5 and 6 throughout their lives.

What this fund is not for

The HTE skills injection fund cannot be used to develop a qualification as a HTQ for submission to the Institute for Apprenticeship and Technical Education (IfATE) approvals process. The Open University (OU) national validation programme could provide support in developing a qualification as an HTQ, and support may also be provided by other validators and providers of level 4 and 5 and HTQ qualifications.

If you intend to submit a qualification to IfATE for approval as an HTQ, you can apply to the HTE skills injection fund to support your readiness to teach that HTQ. However, you must work with IfATE timelines to ensure your HTQ has been approved for delivery in either:

September 2023 or January 2024 or both for cycle 1 and 2 HTQs
September 2024 or January 2025 or both for cycle 3 HTQs.

If you have queries on the IfATE HTQ approvals process, email IfATE at htq.approvals@education.gov.uk.

Question 4

The role of providers and funding uplifts

Accepted Answer

Along with employers and learners, providers that offer level 4 and 5 qualifications are central to meeting ministerial ambitions to grow quality level 4 and 5 at scale. The HTE skills injection fund is open to further and higher education institutions, and institutes of technology (IoTs). The fund is a key intervention – alongside the expansion of IoTs and OU partnering with local colleges – to support providers to grow level 4 and 5 skills ahead of the introduction of the LLE in 2025.

An additional uplift in funding will also be applied to any applications from IoTs or providers that are located in local skills areas (LSAs). LSAs are the areas that the government is using to focus skills-based interventions in levelling up areas. As referenced in the published analysis, they are identified according to skills levels at a local authority level. Refer to the How the funding formula works section for further details on how this will work.

Recognising the need to grow at scale, we have widened the skills injection fund’s eligibility criteria to allow all OfS-registered providers that want to offer a new level 4 and 5 technical qualification to apply, and providers with all Ofsted ratings apart from those with an ‘inadequate’ Ofsted rating.

Question 5

Who is eligible to apply

Accepted Answer

The HTE skills injection fund is open to applications from eligible:

institutes of technology (IoTs)
further education colleges
higher education providers
independent training providers
consortia

HTE skills injection fund providers

The fund is open to all providers that intend to deliver a level 4 and 5 technical qualification except those:

with ‘inadequate’ Ofsted ratings
not registered with OfS

Note: all providers within IoT applications are exempt from this eligibility criteria (refer to the Applications from IoTs section for further details). Only the lead partner in a consortium must meet the eligibility criteria (refer to the Applications from consortia section for further details).

Refer to the Clawback section for details of the conditions under which funds may be subject to clawback.

Previous growth fund applicants

If you have already successfully received funding through the growth fund 2021 to 2022, you can apply again for funding to deliver a different HTQ within the same or a different occupational route. For example, if you received funding to deliver a network engineer qualification you could not apply for funding to deliver another level 4 and 5 network engineering qualification, but could apply to deliver a new software developer or cyber-security HTQ.

Eligible occupational routes

As part of our reforms, through the HTE skills injection fund 2022 to 2023, we want to support both existing and new-to-market providers to get ready to teach new level 4 and 5 technical qualifications that map to IfATE occupational routes.

September 2023 and January 2024 delivery only

As we ran the growth fund last year in these subject areas, this is the final opportunity to apply to the HTE skills injection fund for support to deliver level 4 and 5 technical qualifications in these occupational routes:

digital
health and science
construction

For providers who plan to offer approved level 4 and 5 HTQs in these occupational routes, the list of approved qualifications is available on the IfATE website.

September 2024 and January 2025 delivery only

Through the growth fund in 2021 to 2022, we know that global supply chain issues caused delays in specialist equipment being received. For providers that prefer to apply early for funding to aid the planning and purchasing process, there is an ‘early adopter’ opportunity to apply for support to deliver level 4 and 5 higher technical qualifications in these occupational routes:

business and administration
education and childcare
engineering and manufacturing
legal, finance and accounting

For providers who plan to offer approved level 4 and 5 HTQs in these occupational routes, the final approved list will not be published by IfATE until June 2023. In your application, you will need to signal the occupational standard which maps to the HTQ you intend to deliver.

If a HTQ is not approved against that occupational standard, you will need to agree to offer an alternative level 4 and 5 qualification or approved HTQ to keep the funding.

Question 6

Important dates for the HTE skills injection fund 2022 to 2023

Accepted Answer

These dates are indicative of the expected timeline, and we will keep providers informed of any changes to these dates.

Date	Timeline
July 2022	HTE skills injection fund launched Providers develop applications. If you have questions on this guide or application form, join one of our Teams drop-in support sessions as advertised on GOV.UK, or email team.highertechnicaleducation@education.gov.uk, allowing up to 3 working days for a response. Depending on the nature of your query, we may update the published guidance on gov.uk in response.
September 2022	Providers submit applications by 11.59pm on Wednesday 5 October 2022, via email to team.highertechnicaleducation@education.gov.uk.
October to November 2022 (indicative)	Applications assessed and approved
December 2022 (indicative)	DfE will confirm funding allocation to providers via grant offer letters (late November) Signed grant offer letters returned and funding allocated to providers. If grant letters are not returned by the specified deadline, payment will not be allocated to providers until the following month.
2022 to 2023 (final arrangements to be confirmed in due course)	Providers spend allocated funding on capital and resource, and provide monitoring reports (refer to the Monitoring and Evaluation section for further details).
September 2023 and January 2024	Digital, health and science, and construction Providers to confirm number of learners enrolled to inform clawback (refer to the Clawback section for details of the conditions under which funds may be subject to clawback). Providers complete and return evaluation reports detailing spend confirmation and impact of funding.
September 2024 and January 2025	Business and administration; education and childcare; engineering and manufacturing; legal, finance & accounting Providers to confirm number of learners enrolled to inform clawback (refer to the Clawback section for details of the conditions under which funds may be subject to clawback). Providers complete and return evaluation reports detailing spend confirmation and impact of funding.

Question 7

What funding is available and the activities it can support

Accepted Answer

We have a total budget of up to £32 million of funding available to providers who meet the eligibility criteria. We have used feedback from providers to identify the areas of expenditure that will help successfully deliver level 4 and 5 higher technical qualifications.

When deciding how you will use the funding, consider how it could support the government’s priorities in boosting economic growth, such as those mentioned in the levelling up agenda and supporting our transition to net zero.

Providers will need to plan to spend their allocated funding in 2022 to 2023 (for both September 2023 and January 2024, and September 2024 and January 2025 start dates).

To note, funding can only be applied for to support the delivery of level 4 or 5 qualifications in the eligible occupational routes, although we recognise support may indirectly benefit learners studying other qualifications or as part of an apprenticeship.

Refer to the Clawback section for details of the conditions under which funds may be subject to clawback.

Capital funding

We have a total budget of up to £22 million for capital funding, which must be spent on specialist equipment and perpetual software licence costs only. The construction of new buildings is not permitted although refurbishing existing premises is. The equipment which you spend this funding on must fulfil the criteria within your own capitalisation policy.

What capital funding can be spent on

We want to allow providers to make the right decisions about what will benefit your learners, and the needs of your local employers. Therefore, provided your purchases meet your capitalisation policy criteria, you can use your capital allocation on whatever specialist equipment and perpetual software licence costs will make a difference to you delivering a new level 4 and 5 technical qualification. If your software licence cost is for one year only, this would be classed as ‘resource’. You will be asked in your application form to let us know how you plan to use your capital funding and what outcomes you expect from this expenditure. We will be monitoring these outcomes.

As an example of capital expenditure which fits the criteria, feedback from one provider in last year’s growth fund indicated that they would purchase Cyberlab or Raspberry Pi basic programming-related software or equipment for their digital HTQs.

If you have applied for or previously received DfE or Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) capital funding via other funding routes, such as the IoT or T Level programmes, you can still apply for this fund.

However, you must explain how this funding allocation will be used separately and discretely from those other funding routes to support your HTE provision.

In short, we want to understand what additional value this funding will provide, over and above other funding already received. DfE will assure and cross-reference bids and will come back to you if further information is required.

Resource funding

We have a total budget of up to £10 million for resource funding, and it can be used across any combination of the below categories, as best fits your local needs.

As with the capital funding, you will be asked in your application form to let us know how you plan to use your resource funding and what outcomes you expect to achieve with that. We will monitor you during the funding period to ensure you are making progress towards your intended spend and impact and may contact you for further discussions if required.

If you have applied for or previously received DfE or ESFA resource funding via other funding routes, you can still apply for this fund. However, you must explain how this funding allocation will be used separately and discretely from those other funding routes to support your higher technical provision.

In short, we want to understand what additional value this funding will provide, over and above other funding already received. DfE will assure and cross-reference bids and will come back to you if further information is required.

What resource funding can be spent on

To develop local employer partnerships to support learners: examples of this could be employers supporting you with writing and delivering the curriculum, helping to determine the specification for the equipment, or getting involved with career events and raising awareness of HTE, including HTQs

To support and upskill teaching and technical staff: examples of this could include peer support, attending training courses, shadowing local employers or sector specialists, mentoring and coaching (this funding is intended to be used for developing staff knowledge and skills, including paying for supply cover if staff are attending training courses, but cannot be used to directly pay teaching staff salaries)

To support curriculum planning and development: examples of this could be understanding sector changes and applying these to keep the curriculum cutting edge, and developing skill-based content and flexible delivery models (such as blended learning) to support the learning and training objectives

To promote and raise awareness of HTE: examples of this could be events to promote HTQs, recruiting learners, and transitioning them successfully onto those courses, particularly adults who may have been out of education for a while

Feedback from providers suggested that they might spend resource funding on activities such as:

providing CPD to staff in support roles such as technician support, rather than lecturers
reskilling staff with one-week industrial placements
creating digital resources for teaching to use in classrooms
creating remote learning resources
providing expert project management, marketing support or curriculum development

Providers also spoke about using employers to advise and provide briefings for curriculum development, and they welcomed the chance to use the fund to engage employers on this again. Case studies and quotes directly from providers are available.

Question 8

How the funding will be allocated

Accepted Answer

As outlined, we have an overall budget of up to £32 million for the HTE skills injection fund, comprising up to £22 million in capital and up to £10 million in resource.

Under the proposed funding formula, the funding allocated to each provider will be directly proportional to the number of learners you have predicted in your application form. Funding will be capped at a maximum of £5,000 per learner. This is not an indication of the final amount likely to be received, as this will depend on the number of successful applications.

The funding available for each provider will be determined once all applications have been received. The final allocation will only be agreed once we know the full number of predicted eligible learners across all applications.

Learner number predictions will be scrutinised when applications are received, and you may be asked to provide additional information if further evidence is required.

Question 9

How the funding formula works

Accepted Answer

We will use a funding formula to calculate the capital and resource allocations for each provider. The allocations will be directly proportional to the number of learners you predict will participate in the qualification. For IoTs and providers in LSAs, we will also calculate what this means in terms of a funding uplift.

The funding formula will be used to calculate separate capital and resource allocations for each provider as follows:

(Total amount of funding ÷ total number of learners)

x (learner numbers per subject per provider)

Question 10

Funding uplift for IoTs and providers in LSAs

Accepted Answer

As referenced in the introduction of this guidance, to support the government’s HTE reforms, a funding uplift will be applied to:

IoTs – as flagship providers for science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) level 4 and 5 provision, an uplift of 10% will be applied to any approved IoT application
providers in LSAs – any provider located in one of the highlighted lower-third local authority areas in the published government analysis of skills levels within local authorities will receive a 5% uplift to any approved application.
partners in a consortium that includes one or more partners within an LSA – they will have the uplift applied to their portion of the consortium funding, DfE will calculate the correct level of uplift and it will be the responsibility of the consortium lead partner to ensure the LSA partners receive the additional funding

Note: IoTs based in an LSA will only receive the higher IoT funding uplift.

Question 11

Calculating your predicted learner numbers

Accepted Answer

There are no minimum predicted learner numbers that need to be met in order to apply for the HTE skills injection fund. However, we want the funding to be used for a viable cohort, which will help you create demand, promote HTE, build employer relationships and enhance the learner experience to have a tangible local impact.

You should provide learner number projections for each level 4 and 5 technical qualification that you intend to deliver.

Your learner number projections must be based on the number of learners you are expecting to start each new level 4 and 5 technical qualification. Refer to the Clawback section for details of the conditions under which funds may be subject to clawback, including where you do not meet up to 80% of predicted learner numbers.

To identify these learners, you should use your most recent end-year data from either the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) or the individualised learner record (ILR) and include these in your justification.

Should this data not be available, or if you expect your predicted learner numbers to greatly differ from these figures, add a narrative to explain the reason for this and advise how learner numbers have been predicted.

Our ambition is to significantly grow the number of learners taking level 4 and 5 qualifications and HTQs over time. You will need to justify your learner number growth plans. This should consider demographic growth, any structural changes (within your organisation or mergers), and your plans to engage learners in HTE, including learners from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds and other protected-characteristic groups.

Question 12

Applications for more than one level 4 and 5 technical qualification

Accepted Answer

We welcome applications from providers who are planning to offer HTQs in any of the occupational routes identified in the Eligible occupation routes section. If you plan to offer more than one qualification, you can submit these on one application form. Your application should cover each level 4 and 5 technical qualification you plan to deliver, along with supporting evidence on how the funding will build capacity and improve the quality of provision. For each qualification, you will be expected to set out your predicted learner numbers.

Question 13

Applications from IoTs

Accepted Answer

IoTs are exempt from the eligibility criteria.

IoTs are welcome to submit an application for funding as a collaboration under the terms of your licence agreement. In doing so, you must be clear in your application about how this funding will be used separately and discretely to any previous IoT funding received. All IoT applications will be cross-referenced and assured against what you have already received through your IoT capital funding.

As an IoT, we would expect you to offer high-quality level 4 and 5 provision and/or HTQs that relate to your specialism. However, we will allow you to expand your provision outside of your current IoT specialisms.

If you are applying for more than level 4 and 5 provision or HTQ that relates to your specialisms, then we would expect one application on behalf of the IoT covering all routes and providers.

If applying as an IoT, we would expect the core provider to set out the predicted learner numbers for each provider against each qualification that the IoT plans to offer in the application form.

When applying as an IoT, the funds should be allocated to the providers that will be offering an approved qualification, although the IoT may decide to purchase shared equipment or resources that will benefit all members.

Applying as an IoT for a route outside of your IoT specialism

As part of the process of applying to be an IoT, you will have declared the specialism and courses against which your licence has been awarded. However, we know that often partners within an IoT have specialisms and courses at level 4 or level 5 that are not part of the IoT. Through the HTE skills injection fund, we want to support IoTs to expand their provision outside of their declared specialisms.

We expect this to work in the following way. If an IoT specialism is, for example, digital, but partners within that IoT are offering construction and want to expand this across the IoT, we will allow those providers to submit their predicted construction learner numbers to secure funding to support the IoT expanding. Predicted learner numbers should be based on providers within the IoT that are currently offering provision outside of the IoT specialism.

We would expect the IoT to share the funding and delivery to support the wider expansion of new HTE provision. In agreement with DfE’s IoT policy team, an IoT does not require agreement to apply for the funding to expand their provision outside of their current licence agreement. If IoTs wish to add the learners to their key performance indicators, they will need to seek approval from DfE in the normal way. This can be done at any time before the learners start.

Applying as part of an IoT and as an individual provider

As an IoT, we would expect you to offer level 4 and 5 provision that relates to your specialism. However, if an IoT decides not to offer a route that relates to your specialism, you can submit a separate application on an individual basis. In addition, you can also plan to deliver a different route outside of the IoT’s licence agreement and delivery plan, and submit a separate application for this route on an individual basis. You cannot apply for the same route as an individual provider and as part of an IoT.

Question 14

Franchising arrangements

Accepted Answer

We recognise that providers may be working in a franchising arrangement.

Franchise arrangements are used when a lead provider (the franchisor) enters into an agreement with another provider (the franchisee). Under this agreement, the franchisee will deliver a course on behalf of the lead provider. The franchisee may deliver all or part of a programme that the franchisor approves and owns.

In this situation, the franchisee (the provider delivering the course) can apply for the funding as an individual provider if they meet the eligibility criteria, or the franchisor can submit a consortium application if they meet the eligibility criteria, with the franchisee as a delivery partner.

Question 15

Applications from consortia

Accepted Answer

To support collaboration and widen participation across providers of level 4 and 5 technical qualifications, we welcome applications from consortia. The goals might be to share resources, engage with employers or specialists as a group, or to support a provider who might not be eligible to submit an individual application.

Non-lead delivery partners within the consortium do not need to meet the eligibility criteria, but each consortium will need to nominate a lead partner who must meet the eligibility criteria.

The responsibilities of the consortium lead partner are to:

complete and submit the consortium application
be the main point of contact
distribute the funding to each consortium delivery provider as outlined in the application, including where one or more partners are eligible for a funding uplift (refer to the How the funding formula works section)
identify how learners will access student finance or funding through other means if a consortium delivery partner is not OfS registered or does not have a funding agreement with the ESFA
be accountable to DfE as outlined in the application for consortium:

In your application, we will ask you to confirm that your consortium has discussed and clearly identified how you will manage the above responsibilities, particularly around the risk of clawback if one or more partners fail to achieve their predicted learner numbers. Although not needed as part of your application, you may wish to consider solutions such as establishing a memorandum of understanding if you do not already have something similar in place.

Your application will need to list all delivery and support partners in the consortium, set out the predicted learner numbers for each delivery partners against each level 4 and 5 technical qualification that you are applying for, and clearly state how the funding will be used by each delivery partner.

We recognise that in some circumstances, where a member of a consortium is not planning to deliver a level 4 and 5 technical qualification that the whole consortium is applying for, they can still benefit from consortium purchases such as shared equipment or resources. However, the funding will only be allocated on the basis of predicted learner numbers for each level 4 and 5 technical qualification.

Partners cannot submit an individual application for the same route as the consortium bid, although a provider who plans to deliver a different route outside of a consortium’s delivery plan can apply for this on an individual basis.

Question 16

How to apply for the HTE skills injection fund

Accepted Answer

Completing the application form

To apply for the funding, you must:

Meet the eligibility criteria (set out in the Who is eligible to apply section).
Provide data on predicted learner numbers with some reasoning of how you have arrived at those numbers, providing a clear justification on any growth in your numbers.
Outline how you plan to support learners to build up their learning more easily to qualifications at levels 4, 5 and 6 throughout their lives, demonstrating the availability of progression routes into higher-level learning or employment.
Provide supporting evidence on how the funding will build capacity and improve the quality of provision.
Include information on:
- why you are projecting these learner numbers
- how you intend to spend the funding
- how the funding will help build capacity and improve the quality of provision
- which specific groups or individuals will benefit from the funding

Once you have read this guidance and are ready to complete your application, the form is available to download.

You must adhere to the word limits stated on the application form and provide full answers for each question. Any words over the word limit will not be counted or read as part of the review of your application. You should provide focused responses, supported by robust and quantifiable information.

We may check your responses against information we already hold and contact you if further information is required.

If you have questions on this guide or application form, email team.highertechnicaleducation@education.gov.uk, allowing up to 3 working days for a response. Depending on the nature of your query, we may update the published guidance in response.

Submitting your application

Email your completed application form to team.highertechnicaleducation@education.gov.uk no later than 11.59pm on Wednesday 5 October 2022.

Once you have emailed your application, if you have not previously registered your bank details with ESFA, do so using the online form. The process to set you up can take time, and we will not be able to make any payments until you are registered, so do this as soon as possible after submitting your application to avoid any delay in payment.

When submitting your application, you will get an automated reply, which will be proof of receipt. Only in circumstances where you do not receive this automatic response within 24 hours, resend your application to team.highertechnicaleducation@education.gov.uk and cc caroline.osmond@education.gov.uk and julia.chard@education.gov.uk.

How we will assess your application

DfE will review your application against the eligibility criteria and your responses to the questions in the application form. You may be contacted for further information, if this is required.

Information provided on the application form, including personal information, may be subject to publication or disclosure in accordance with the access to information regimes, primarily the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Data Protection Act 2018 and the UK General Data Protection Regulations (UK GDPR), respectively.

Following receipt and review of all eligible applications to the HTE skills injection fund, predicted learner numbers from all successful applications will be used in our funding formula to allocate the appropriate amount to each provider.

If your application is successful

If your application is successful, we expect you to enter into a grant agreement with us. You will receive a letter from us confirming this and setting out the terms of the grant. These will be based on an amended version of DfE’s standard terms and conditions to reflect HTE skills injection fund specific clauses, such as the payment terms and the additional clawback requirements, as detailed in the Clawback section.

The agreement will confirm the funding allocation and outline what the grant is to be used to fund and will include other conditions, including restrictions. You will need to demonstrate that funding spend will be incurred within the period we agree with you to receive the money you have been allocated.

We will ask you to review and accept the terms by signing and returning a copy of the grant offer letter within two weeks of receipt.

We reserve the right to recover funds from you if there is evidence you have not used them for the agreed purposes and/or within the agreed timelines.

We reserve the right to delay our decision on the outcome of application(s). If our decision on your application is going to be significantly delayed, we will inform you of this.

If you decide not to deliver a level 4 and 5 technical qualification, we reserve the right to recover any grant funding we have paid. Refer to the Clawback section for details of the conditions under which funds may be subject to clawback.

Funding is only confirmed once we have received a signed copy of your grant offer. You must not issue communications regarding the success of your application until you receive confirmation from us that you can do this.

Question 17

Monitoring and evaluation

Accepted Answer

Providers must return monitoring data during this process and assist with an evaluation of the HTE skills injection fund in terms of spend and value generated.

Monitoring

We will provide a monitoring form and providers must confirm how they have spent the funding and how it has contributed to improving the quality of HTE. We will ask providers to provide a return in spring 2023 to confirm spend to date and planned spend. Final arrangements will be made in due course.

Evaluation

We will also ask providers to provide a final return in spring 2024 or spring 2025 (for early adopters) setting out how the funding has supported building capacity and improving the quality of HTE.

This will help us to build an evidence base and enable us to share good practice as we build towards the rollout of the LLE.

Question 18

Clawback

Accepted Answer

Once the funds have been allocated, we will monitor the spend throughout the grant period and will ask providers to confirm actual learner numbers in September 2023 or January 2024, and September 2024 or January 2025, as applicable.

We will claw back funds in the following situations where:

funds have been mis-spent (i.e. not in accordance with grant agreements), or remain unspent at the end of the grant period
a provider does not deliver a technical level 4 and 5 qualification as agreed
the provider fails to reach 80% of their predicted learner numbers - we will claw back the difference between their actual number and 80%, so, for example, if they had 70% of predicted learner numbers, we would claw back 10% of funds

If you are offering more than one level 4 and 5 technical qualification, the clawback clauses will be relevant for each individual course.

The press release is available. ↩
HTQs will still need to meet HE student finance academic year criteria to qualify for funding, in the same way as other designated qualifications. ↩

Cookies on GOV.UK

Applies to England