Guidance

Funding guidance for young people: ILR funding returns

Advice about individualised learner record (ILR) funding returns for institutions funded by ESFA.

Applies to England

Documents

Advice: Individualised learner record (ILR) funding returns 2022 to 2023

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If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email ESFA.GOVUK-ENQUIRIES@education.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Advice: Individualised learner record (ILR) funding returns 2021 to 2022

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email ESFA.GOVUK-ENQUIRIES@education.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Advice: Individualised learner record (ILR) funding returns 2020 to 2021

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email ESFA.GOVUK-ENQUIRIES@education.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Advice: Individualised learner record (ILR) funding returns 2019 to 2020

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email ESFA.GOVUK-ENQUIRIES@education.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Details

What’s new for 2024 to 2025?

No funding reconciliation rules have been changed for the coming year. Some technical advice on returning final claims has been updated for this funding year.

Traineeship funding ceased after 2023 to 2024 as all continuing students were expected to complete their traineeships before 31 July 2024.

What’s new for 2023 to 2024?

We have set out some small changes from 2022 to 2023:

  • clawback profile set out in annex C
  • annex D has been updated with some additional technical advice
  • annex E has been updated with some additional technical advice in respect of institution self-checking of ILR data

For information

Colleges, providers, schools and academies receive annual funding allocations from the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) for provision of 16 to 19 education.

This guidance gives advice about individualised learner record (ILR) returns for institutions funded by the ESFA. It is important for all institutions that we fund to carry out data recording checks each year.

You will also find our published funding guidance useful.

Funding claims

All ILR funded institutions must submit funding claims by the deadline.

Updates to this page

Published 10 March 2014
Last updated 31 July 2024 + show all updates
  1. We have published the 2024 to 2025 ILR funding returns guidance. No funding reconciliation rules have been changed for the coming year with some technical advice on returning final claims updated for this funding year. Traineeship funding ceased after 2023 to 2024 as all continuing students were expected to complete their Traineeships before 31 July 2024

  2. We have added the Advice: Individualised learner record (ILR) funding returns 2023 to 2024 guidance.

  3. We have updated the Advice: Individualised learner record (ILR) funding returns 2021 to 2022 guidance and added the Advice: Individualised learner record (ILR) funding returns 2022 to 2023 guidance

  4. We have made some changes which can be outlined in the 'whats new section', this includes reference in paragraph 4 to a new PDSAT: Study programmes containing significant levels of non-qualification activity. These students should be reviewed to take into account the recently published additional guidance in-year in Funding regulations paragraphs 107 and 124 and in Funding rates paragraph 66 in respect of high levels of non-qualification delivery. This report excludes all students flagged in the ILR for either High needs and/or an EHC plan.

  5. Published the 2021 to 2022 ILR funding returns guidance.

  6. We have updated the ILR funding returns guidance for 2020 to 2021 to include advice on traineeships in-year growth in a new Annex F

  7. We have added guidance in the details section regarding coronavirus (COVID-19) and impact on planned hours for 2020 to 2021. This replicates advice published in the 16 to 19 funding regulations for 2020 to 2021

  8. We have published the ILR funding returns guidance for 2020 to 2021

  9. We’ve updated the ILR returns guide for 2019 to 2020 for 2 reasons. Firstly to update paragraph 29, 31, 33, 48, Annex C paragraph 3, table 2c so that it links to previously communicated(https://www.gov.uk/guidance/16-to-19-education-commercial-and-charitable-providers#coronavirus-covid-19-specific-update) advice on how we’re moderating clawback to take into account recruitment difficulties as a result of coronavirus. Secondly to add in annex E to help providers reduce funding or audit data errors.

  10. We have added the Individualised learner record (ILR) funding returns 2019 to 2020 guidance

  11. To help explain our guidance we have added a powerpoint presentation on ILR funding returns for 2018 to 2019.

  12. The advice for Individualised learner record (ILR) funding returns 2018 to 2019 and 16 to 19 funding claim data checks for 2017 to 2018 and 2018 to 2019 has been added.

  13. The ILR funding returns guidance for 2017 to 2018 and slide presentation has been added

  14. An additional note for the R10 reconciliation statements for 2016 to 2017 academic year has been added.

  15. IRL funding returns for 2016 to 2017 has now been added and also an updated Annex C contract institution reconciliation document

  16. ILR funding returns for 2015 to 2016 added

  17. Updated version of Individualised Learner Record (ILR) Funding Returns 2014 to 2015 and IRL Funding Returns 2014 to 2015 Annex C added

  18. First published.

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