Guidance

How to complete the expression of interest for LLE modular funding

Updated 16 July 2026

Applies to England

This guidance is for providers registered with the Office for Students (OfS) who intend to deliver modular provision, funded by the lifelong learning entitlement (LLE), in England.

You will be able to submit your expression of interest for approval in October 2026.

We expect you to be eligible to deliver modules from September 2027, subject to approval.

This is the second application round. We have published a list of successful applicants from the first round.

We will broadly follow the same approach as we did for the first round. We have made some adjustments in response to feedback and to improve the application process.

We will confirm full details of how to complete the application when the expression of interest window opens. 

Courses and modules eligible for LLE funding

From September 2026, learners will be able to apply for lifelong learning entitlement (LLE) funding for the first time, for courses and modules starting from January 2027 onwards.

It will be available for full years of study at levels 4 to 6, including:

• higher technical qualifications (HTQs)
• degree qualifications
• some postgraduate level qualifications

It will also be available for:

• modules of HTQs
• level 4, 5 and 6 modules from full level 6 qualifications in subject groups that both:
  • address priority skills gaps
  • align to the government’s industrial strategy

To be eligible for funding, modules must:

• be part of an existing designated full course, with its parent course delivered by the same provider
• be worth at least 30 credits, or a bundle of modules from the same parent course equalling at least 30 credits
• have a single qualification level that should be level 4, 5 or 6 to determine if they are eligible for funding
• be assessed and given a standardised transcript when they are completed, to support credit transfer and facilitate labour market currency
• not be delivered through franchised arrangements

This is to make sure new modular provision:

• is high quality
• supports wider progression to full qualifications

This funding will only be available to students living in England studying at a provider registered with OfS. Eligible learners will be able to apply for LLE funding for modules from September 2026.

We will give more details on how you can submit newly approved modules to the Student Loans Company course management system when the application window opens.

We are taking a carefully phased approach to modular provision from 2027. This prioritises quality and the protection of public money. We will offer a narrower range of modules when the LLE launches, and gradually expand this when it is appropriate.

Application routes for the LLE modular funding expression of interest

There are 2 routes for applications. The route you apply through depends on your institution’s current Ofsted grading and TEF rating, or whether it has been recognised as a technical excellence college.

The streamlined route (route 1) offers a lighter-touch route for providers, where we have enough assurance to support this from either:

• existing Ofsted inspection gradings and TEF ratings
• the assessment process for technical excellence colleges

The alternative entry mechanism (AEM) route (route 2) offers a route for providers where:

• your TEF and Ofsted ratings do not meet the criteria for the streamlined route
• you have strengths in specific subject areas that you can show through a more detailed assessment process

Providers that do not meet the entry criteria for the streamlined route can still apply through the AEM. This route allows providers to show examples of strong provision on a course-by-course basis.

Both streamlined and AEM providers are subject to the same assurance checks. You must pass these to be eligible to proceed with AEM assessment.

We will host a webinar before the expression of interest window opens to discuss the expression of interest process. In particular, we will discuss expectations for alternative entry mechanism applications.

We strongly encourage you to access this webinar. We will confirm details when we launch the process.

Eligibility for the streamlined route

If you have not yet been inspected under the new Ofsted framework (November 2025), you will be eligible for the streamlined route if you either:   

• have an overall TEF rating of gold or silver and either:
  • no Ofsted rating
  • an Ofsted rating of outstanding or good
• have an Ofsted rating of outstanding or good and either:
  • no TEF rating
  • an overall TEF rating of gold or silver

If you have been inspected under the new Ofsted framework, you will be eligible for the streamlined route if you meet all of these criteria:  

• you have been graded as ‘met’ for the safeguarding evaluation area 
• you have been graded as ‘expected standard’, ‘strong standard’ or ‘exceptional’ for whole-provider level evaluation areas – these are:
  • leadership and governance
  • inclusion
  • contribution to meeting skills need
• you have been graded as ‘expected standard’, ‘strong standard’ or ‘exceptional’ in adult learning evaluation areas – these are:
  • achievement
  • participation and development
  • curriculum teaching and training
• you have either no TEF rating, or an overall TEF rating of gold or silver

You will be eligible for the streamlined route if you have been announced as a DfE technical excellence college.

Eligible subject areas

If you use the streamlined process, you can access LLE modular funding designation across all eligible CAH2 subject areas.

If you use the alternative entry mechanism, you only have access to LLE modular funding for specific courses in the CAH2 subject areas you apply for.

We will only approve courses from assessed CAH2 subject areas for modular funding.

Verification of application authenticity and eligibility

This section applies to all applicants. 

LLE funding for modules and short courses is available only to students studying at providers registered with OfS.

All providers who submit an application must include their organisation’s UK provider reference number (UKPRN), as listed in the OfS register.

We will email the accountable officer listed for each OfS-registered provider, to invite your institution to apply for modular funding. Our email will include: 

• a copy of this guidance  
• your unique verification code

You must enter this code into the online expression of interest form when you submit it. It confirms that your OfS-accountable officer knows about, and authorises, the submission of your application. 

If we get an application with an incorrect or missing verification code, we will contact the accountable officer to verify that the submission is authentic.

Assurance checks

This section applies to all applicants. 

All providers that submit an expression of interest must undergo assurance checks as part of the approvals process.

You will not need to submit information or evidence for this check. The information we use will be based primarily on information that is already known to the provider or available in the public domain.

We may also consider information from other sources. If this information indicates a potential concern relevant to an assurance decision, before we reach a final decision we will:

• make you aware of the issue
• consider any relevant information you provide

We will use information held by DfE, and will seek relevant information from a range of external bodies, to make sure you do not have any compliance, protecting public money or quality concerns.

If information identified through the assurance check indicates a significant concern, you may not pass the assurance check. You may not be eligible to participate in the expression of interest process.

We use the following information sources in assurance checks.

Financial health check

We assess the financial health of organisations.

You will not pass the assurance check if the financial health assessment on the most up to date full, signed final financial statements shows an inadequate grade.

We have published details of the financial health assessment for providers. 

Protecting public money check

We will consider risk to public money as part of the assurance process. We do this to:

• provide assurance around access to additional public funding
• assess if providers are well placed to deliver modular provision

We take protecting public money risks very seriously. We will look very closely at this as part of the assurance checks.

We will assess information held by DfE and relevant public bodies. The type of information we may look at will help us understand a provider’s recent delivery and operating context.

This may include information about public money exposure, including:

• fraud risk indicators
• student finance administration
• attendance confirmation
• registration timing
• withdrawal processing
• relevant assurance or regulatory information

We will apply a consistent thresholding approach across the initial protecting public money metrics to identify unusual patterns for further review.

These signals will not, on their own, mean a provider:

• has been judged to have acted improperly or have weak controls
• will not be approved

We will consider the information in context and make an individual judgement. We will take account of relevant explanations, mitigations and other assurance evidence. 

If the protecting public money check identifies a concern that could materially affect the outcome of the application, we may contact you for more information.

If we are minded to refuse approval, you will have an opportunity to make representations before we make a final decision.

We will make final decisions in writing. We will explain the main reasons for the outcome, including how we considered any representations.

Regulatory conditions check

We will consider information from OfS relating to regulatory compliance.  This includes, but is not limited to, specific conditions of registration applied by OfS. 

You may not pass the assurance check if this information indicates a significant or unresolved regulatory concern.

We will consider this information with all other relevant assurance and assessment context.

Risk of market exit check

We will engage with OfS to establish whether you have received a formal notice of market exit under condition C4.

You will not pass the assurance check if you have had a formal notice of material risk of market exit.

UK Visas and Immigration check

We will seek information from UK Visas and Immigration, to determine if a provider has had a student sponsor licence or a worker sponsor licence revoked because they have not complied with conditions for sponsorship.

You will not pass the assurance check if a licence has been revoked in the last 2 years.

Awarding organisations check

We will seek information from awarding organisations to determine if they have:

• withdrawn approval to deliver a specific qualification
• removed you as an authorised centre

You may not pass the assurance check if you have experienced qualification-level or provider-level removal in the last 2 years from an awarding organisation who we consult as part of this process.

We will consider this information with all other relevant assurance and assessment context.

Charity Commission check

We will seek information from the Charity Commission if a sanction has been applied because you have not complied with the commission’s requirements.

You may not pass the assurance check if you have been subject to a sanction in the last 2 years.

We will consider this information with all other assessment and assurance context.

The alternative entry mechanism application

This section applies only to providers applying through the AEM route.

Understanding CAH and HECoS codes for AEM applications

You must correctly identify the subject classification of your proposed modules using: 

• higher education classification of subjects (HECoS) – a detailed subject coding system used to classify individual courses
• common aggregation hierarchy (CAH) – a framework that groups HECoS codes into broader subject areas (such as CAH2 level) for regulatory and funding purposes 

Each HECoS code maps to a CAH2 subject group.

We use these CAH2 groups to:

• assess eligibility for modular funding
• apply TEF continuation and completion benchmarked indicators

CAH and HECoS codes example

A course with HECoS code 100374 (software engineering) maps to CAH11-01 (computing).

This means it falls within the eligible subject group for modular funding.

We will assess it against the TEF benchmarks for computing.

Offering modules from degree subjects

If you plan to offer modules drawn from level 6 degrees, we will ask you to tell us about your planned delivery for each eligible CAH2 subject area in scope for modular funding.

The CAH2 subject areas in scope are: 

• computing (CAH11-01) 
• engineering (CAH10-01) 
• architecture, building and planning (CAH13-01), excluding the landscape design (CAH13-01-03) subgroup
• physics and astronomy (CAH07-01) 
• mathematical sciences (CAH09-01) 
• nursing and midwifery (CAH02-04) 
• allied health (CAH02-06) 
• chemistry (CAH07-02) 
• economics (CAH15-02) 
• health and social care (CAH15-04)

Offering modules from HTQ technical routes

If you plan to offer LLE-funded modules drawn from HTQs, we will ask you to tell us about your planned delivery for each technical route.

If not, you may skip this section, and any other sections of the form that are not relevant to your planned provision. 

For each HTQ technical route, we will ask you to provide the HECoS subject codes for the courses which you intend to offer modules from.

We will use the HECoS codes of your HTQ courses to determine which CAH2 subject group is used to assess the TEF continuation and completion indicators.

Example of a module from an HTQ technical route

For example, you are delivering a digital HTQ with the HECoS code 100374 (software engineering). This HECoS subject code sits within the CAH11-01 (computing) subject group.  

We will ask you about your plans for each of the HTQ technical routes within which you wish to deliver a module:  

• agriculture, environmental and animal care  
• business and administration  
• creative and design  
• catering and hospitality  
• care services  
• construction and the built environment  
• digital  
• education and early years  
• engineering and manufacturing  
• health and science  
• legal, finance and accounting  
• protective services  
• sales, marketing and procurement

Preparing to complete the application form

You should prepare, finalise and internally approve your responses before you complete the form.

Preparing a full alternative entry mechanism application may take several days or weeks, depending on your internal processes.

It should take you 10 to 15 minutes to complete the form after you prepare.

When the form is live, you must complete it in one session. You cannot save it. You will not be able to return to a partially completed form later.

You will be able to start a new form if your application was not submitted.  

We strongly recommend having all the information and evidence you need available and easily to hand before you start the form.  

How to complete the application form

For each CAH2 subject area, you must:

• provide a written explanation to address the AEM criteria – up to a maximum of 5,000 characters, which is around 800 words
• upload your supporting evidence in the provided supporting evidence workbook

Make sure you upload all supporting evidence in the correct format that will be accessible to assessors.

The workbook includes a separate tab for each degree CAH2 subject area and HTQ technical route so you can organise your supporting evidence. This can include:

• tabular data
• images or screenshots
• embedded files, such as .pdf or .docx documents
• text boxes

You should use the HECoS–CAH look-up tab in the supporting evidence workbook to confirm you have classified your courses correctly. If you misclassify a course, it may delay your application or we may reject it.

When you complete the application workbook, structure your response under the headings:

• proposed courses
• track record
• quality record
• employer engagement

We will only consider this as evidence. We will disregard any additional information.

What to include: proposed courses 

Your answer must include a list of the qualification names and corresponding HECoS subject names for each degree which you intend to offer modules from.

There is no minimum or maximum number of modules from a designated parent course that you must offer.

You could offer a single module or all modules of the designated parent course at your discretion – for example: 

• BSc (Hons) applied computing (HECoS: applied computing, 100358)  
• BSc (Hons) medicinal chemistry (HECoS: medicinal chemistry, 100420)  
• HNC quantity surveying (HECoS: quantity surveying, 100217) 
• HNC computing – software engineering (HECoS: software engineering, 100374) 

We cannot accept applications that do not include the appropriate HECoS codes. We need these codes to extract the subject-level data necessary to assess your application.

What to include: track record  

Explain how your organisation has previously delivered the full courses which the proposed modules are drawn from.

You must show that the course has been delivered for at least 2 full programme cycles or 4 academic years, whichever is longer.

Include course names and delivery dates. This shows that your modular offer is based on established provision.

We will not penalise applicants for gaps in delivery that were caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

You can count the time spent delivering courses that have not always been HTQs towards the track record requirement. For example, you can count the time on an existing qualification that recently gained HTQ status.

What to include: quality record  

You must confirm that the CAH2 subject area meets or exceeds OfS TEF benchmarked indicators for continuation and completion. 

OfS updated their TEF data dashboard in December 2025. We will use this data to inform decisions for this aspect of the assessment.

We strongly encourage you to review your subject-level continuation and completion data before you apply.

You must be at or above the OfS benchmarked indicators for continuation and completion in that CAH2 subject area, for either full-time or part-time modes.

If you do not have published TEF subject-level data, you may use internal data (such as completion rates and retention) and explain how it shows high-quality outcomes.

Clearly state the subject grouping you use and how it compares to OfS benchmarked indicators. This is to show your provision is well-established, as well as effective.

How we assess the subject quality record

We will look at continuation and completion rates for the subject group which your course falls under. We will use the CAH2 to group subjects.

Each subject group has separate indicators for full-time and part-time students. 

We will use the mode (either full-time or part-time) that represents the majority of students on your course. This is your main mode of delivery. 

You must be at or above the OfS benchmarked indicators for continuation and completion in that CAH2 subject area and mode. 

To pass the quality record criterion

We will check that there is at least an 80% statistical certainty that continuation and completion rates in the relevant CAH2 subject area and mode are either:

• broadly in line with the OfS benchmark
• materially above the OfS benchmark

This means no more than 20% of the proportion of statistical uncertainty distribution can be in the materially below benchmark column for either continuation or completion.

You may submit internal data if your TEF subject-level data is suppressed because of small student numbers.

Your internal data must:

• be at subject level
• be clearly presented and explained 
• show continuation and completion rates over at least 2 full cycles
• include a short explanation of how your data compares to national averages for the CAH2 subject area and mode
• be anonymised and aggregated (no individual student data)

We will review each CAH2 subject area which you apply for independently.

If your subject‑level data is available on the TEF data dashboard, we will use it exclusively to inform judgements for this aspect of the assessment.

Do not submit additional internal data where TEF data is available. We will not consider it.

What to include: employer engagement

You must show you have developed your modular offer in response to employer and learner needs for each subject that you apply for.  

This assesses if your provision is:

• relevant to the labour market
• accessible to learners
• underpinned by real-world demand

We want to see that your organisation has: 

• established and maintained relationships with employers or industry bodies relevant to the subject area 
• consulted with employers and prospective learners to shape the design and delivery of your modular offer for the specific subject applied for 
• got experience of delivering flexible or modular provision that responds to learner and employer needs

Your application should explain:

• how you have engaged with employers and learners when you have developed your modular offer 
• what evidence shows your proposed delivery model is appropriate and accessible (such as evening, weekend and blended learning)
• how your organisation has previously delivered modular or flexible provision, and the outcomes you achieved

Your narrative must be supported by clear and appropriate evidence.

What to show: evidence of clear engagement

You must show meaningful engagement with employers and learners when you develop your modular offer.

Acceptable evidence may include:

• subject-specific letters of support or formal endorsements from employers or industry or professional bodies
• evidence of joint or employer-supported events relevant to the subject area

Letters of support should clearly reference the:

• subject which you are applying for
• value of modular provision to the sector

What to show: shape and design of the modular offer

You must show that your proposed delivery model is:

• informed by employer and learner feedback
• appropriate
• accessible

Acceptable evidence may include:

• evidence of co-design or co-development with employers (for example consultation papers, curriculum design forum minutes or agendas)
• learner or employer consultation summaries, surveys or focus group findings
• learner survey results showing demand for, or preference for, the proposed delivery model

What to show: flexible delivery track record

You must show:

• experience of delivering modular or flexible provision
• the outcomes you achieved

Acceptable evidence may include:

• examples of previous flexible or modular delivery models, and how they responded to demand
• data showing positive outcomes, such as completion rates, learner progression, or repeat employer engagement

Evidence quality

You must clearly support narrative statements with evidence. Evidence should be:

• relevant
• concise
• clearly linked to the subject and mode of delivery proposed

A strong submission may include:

• a written summary of employer consultation relevant to the subject, highlighting demand for flexible provision
• a written summary of learner consultation, showing preferred delivery models and accessibility needs
• 2 or more subject-specific letters of support from relevant employers or professional bodies
• a quality assurance or review report, referencing the quality of modular or flexible delivery
• relevant extracts from a local skills improvement plan, clearly linked to the proposed provision
• extracts from the most recent Ofsted report, highlighting the subject or flexible delivery as a strength
• publicly accessible weblinks showing employer engagement or outreach activity linked to the subject

Weaker submissions may include:

• strong narrative statements without enough supporting evidence
• generic letters of support that do not reference the specific subject or modular delivery
• long or generic reports that you do not clearly reference or contextualise in the application

Questions in the application form 

The application form will ask these questions when applications open.

Streamlined application (route 1) questions

1. What is the name of your organisation?
2. What is your UKPRN?
3. Enter your institution’s unique verification code.
4. What is the primary contact email address for this application?
5. Are there any other contact email addresses you would like us to include in communications?
6. Does your institution meet the criteria for a streamlined application?

Alternative entry mechanism application (route 2) questions

1. What is the name of your organisation?
2. What is your UKPRN?
3. Enter your institution’s unique verification code
4. What is the primary contact email address for this application?
5. Are there any other contact email addresses you would like us to include in communications?
6. Do you intend to offer modules drawn from [various subject group degrees or technical route HTQs]?
7. Tell us about your planned delivery of modules drawn from [various subject group degrees or technical route HTQs].
8. Upload your supporting evidence to show how your provision meets the 3 criteria: track record, quality record, and employer and skills alignment.

Questions 7 and 8 are repeated for each of the degree subject groups and HTQ technical routes in scope.

You only need to answer the questions that apply to the degree or HTQ provision you wish to deliver using modular funding.

Data and privacy considerations 

This section applies to all applicants.

DfE is committed to protecting the personal data of providers and individuals involved in the LLE modular funding process. 

We collect: 

• contact details of individuals submitting the expression of interest
• information about your organisation’s regulatory and quality status 
• supporting evidence

All evidence, such as continuation or completion metrics, should be fully anonymised and aggregated. This is so it does not include any individual staff or student information.

This data may be used to: 

• assess eligibility and conduct assurance checks 
• verify regulatory compliance and quality standards 
• support decision-making and audit requirements 

The data is shared with: 

• OfS 
• Ofsted 
• UK Visas and Immigration 
• Student Loans Company
• the Charity Commission 
• relevant awarding organisations 

Data will be shared only when necessary and with appropriate safeguards in place. 

Data will be kept for up to 2 years for audit and compliance purposes.