Notice

Warm Homes Skills Programme: clarification questions

Updated 5 June 2025

Applies to England

5 June 2025

Guidance changes and deadline

Question 1: What changes have you made to the guidance published on 30 April 2025? Why have you made these changes?

Answer: Following engagement with prospective bidders, the Department has made changes to the Warm Homes Skills Programme guidance that was originally published on 30 April. These changes are to provide more clarity for prospective bidders on the competition requirements and the application of defined terms. The deadline has also been extended to 4pm on Tuesday 17 June.  

Concern was raised by some prospective bidders that a successful bidder would only receive mobilisation funding (20%) for trainees that finished their training and all relevant assessments but ultimately fail their course. The Department agrees that this approach may place undue financial risk on training providers, therefore, the Department has revised the guidance to allow for an additional payment route for trainees in this position. This has been explained in Section 8 of the revised guidance and in Question 14 below.

The following changes have been made to the guidance published on 30 April 2025:

• An extension of the deadline for bids to be submitted from Midday 6 June 2025 to 4pm 17 June 2025.
• Level 3 Award in Introduction to Domestic Retrofit has been included in Work Package 3 as an eligible course.
• Additional information has been inserted in Section 4.1 to clarify that a training provider can bid individually and / or as part of a consortium provided the cumulation of funds for that training provider across all of their bids is within the £1m per training provider per phase limit.
• Additional information has been inserted in Sections 5, 6 and 8 to clarify how the definition of the named term Completed Course applies to the monitoring of delivery and the payment of claims.
• Additional information has been inserted in Section 6.3 to clarify the definition of underrepresented workers and the eligibility requirements for the 10% funding uplift.
• A new payment route has been inserted in Section 8.2 that will enable training providers to claim half of the 70% grant in the case where a learner does not meet the definition of a Completed Course at the end of their training course.
• Additional information has been inserted in Section 8.2 to clarify the Department’s expectation that training providers should support learners that fail their course to re-sit their assessment(s), where appropriate. Table 3 has been introduced to the guidance to provide further details on how payments are issued. The table now indicates specific ‘stages of work’ to indicate the phases of payment within the Programme’s Phase 1 delivery period.
• The table also makes clear that the initial 20% payments in ‘’Mobilisation stage’ is based on the total KPI2 (Number of Learners Started) forecast for all courses to be delivered. This payment will be made before reporting on actual number of learners.
• As stated in 8.2, where a Training Provider claims 20% of the grant for a certain number of training places started but this is less than 80% of the actual number of training places started, then the Hub and the Department reserve the right to claw back the funding for the training places that fall below the 80% threshold. The training provider has up to 30 working days after the delivery of Phase 1 to refund the amount.
• A minor change to the definition of the named term Completed Course (defined in Appendix A) to ensure it applies appropriately to courses in Work Package 3 that may not result in a qualification from an awarding body.

Question 2: What is the new deadline for submissions?

Answer: The deadline has changed from Midday on Friday 6 June to 4pm on Tuesday 17 June.

Question 3: You have extended the deadline for submissions – what if I have already submitted an application? Can I submit a new one?

Answer: Any applicants who submitted an application before the original midday 6th June deadline will have the opportunity to resubmit an application before the revised deadline of 4pm 17th June. Where this second application is submitted, the first application will be rejected and will not be assessed.

You do not have to submit a new application, however, please note that all applications will be reviewed against the latest version of the guidance.

Funding and Match Funding

Question 4: Is in-kind match funding allowed and are there limitations to the match funding mix?

Answer: In-kind match funding is not allowed. There are no specific limits on the match funding mix. Note that match funding from public funding sources will contribute to the £1M subsidy control cap per phase. Public source match funding needs to be confirmed before 23 June (please note this in your application). Thus, the total of WHSP requested funding plus match funding from public sources need to be under £1M.

In the application add information on the mix of match funding in:

• Tab 3 ‘Section A & B’, Section B (question 5a)
• Tab 9 ‘Section J (Part 1) Columns I (‘other’) and J (add description).

Question 5: Are multiple bids possible (individual application and as part of a consortium)?

Answer: You may bid as a single training provider and also submit a separate bid as part of a consortium. Please provide the percentage breakdown of the various consortium partners in the application Tab 3, Section B, question 4. Successful consortium bids will be required to submit evidence of the consortium partnership percentage (i.e. contract, agreement etc). With regard to complying with the £1M funding cap per phase, your percentage in the consortium will affect the calculation of total funding received during WHSP Phase 1.

Please note the example below:

Bid 1: College A bids alone for £600k in Phase 1

Bid 2: College A joins College B to also bid as a consortium (40%-60% respectively) for £800k in Phase 1.

Phase 1 total WHSP funding for College A: £920k, which is under the £1M cap.

£920k is calculated as £600k plus £320k (as 40% of £800k).

Please note that in the case of match funding from public sources, the total of WHSP requested funding plus match funding from public sources need to be under £1M.

Question 6: Does the grant funding cover revenue costs only or can it be used for capital costs too?

Answer: WHSP funding only covers revenue costs.

Question 7: If we are entirely publicly funded (e.g. an FE college), and our match funding will come from public sources, does this mean we cannot apply?

Answer: You are still able to apply, however, the £1M subsidy control cap per WHSP phase will also take into account the match funding from the other public sources. For example, if the total training course costs are £100k, you applied for £60k WHSP funding to cover 60% of the training course cost, and the remaining 40% (£40k) comes from public sources, then the total public funds received for WHSP Phase 1 would be £100k which is below the subsidy control cap per phase.

Question 8: Are overall percentages of funding dependent on training provider size or learner employer size?

Answer: Overall percentages of funding depend on training provider size. The latest version of the Guidance (found on gov.uk) includes this in section 6.3. Smaller providers are encouraged to participate in and benefit from the grant funded WHSP scheme.

Question 9: Is a profit margin an allowable cost on this grant? If so, is there a cap on the % profit margin?

Answer: A profit margin is not specified within WHSP. However, note that value for money is a criterion used for assessing the applications.

Costs, VAT and Financial Matters

Question 10: Is VAT to be added in the application?

Answer: WHSP funding is a grant. As such, the grant funded element of the training is exempt from VAT.  Please note it is the training providers’ responsibility to research whether VAT applies to the element covered by match funding.

Question 11: Are there guidelines on tool and equipment depreciation?

Answer: Please refer to the HMRC webpages (Allowances, expenses and reliefs when you run a business - GOV.UK) and guidance from the Office of Tax Simplification.

Question 12: Will there be any limit on the price per learner or courses, especially for entry-level courses?

Answer: Course costs vary depending on the work package, duration, mode of delivery, and training provider. There is no standard cost per course nor learner. Value for money will be assessed on a case-by-case basis during the proposal evaluation. There will be no preference for funding a specific size of training provider organisations as there is no minimum KPI for learner enrolment, small organisations are welcome to apply. In your application and proposed delivery plan (i.e. monthly KPI targets) take into consideration the time needed for recruitment, as if successful, your delivery will be monitored monthly against information provided in your application.   

Question 13: How are you determining what constitutes a Completed Course? Is there a definition?

Answer: The definition of a Completed Course is provided in Appendix A of the Competition Guidance in the following terms: A course is considered completed by a learner when they have attended all aspects of training included in the course (i.e. taught sessions, on-line self-taught modules, workshops, bootcamps etc), they have succeeded in passing all relevant forms of final course assessment (i.e. exam, interview, portfolio, practical application, project presentation etc), and they have achieved the qualification and/or a certificate from the governing body or training provider exists or is pending.

Question 14: if a learner does not meet the definition of Completed Course (as per updated guidance Appendix A definition) at the end of their training i.e. if a learner completes all training but fails their final assessment(s), what level of funding would we receive?

Answer: The 20% mobilisation funding will be paid at the start of delivery based on the total forecast of KPI2 (Learners Started) submitted as part of the Application and Grant Funding Agreement (GFA).

Where there are less than 80% Completed Courses across all Work Packages by 31 July 2026, Training Providers need to return the amount of 20% mobilisation funding associated with the difference in actual Learners Started against the forecast. The training provider has up to 30 working days after the delivery of Phase 1 to refund the amount.

The 70% grant funding payments would be paid based on KPI3 (Completed Courses) as per table 3 ‘payment routes’ in the updated guidance.

For short courses (< 12 weeks) half of the 70% (35%) will be paid if a learner completes all training but fails their final assessment. Where courses are longer than 12 weeks the initial 35% will be paid upon evidencing learners have completed the first half of their course. For both short and long courses, the remaining 35% can be claimed if the specific learners are reported to have achieved a Completed Course by the end of delivery, 31 July 2026.

The final 10% of grant payment is dependent upon Training Providers passing their final qualification and/or certification audit.

Eligibility and Learner Requirements

Question 15: What criteria are used to define underrepresented learners and when can any applicable 10% uplift be applied?

Answer: Section 6.3 on the 10% funding uplift and the definition of underrepresented workers has been updated in the new version of the guidance (version 2). Please note that in relation to age, the ONS categorisation of underrepresented persons is 16-25 but in the case of funding provided via the Warm Homes Skills Programme, subsidies for training will be for those who are 18 and over  for reasons of safeguarding. The 10% uplift will be applied at the end of delivery for projects that have achieved over 75% course completions of underrepresented learners. Targeting primarily underrepresented learners will be noted in the Grant Funding Agreement.

Question 16: How will the eligibility of learners be verified, particularly for those who are unemployed or on short-term contracts?

Answer: Learners can be employed or unemployed. The training provider will have to submit evidence that learners carry out the significant majority of their work in England and that the learner resides in a devolved area. A driver’s licence can be submitted as proof of residence, while a letter from the employer and/or work completion receipts can be submitted as proof of work in England.

Question 17: What are the learner eligibility requirements?

Answer: Eligible learners need to be 18 years and older, residents of England, eligible to receive public funds in the UK and to comply with the specific prerequisites of the courses.

Application and Documentation

Question 18: Do we need to provide indicative figures for Phase 2 now, or can we decide to apply at a later stage?

Answer: If you are applying for Phase 1, Phase 2 indicative figures are to be provided in the current application. For successful bidders, any changes to the figures provided can take place during Phase 2 by completing a Project Change Request for the consideration of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and the Midlands Net Zero Hub. For training providers not delivering Phase 1, a mini-Competition expected to take place in April 2026 will provide an opportunity to bid for Phase 2.

Question 19: Should we provide individual CVs for all staff members or a collective single CV that covers everyone? 

Answer: The following need to be included in a single collective CV representing your project team:

• One document only: two-page CV.
• No personal details: Do not include names, emails, phone numbers, or addresses.
• Include for each team member: - Their role on the project; - Relevant qualifications; - Their Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) status (e.g. full-time, part-time); - Relevant experience, especially in finance or similar projects; - Whether they are internal staff or external (e.g. subcontractor); - Whether they are already in place or will need to be recruited or subcontracted.
• Also include: A short job description for each person, outlining their responsibilities, skills, and expertise.

Question 20: Will we be able to paste information directly into the application or will it require manual input?

Answer: The updated application form, here, supports copying and pasting from Microsoft Word and other text editors. To ensure your response is captured correctly and formatting issues are avoided: Double-click the target cell before pasting your text. This allows the content to be entered properly and ensures the word count is calculated automatically. Avoid cut and pasting directly into cells without double-clicking first, as this may cause formatting errors or prevent the full response from being recorded.

Question 21: Is there a limit to the number of documents we can embed in each cell of the application form?

Answer: There is no limit to the number of supporting documents you can attach in the required cells (column E, embedded documents) in tab 13 of the application form. Please follow the guidance in tab 2, for a step by step of the process. 

Question 22: Which KPIs does question 1a in section D of the work Package tabs of the application refer to? 

Answer: Your response should provide the reasoning behind monthly KPI targets entered in tab 10. Section J (Part 2) in relation to your capacity to deliver them.

Question 23: In Section L, where accredited course details are requested, is a screenshot of the course sufficient?

Answer: A screenshot is acceptable as evidence as long as it meets the following criteria:

• The screenshot must be embedded in PDF format within the corresponding cell in Tab 13 of the application form.
• The screenshot must clearly highlight the applicant’s training provider as listed on the awarding body’s or Ofqual’s website.
• The evidence must be explicit and unambiguous to verify the course’s accreditation status.

To confirm whether an awarding body is regulated by Ofqual, applicants can check the official Ofqual register at:  Find a regulated qualification - GOV.UK

Question 24: Will embedding documents into the application increase the file size, potentially preventing the submission from being sent successfully via email?

Answer: No, assuming you embed approximately 33 PDF documents (each averaging around 500 KB) into your Excel file (initial size: 335 KB), the estimated final file size will be about 17 MB. This size is within the typical email attachment limit (usually 20–25 MB), so it should be safe to submit via email. However, if any of the PDFs are significantly larger than average, or if additional content is added, the file could exceed email limits.

Tips to stay within limits:

• Compress PDF files before embedding. This can be done locally or using a free tool like Adobe Acrobat which can help reduce file size.
• Avoid high-resolution images or unnecessary graphics in supporting documents.
• Embed PDFs as display icons rather than full previews to reduce visual clutter and size.
• Test-send the completed file to yourself or a colleague to ensure it can be delivered successfully.

Important for applicants submitting multiple work packages:

If you are applying for more than one work package and anticipate that your file size may exceed the email limit, please contact the WHSP team in advance at [WHSP@nottinghamcity.gov.uk] so we can assist you with an alternative submission method.

Question 25: Is the risk register scored, what level of detail is required for mitigations and what should be used as the date a risk was identified?

Answer: The risk register is required for the application to be complete but will not be scored (pass/fail). If a risk register is not included as part of an application, it will be marked as incomplete and the application will be rejected and not be assessed. If your bid is successful, the risk register will form part of monitoring and evaluating your delivery. Please provide high level mitigations (Column W) at a level that represents your ability to overcome relevant delivery challenges.

In a risk register, the ”Date of Risk Identified” refers to the specific date when the risk was first recognised or recorded by the project team or stakeholders. This date is important for tracking the timeliness of risk management actions and understanding how long a risk has been logged.

Question 26: Can you confirm that we are only required to submit a digital signature on the application form?

Answer: Yes. Please see the application guidance on tab 2 Cell B54 which states where the input of a digital signature is needed. A wet signature is not required.

Work Packages, Courses and Qualifications

Question 27: Can funding be used for non-accredited training or only for Ofqual-registered courses?

Answer: Courses equivalent to those specified in the work packages will be considered and reviewed at application stage. When filling in the application you should provide course information on the work package page (Q2a) and attach supporting documents. For section J part 1 please choose the course you propose is the equivalent from the dropdown list available.

Question 28: In Work Packages 2 and 3 is it that a candidate must be awarded an NVQ (be that level 2 or 3) upon completion?

Answer: It is not necessary that an NVQ is awarded as part of work packages 2 and 3. However, it is necessary that the equivalent course is recognised and accredited by bodies such as National Occupational Standards (NOS), City & Guilds, Ofqual. The same goes for any new courses.

Question 29: Is the Ofsted inspection report mandatory for bidders at the application stage? 

Answer: Yes, it is mandatory to provide copies/links to inspection reports that have already taken place. If a prospective training provider does not already have an Ofsted report they can still apply even if they do not have a pending inspection scheduled. This applies to both online, offline and hybrid course delivery models.

Question 30: If a bidder is only applying for the Small Scale Solar PV installation course do they have to answer Tab 5 Work Package 2 Section I question 2?

Answer: Please replace ‘retrofit installation courses’ with ‘Small Scale Solar PV installation courses’

Question 31: Regarding Work Package 1, can we offer standalone Domestic Energy Assessor (DEA) and Retrofit Assessor (RA) qualifications?

Answer: The standalone DEA course will not be funded by WHSP. The standalone RA qualification, as well as the combination DEA/RA qualification are eligible for WHSP funding.

Question 32: Are the City & Guilds/ABBE Level 3 and Level 4 Non-Domestic Energy Assessor (NDEA) qualifications expected to be delivered as separate, standalone courses, or is a combined delivery model acceptable within the funding framework?

Answer: Both standalone and combined Level 3 and Level 4 Non-Domestic Energy Assessor courses are eligible for WHSP funding. 

Question 33: Would non-regulated “CPD/Competency” style courses be acceptable in line with the PAS 2035/2038 standards?

Answer: In your application, please provide evidence of the relevant CPD/Competency Course alignment to PAS 2025/38. It is for the application assessment panel to assess the evidence provided.

Question 34:  If successful in more than one bid/project (individually and as part of a partnership), how do we ensure learners are counted against our individual funding allocation and not attributed to the lead applicant’s funding cap?

Answer: Delivery for each project will be assessed independently against targets set in each bid. It is the responsibility of the training provider to differentiate between elements of the different bids/projects consistently throughout the WHSP scheme. Such elements are KPIs and use of funding allocation which will be reported and monitored independently for each bid/project.

Question 35: Is it possible to apply for fabric-only training under Work Package 2, without including PV installation?

Answer: Yes, you can deliver one or both of the Fabric installation and Small-scale solar installation courses.

Question 36: How can ‘equivalent’ courses be represented in the application?

Answer: For equivalent courses please complete Section C question 2a of the appropriate work package, by listing out the specific title of the proposed course. This course must be an equivalent of one of the courses already listed in the relevant dropdown lists of the application form. Then, in section J (Part 1) Columns C and T please select from the drop down lists the equivalent course available.

Question 37: Is there an expectation that training providers should demonstrate a proven track record in delivering similar courses, or can new providers with relevant expertise still be considered?

Answer: New providers with relevant experience reflected in their application are welcome to apply.

General Clarifications

Question 38: Can we train learners to become self-employed Retrofit Assessors, rather than directing them toward employment after training?

Answer: WHSP provides training course subsidies to learners using public funds as part of the greater Warm Homes initiative. It is envisioned that learners will be directed towards employment as Retrofit Assessors on other Warm Homes schemes (i.e. Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund Wave 3, Warm Homes: Local Grant). Directing and supporting learners toward either/both paths (self-employed or employed) is acceptable and can be counted toward KPI 4/5.

Question 39: Is there a requirement for each work package to cover all regions of the country?

Answer: There is no minimum nor maximum geographical area to cover. This information is not scored and is requested to inform the lead funder of the impact of this scheme.  However, you must answer question 3a, section C stating: ‘If applicable, indicate the region(s) in which the classroom-based courses will be delivered. Specifying the corresponding regional Net Zero Hub area.

Question 40: How should we define and track learner progress throughout the course, especially for those who may have difficulty completing the qualification? Are there any specific tools or systems recommended for tracking this?

Answer: WHSP does not specify how learner progress is tracked throughout delivery. However, it is expected that successful bids have learner engagement strategies to do this effectively to achieve the Completed Course targets set out in their application. Costs for such services can be included within ‘Costs of advisory services specifically linked to the Competition’ (Guidance document, Section 6.1, page 25). Learners benefiting from WHSP funding will be required to participate in a learner survey at the start of a course and provide feedback at the end.

Question 41: Do we need to measure performance against KPI 5 even if all learners are employed?

Answer: KPI 5 is a subcategory of KPI4 referring to underrepresented/unemployed learners. If your targeted learners do not fall in either of these categories, then you do not need to provide a target for KPI5.