Managing and monitoring the qualification offers
How we manage changes once a qualification is approved for funding and how we monitor the qualification offers.
This section sets out how we will monitor and manage the following, once they are approved for funding:
- alternative academic qualifications (AAQs)
- technical progression qualifications
- academic progression qualifications
- T Level foundation qualifications
- technical qualifications
Once a qualification has been approved for funding, we may review the funding approval status of a qualification.
This could be because of a change which you identify - for example, if:
- you update an existing qualification
- there is a change to your scope of recognition
It could also be because of a change which the Department for Education (DfE) or the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) identify. For example, if:
- new T Levels or T Level occupational specialisms are introduced
- there is new evidence which means the qualification no longer meets the funding approval criteria
- there is a change in policy
- IfATE revises occupational standards
- IfATE’s approval of the qualification changes
We will review changes with Ofqual and IfATE where appropriate.
Where there are changes to an assessment strategy for a qualification, you must also promptly notify Ofqual of the change in line with the relevant qualification-level conditions.
Once a qualification is approved for funding, we reserve the right to suspend funding approval if we have concerns about the qualification meeting the funding approval criteria. We also reserve the right to take action once a qualification is approved if we have evidence from third parties concerning the efficacy of the qualification or the organisation offering it.
Awarding organisation updates an approved qualification
Once a qualification is approved for funding, we understand that, in some circumstances, you may need to make changes to the qualification. Not all changes will mean that the qualification’s approval (including funding approval) will change, but certain changes will.
Changes you do not need to tell us about
You do not need to tell us about minor changes to the existing qualification. However, ensure you update Ofqual’s register of regulated qualifications, where this is appropriate.
Minor changes that you do not need to tell us about are:
- spelling or grammatical corrections in the qualification title or qualification materials
- adding additional clarification to the qualification materials which does not change the meaning or interpretation of the qualification - for example, further exemplification of content which does not change the assessment or delivery
Changes you need to tell us about
Some changes to an existing qualification will be more substantial as they change the meaning and interpretation or delivery of the qualification. These types of changes also may mean you need to develop a new qualification with a new qualification number.
Examples of such changes include but are not limited to:
- changes to the qualification’s purpose
- structural changes to the content being covered - for example, new topics added or removed from the specification
- revisions to assessment strategy
- changes that impact
- the mapping or alignment of the qualification and assessment materials to IfATE occupational standards
- the national technical outcomes for the T Level foundation year
- changes to the qualification title that are more than correcting typos or adding punctuation
- changes to the number of assessments from that previously described in the specification
- changes to the controls on assessment tasks
- changes in grade scale
- the qualification is no longer available for delivery in England
- changes in guided learning hours or total qualification time
- changes in sector subject area
Where major changes occur you must inform us of the changes made to the qualification. This is so we can review the changes and ensure they do not impact the approval of the qualification, including the funding approval.
Ensure the information you provide about changes and the information about your qualification on Ofqual’s register is accurate. This may impact the funding approval or funding rate of a qualification.
Changes to your assessment strategy
Ofqual requires awarding organisations to keep their assessment strategy under review. If the changes you make include a revision to your assessment strategy, you must promptly notify Ofqual.
Further information is available in Ofqual’s level 3 alternative academic qualifications and technical occupation qualifications qualification level conditions.
Telling us about a change
If you have changed your qualification and the change is not minor, you must inform us of the change.
For technical qualifications, you will need to inform IfATE of the change. IfATE will then share this information with DfE and Ofqual, as appropriate.
For non-technical qualifications, you will need to inform DfE of the change. DfE will then share this information with Ofqual, as appropriate.
You must also promptly and directly inform Ofqual of revisions to the assessment strategy using the awarding organisation portal. We will review the information to assess whether your qualification continues to meet the funding approval criteria. This will be alongside any review of the change from IfATE or Ofqual. We will then jointly confirm how we will manage this change.
Changes we will tell you about
You may need to revise your qualification in response to changes that DfE, IfATE or Ofqual will notify you of. For example, if there are:
- revisions to occupational standards
- changes to T Levels
- changes to the national technical outcomes for the T Level foundation year
These changes may mean we need to review the qualification’s approval, including funding approval status. We will inform you of the change and what action you need to take.
IfATE has a duty to put in place arrangements to keep qualifications under review, including as a result of changes to occupational standards. IfATE will provide further information on whether you need to submit your qualifications for re-approval. Further information is available on the occupational standards which are in scope.
If the national technical outcomes are revised, DfE will provide further information on whether you need to submit your qualification for re-approval.
Changes that may impact funding
Major changes to a qualification may also change the qualification’s sector subject area and guided learning hours. These changes may also impact the funding rate and programme cost weighting set by the Education and Skills Funding Agency, for qualifications funded through:
- 16 to 19
- the skills fund
- advanced learner loans
We will provide further information on how changes that impact funding and programme cost weightings will be reviewed.
Awarding organisation withdraws a qualification
Qualifications that are approved for funding from 1 August 2026 will remain approved for funding up to 31 July 2029. If you withdraw a qualification before this date, we will use the operational end date that you set for the qualification on Ofqual’s register of regulated qualifications to bring forward the funding approval end date.
Where you withdraw a qualification and replace it with a new qualification and a new qualification number, you must submit the new qualification to be considered as part of the funding approval process.
Once a qualification has been approved for funding, we will monitor the balance and mix of provision to see how it responds to and delivers policy intent. This will include:
- the qualification offers as they transition to AAQs, technical progression qualifications, academic progression qualifications, T Level foundation qualifications and technical qualifications, to ensure there are no gaps in provision and to check geographical coverage
- the publicly funded demand on qualifications to assess whether the qualification should remain in the funded offer
- progression for students after achieving an AAQ, technical progression qualification, academic progression qualification, T Level foundation qualification or technical qualification, to check whether this leads to good outcomes for students and to assess whether the qualification should remain in the funded offer
We will use evidence of demand and progression over multiple funding years to decide whether a qualification should remain in the funded offer.
We have started to consider the data that could give evidence of progression for students achieving an AAQ, or a technical qualification.
For example, the primary aim of an AAQ is to support progression into higher education. This can be demonstrated by:
- how quickly students make progress into higher education
- what level and type of higher education they progress to, and with which higher education providers
- withdrawal from, or repetition of years in, higher education
- how the progression of young people and adults may differ
We are considering what factors that could affect outcomes need to be considered in the approach we develop, as well as issues of timing. It will take time for the new qualifications to become established, and for robust data to be available.
We are also considering when and how to use evidence of demand, because there will be evidence of this before evidence on outcomes. We are looking at what existing data held by us and by partners could contribute to this.
In certain circumstances, we may ask you to submit data that shows the number of students achieving their progression outcomes. We aim to:
- avoid creating an additional burden for providers and awarding organisations
- make sure this works for providers, with emerging requirements for reforms to the funding and accountability system
We will continue to share details on how we will work with IfATE and Ofqual to monitor the balance and mix of provision for these and other qualifications in future versions of this manual.