19+ funding allocations 2021
Information on how we allocate adult education budget, 19 to 24 traineeships, advanced learner loans, 16 to 18 traineeships and non-levy apprenticeship funding to providers.
Purpose
The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) is accountable for funding education and skills for children, young people and adults.
This page explains how we allocate funding for:
- ESFA funded adult education budget (AEB), including 19 to 24 traineeships
- advanced learner loans (ALL) facilities and bursaries
- 16 to 18 traineeships and bursaries, for providers without 16 to 19 funding
- apprenticeships carry-in and apprenticeship non-levy extensions
We will publish information and updates to this page as they become available.
We will issue all allocations through manage your education and skills funding service.
How we calculate allocations
We calculate allocations on an annual basis using nationally consistent methodologies.
The general principles we follow when setting allocations are to:
- reflect historic delivery and ensure allocations are in line with what providers can realistically earn
- ensure all providers are treated fairly and equitably
- protect public funds and meet principles of public law
- enable providers to respond to government priorities
The 19+ allocations technical guidance sets out in detail, the allocation methodologies and data sources we used to calculate ESFA funded AEB, ALL and 16 to 18 traineeships allocations (for providers without 16 to 19 funding) for the 2021 to 2022 funding year.
The apprenticeships non-levy technical guidance for 2021 to 2022 sets out how we calculated allocations for the 2021 to 2022 financial year.
Allocation timeline
We will publish information and updates to the timeline as we make progress on delivering allocations for 2021 to 2022.
Please check out the latest news column on the timeline and our ESFA Update for regular updates.
| Month | Activity | Latest News |
|---|---|---|
| February 2021 | Issue apprenticeships non-levy extension and national skills fund: adult level 3 offer allocations through Manage your education and skills funding. | We have issued these allocations |
| March 2021 | Providers must sign their apprenticeships non-levy extension contracts by 31 March 2021 otherwise they will expire. | The deadline has now passed |
| March 2021 | The business case deadline for apprenticeships non-levy extensions is 31 March 2021. This is to address significant R04 data errors that have affected the allocation we have calculated for you. It is not an opportunity to request growth. | The deadline has now passed |
| April 2021 | We will start to issue ESFA funded AEB, 19 to 24 traineeships, ALL and 16 to 18 traineeships allocations through Manage your education and skills funding service. | We have issued allocations |
| May 2021 | The R09 data return deadline is 7 May 2021. It is important that providers with apprenticeships non-levy extension allocations submit accurate data as will use this data to review allocation to ensure they are set at the right level. | |
| May 2021 | The business case deadline for ESFA funded AEB, ALL and 16 to 18 traineeships allocations is 14 May 2021. This is to fix significant data errors not an opportunity to request growth. | |
| May 2021 | We will communicate the outcomes of non-levy extension allocations business cases. | |
| May 2021 | We will review apprenticeships non-levy extension allocations using R09 data. | |
| June 2021 | We will communicate the outcomes of our R09 review of apprenticeships non-levy extension allocations. | |
| July 2021 | We will start to issue apprenticeship carry-in allocations through Manage your education and skills funding. | |
| July/August 2021 | We will issue funding agreements/contracts to providers. Providers must digitally sign agreements/contracts on Manage your education and skills funding. | |
| October 2021 | The R14 data return deadline is 22 October 2021. We will use this data to calculate final AEB continuing learner funding in newly devolved areas values. | |
| December 2021 | We will issue final AEB continuing learner funding in newly devolved areas values and issue contract variations shortly after. |
Business cases
When to submit a business case
You should only submit business cases where you have made significant data errors that have affected your funding allocation.
The deadline for apprenticeships non-levy extension allocations business cases has now passed.
We will not accept business cases for ESFA funded AEB, 19 to 24 traineeships, 16 to 18 traineeships (for providers without 16 to 19 funding) and ALL until you have received your allocation in April. The deadline for these business cases is 14 May 2021.
We will not accept requests for growth or cases that are not related to data errors.
How to submit a case
You should complete the business case template and send it to us using our online enquiry form.
Business case outcomes
Where cases have been received with full information before the deadline we aim to communicate outcomes of non-levy apprenticeships extensions cases in May 2021 and adult allocations cases in June 2021.
Complex cases can take longer to investigate, and we aim to communicate outcomes for these before 1 August 2021.
If successful, changes will be reflected in contracts from the start of the funding year
Supporting documents
- 19+ funding allocations guidance for 2021 to 2022
- 19+ funding allocations guidance for 2020 to 2021
- 19+ funding allocations guidance for 2019 to 2020
Published allocations
- 2020 to 2021 funding allocations to training providers
- 2019 to 2020 funding allocations to training providers
- 2018 to 2019 funding allocations to training providers
- 2017 to 2018 funding allocations to training providers
- 2016 to 2017 funding allocations to training providers
- 2015 to 2016 funding allocations to training providers
- 2014 to 2015 funding allocations to training providers
- 2013 to 2014 funding allocations to training providers
- 2005 to 2013 funding allocations to training providers
Contact us
If you have a query, please use the ESFA online form
Published 12 December 2018
Last updated 7 April 2021 + show all updates
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We have updated our allocations timeline, along with updated business case information. The deadline for business cases is now 14 May 2021.
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We have updated details on this page including the allocations timeline and business case deadlines.
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We have updated the 19+ funding allocations timeline
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We have updated our timeline and updated the business case deadlines.
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We have updated the allocations timeline and details of how and when to submit business cases.
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We have made some changes to the 19+ funding allocations page for 2020 to 2021
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We have added the GOV.UK link for the funding allocations to training proviers: 2019 2020 to the exisiting page.
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We have updated information for continuing learners for academic year 2019 to 2020
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We have added guidance explaining how we have calculated allocations for the 2019 to 2020 funding year.
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We have updated the information on non-levy apprenticeship funding.
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