ESFA weekly round-up – Issue 356

Education & Skills Funding Agency’s weekly round-up of business-critical information to ESFA-funded colleges, other training organisations and direct grant employers. (26 April 2017)

1. Updated provider data self-assessment toolkit

We have released an updated version of the provider data self-assessment toolkit (PDSAT) for the 2016 to 2017 funding year on the PDSAT section of GOV.UK.

The PDSAT assists colleges and training organisations with their routine ILR data-checking procedures for data returns in 2016 to 2017.

This version includes the sampler, enabling users to select audit samples and output to a set of audit working papers.

For further information, please email [email protected].

2. Reviewing provider data self-assessment toolkit reports: user guide

To support the publication of the provider data self-assessment toolkit (PDSAT) reports for the 2016 to 2017 funding year, we have published a user guide on the PDSAT section of GOV.UK.

The user guide assists colleges and training organisations to prepare for a provider risk and assurance review and with their routine ILR data-checking procedures in 2016 to 2017.

It highlights specific areas that we monitor during the 2016 to 2017 funding year. The monitoring plan is available on the Financial Assurance section of GOV.UK.

For further information, please email [email protected].

3. Funding allocations to deliver training to non-levy paying employers until December 2018

We have issued allocation statements setting out the amount of funding available to colleges and training organisations for:

• new apprenticeship starts to non-levy employers from May to December 2017
• AGE eligible starts during the period May to July 2017

For more information, please contact your business operations provider manager.

4. Updated Apprenticeship funding and performance management rules

We will shortly publish updated versions of the Apprenticeship: common funding and performance-management rules 2016 to 2017 and the Apprenticeship funding and performance-management rules for training providers to confirm arrangements for delivery to non-levy paying employers until December 2018.

Updated rules will set out how we are extending the current subcontracting rules for apprenticeship starts for non-levy paying employers until the end of December 2017.

All subcontractors must have entered the Register of Apprenticeship Training Providers (RoATP) to deliver during this period where they are delivering in excess of £100,000 of apprenticeship delivery.

The update will also confirm that rules on co-investment will continue to apply and funding will be calculated as set out in our Apprenticeship technical funding guide using the new funding bands.

For more information, please contact your business operations provider manager.

5. Purdah pre-election guidance Information

During the pre-election period, otherwise known as purdah, there are restrictions placed on government communications. Update will continue to be published with business critical information during this time.

The business of the ESFA will continue and factual reports and information will continue to be published.