Department For Education
Who is this publication for?
This manual is for Ofqual-regulated awarding organisations.
When the manual will be reviewed
The manual will be updated on a termly basis to include additional information to support you with the funding approval process. We will only publish outside of these timescales where there is a need to update.
We are expecting to update the manual in autumn 2023 to include additional information on the funding approval criteria to approve qualifications for adult offers.
- Scope of this qualification funding approval manual
Summary of what this manual includes and where information not included in the manual can be found.
- Funding approval process for 2025 to 2026
Process to approve alternative academic and technical qualifications for funding for 2025 to 2026.
- Transition to the 2025 to 2026 funding approval process
How we will transition from the existing funding approval process to the 2025 to 2026 process, and how existing post-16 qualification offers will change.
- Common funding approval criteria
Criteria that all qualifications need to meet to be approved for funding.
- Qualification-type funding approval criteria: alternative academic qualifications
Funding approval criteria that alternative academic qualifications need to meet alongside the common approval and offer-specific criteria.
- Qualification-type funding approval criteria: technical qualifications
Funding approval criteria that technical qualifications need to meet alongside the common approval and offer specific criteria.
- Offer-specific funding approval criteria: 16 to 19 offer
Funding approval criteria that qualifications will need to meet for the 16 to 19 offer alongside the common approval and qualification-type criteria.
- Qualifications approved for funding for adults aged 19 and over
Qualification offers that we will consider level 2 and level 3 qualifications for funding for adults.
- Alternative academic qualifications: funding approval process
How we will approve alternative academic qualifications for funding.
- Level 3 technical qualifications: funding approval process
How we will approve level 3 technical qualifications for funding.
- Level 2 technical qualifications: funding approval process
How we will approve level 2 technical qualifications for funding.
- Information in Ofquals Register of Regulated Qualifications
Information in Ofquals Register of Regulated Qualifications that we will use to review your qualification for funding approval.
- Managing and monitoring the qualification offers
How we manage changes once a qualification is approved for funding and how we monitor the qualification offers.
- Contact us
How you can get in touch if you have any questions about the funding approval criteria or the process to approve qualifications for funding.
- Definitions
Help with terms used in this manual
- Annex A: overview of submission process
Process to submit level 3 alternative academic and level 2 and level 3 technical qualifications for funding approval.
- Annex B: overview of approval process
High-level overview of the approval process and the role of each organisation in the process.