Department For Education
What is the Register of Apprenticeship Training Providers (RoATP)
The Register of Apprenticeship Training Providers (RoATP) is a record of organisations that are eligible to receive government funding to train apprentices.
All organisations currently registered on the RoATP must adhere to the conditions of acceptance.
You can join the RoATP if you are:
- a training provider (under certain conditions)
- a levy paying employer-provider
How training providers can join the register
The Department for Education (DfE) manages applications to the register to make sure new training providers meet a gap in provision or are providing training in an area we want to grow.
You can apply to join the register if you can demonstrate one or more of the following:
- if you are an employer that pays the levy and wants to train your own workforce or apprentices, you can apply to join the register as an employer-provider
- if you are a provider nominated by an employer that has successfully evidenced a gap in the existing apprenticeship provision offer
- if you are a provider that delivers provision we want to grow or where there are known capacity issues (as identified by the DfE), you can either request to join the register directly or request an invitation to apply to join, depending on your level of regulation
Employers looking for training for apprentices
If you are an employer, you can find training for your apprentices using the find apprenticeship training service. You can use this online service to search through over 1600 registered training providers to find training that meets your needs.
If you cannot find a provider that meets your needs, you can nominate a provider to join the register (Application Route 1: Gaps in provision), or apply to join yourself if you are a levy-paying employer (Application Route 2: Join the register as an employer-provider).
Application route 1: Gaps in provision
This route is suitable if you are an employer and have used the find apprenticeship training service and have found:
- there is no training for the skill you need
- training is available, but the provider is unable to deliver it - for example, it may not be available in the location you need or by the delivery mode you require (such as block or day release)
Once you are sure there is a gap in provision, you need to register your interest using the find apprenticeship training service to advertise your training need and alert registered providers.
You need to keep this alert live for one calendar month to allow providers time to respond.
After a month, if you have not been able to find a suitable provider, you will need to provideDfEwith evidence of:
- any communications with providers who have declared interest
- all contact you have made with providers currently advertising for the specific apprenticeship standard, and reasons why they are not suitable
Once you have completed these steps and provided evidence that you cannot find the right training for your apprentice, you can nominate a preferred provider.
You can do this by completing the .
Use this form to explain the training gap you need to fill and provide the name of your preferred training provider. We will ask you to evidence why this training gap cannot be met by existing training providers.
Send your completed form via email to RoATP.mailbox@education.gov.uk.
If your application is successful, we will contact your preferred training provider with details of how to apply to join the register.
When a training provider receives our invitation to apply, they have 30 calendar days to apply to join from this date.
Growing capacity
A gap in provision does not need to be demonstrated where there are capacity issues or known gaps in provision, or where the DfE wants to grow capacity to support specific sectors, employers or the wider economy.
The sector will be notified of priority areas and information on eligible providers will be made available.
To support the growth of higher and degree apprenticeships and teaching apprenticeships, a gap in provision does not need to be demonstrated for Office for Students (OfS) registered providers and initial teacher training (ITT) providers (ITT accredited),
Eligible providers can without demonstrating a gap in provision. This includes OfS registered providers without degree awarding powers and initial teacher training providers (ITT accredited). This is because these providers cover occupational areas where we want to expand apprenticeship provision.
In recognition of the current level of DfE regulation, certain providers can , including OfS registered providers with degree awarding powers.
Eligible providers can download and submit the relevant form via email to RoATP.mailbox@education.gov.uk.
Exception for training and testing for a driving licence
For a limited time, in response to supply issues for driver training and testing in the transport sector, we have introduced a temporary flexibility to support training providers to increase their capacity to deliver training and testing for a driving licence.
This exception is restricted to the mandatory driving licence required as part of the large goods vehicle (LGV) driver C + E level 2 apprenticeship.
Under this exception supporting providers, also known as subcontractors, exclusively supporting apprentices to obtain a driving licence, do not need to be on theRoATP.
This exception will end on 31 December 2023. This will allow time for:
- providers and supporting providers to support existing learners
- supporting providers to apply to the register
Lead providers must download and submit the to DfE to gain approval before subcontracting to providers not on the RoATP.
Providers already delivering the apprenticeship standard via the exception will be invited to apply to the register without requiring an employer to evidence a gap in the market.
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