Policy paper

Funding higher risk organisations and subcontractors

What the Department for Education defines as a 鈥榟igh risk鈥� provider, the decision-making process and the possible actions it can take.

From:
Department for Education and Education and Skills Funding Agency
Published
14 September 2020
Last updated
9 January 2025 鈥� See all updates

Applies to England

Documents

Funding higher risk organisations and subcontractors policy

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Details

The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) closed on 31 March 2025. All activity has moved to the Department for Education (DfE). You should continue to have regard to the policy.

The policy applies to all public and private sector providers accessing post-16 funding streams.

It does not apply to:

  • schools and academies (unless they hold a funding agreement for post-16 apprenticeship training and education services)
  • training providers that only deliver Skills Bootcamps
  • budgets associated with functions transferred from the Secretary of State for Education to local government institutions (known as devolution)

Updates to this page

Published 14 September 2020
Last updated 9 January 2025 show all updates

  1. The policy has been updated to expand the criteria for identifying high risk providers, and to clarify when the policy applies and the actions the Department for Education can take.

  2. We have amended the references to ESFA and the Department to reflect organisational changes following the recent arm's length body review of ESFA.

  3. First published.

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