The Skills Funding Agency (SFA) has now released its invitation to tender for adult education and training services. We look at what this means for the tendering landscape and the specifics of your contract that might make your tender more likely to succeed.
After much delay, the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) has now released its invitation to tender for adult education and training services. The much anticipated document sets out what training the SFA is looking for from providers for the 2017/18 funding year.
From the content of the document, it appears that the SFA is beginning to align its planning to last year’s Post-16 Skills Plan, by encouraging providers to deliver technical provision supporting the ‘15 technical education employment routes and pathways’.
This is an interesting development, as the Department for Education (DfE) is still in the process of establishing the details of the new technical education qualification titles before sending them out to tender. According to current timescales, the first licenses for development of these qualifications will be granted in 2018 for a September 2019 start. In the interim, the SFA is looking to grow capacity for the delivery of technical provision by prioritising technical certificates and tech levels as a proxy for the technical education qualifications that are still to be scoped by the DfE.
There is still an appetite from the SFA for qualifications and provision below Level 2 – especially that which supports ‘adults into technical education through locally responsive education tasters’. This will help progression into technical education routes and support learners in the development of ‘independent living skills and engagement activity supporting adults to operate confidently and effectively in life and work’.
Another provision that may allow your contract application to be looked upon favourably is the delivery of traineeships where you’re able to provide evidence that learners have progressed to employment or apprenticeships. It’s re-assuring that during a time of increased focus on the Apprenticeship Levy and the subsequent move to standards, traineeships haven’t been allowed to be quietly phased out. The SFA will also look favourably at applications that offer Functional Skills in English and maths, as well as skills provision in disadvantaged areas.
NCFE offers Functional Skills, and a range of provision to support learners to their technical education destinations - please get in touch if you’re interested in these in support of your tender or read our blog how Functional Skills can benefit your learners.
