Match funding
Funding awarded through either contract for services or grant is classified as being ‘clean’ in terms of being matched with EU structural funds (e.g. ESF).
Organisations commissioned to deliver AEB must not endeavour to independently match AEB funding to any other funding stream without the express consent of the WMCA.
The WMCA reserves the right to match this funding at source.
Providers must seek WMCA approval before using our funds to make bids for, or claims from, European funding on their own behalf or on our behalf.
Funding requests should be submitted at least 2/3 weeks prior to providers making a bid for ESFA funds
What the WMCA funds
The WMCA will only fund the provision included in your funding agreement and Delivery Plan. You must make sure that learning is eligible for funding before the resident starts. The ESFA Hub contains details of eligible regulated qualifications, qualification components and non-regulated learning aims.
Any delivery you undertake over and above that which is included in your Delivery Plan will not be funded, unless agreed in writing beforehand with the WMCA. This includes specific levels, sectors and local authorities.
Any delivery you undertake over and above that which is included in your Delivery Plan will not be funded, unless agreed in writing beforehand with the WMCA. This includes specific levels, sectors and local authorities. The WMCA will review performance against delivery plans at key points in the year and will look to reconcile any over-spend. A provider may also be asked to stop delivery of certain sectors based on changes in priorities and over-delivery.
The WMCA may make concessions in the funding rules responding to a specific economic event impacting on residents e.g. pandemic, climate event or significant restructuring of large employer leading to residents at risk of redundancy. This will be agreed on a case by case basis.
The WMCA will provide partial or full funding Level 3 qualifications and units where they support progression in work or career changes through re-training. This will be agreed as part of your delivery plan with agreed levels of contribution in line with RSP priorities.
To support the unemployed into work, we have broadened the delivery of Sector Based Work Academy Programmes (SWAP) that comprise specific skills-based learning and work experience with a recruiting employer. We have also introduced sector gateways to enable residents to move into work quickly through short occupational training where there isn’t a specific recruiting employer but there is demand in the job market and the provider will support residents to gain employment. The WMCA will agree the price as part of delivery plans under those lots specific to supporting the unemployed or through flexibilities within grant agreements.
For procured activity under Lot 3, we will work with those successful providers in determining the delivery plan which will set out what we will fund. The WMCA will continually evaluate the impact of Lot 3 to establish an evidence base as to how we might progressively change the way we fund skills delivery over the coming years.
For fully-funded residents who are unemployed, the WMCA will pay 50% of the achievement payment if they start a job before achieving the learning aim. If the resident then achieves the learning aim, the WMCA will pay the remaining achievement payment. The following conditions apply that the resident must provide you with evidence through a declaration, that they have a job for 16 hours or more a week for four consecutive weeks. Universal Credit work allowances may still apply for those residents eligible who become employed and will reduce in time based on the earnings taper rate.
We will also pay a sustainable job outcome payment dependent on the residents age at start of the programme based on sustained employment of 13 consecutive weeks at the same employer for SWAP and sector gateway programmes. The following conditions apply that the resident must provide you with evidence through a declaration, that they have a job for 16 hours or more a week for 13 consecutive weeks. Universal Credit work allowances may still apply for those residents eligible who become employed and will reduce in time based on the earnings taper rate.
The WMCA will continue to fund the Prince’s Trust Team Programme where this has been agreed with WMCA.
Lists of eligible qualifications for 19-year olds and the Level 3 National Skills Fund offer are available on www.gov.uk/guidance/national-skills-fund
When new qualifications are added to the list’s learners will be eligible for funding for new starts from the date of publication. Funding cannot be backdated. Where learners have already enrolled on these qualifications funded by other means (e.g. the Advanced Learner Loan) providers cannot claim AEB funding through the adult Level 3 offer.
What the WMCA will not fund
Provision that is not part of a provider’s delivery plan or has been given prior written approval via our internal change process.
The WMCA will not fund residents in residences that do not have an eligible WMCA postcode. They will be funded via the relevant Mayoral Combined Authority (MCA), Greater London Authority (GLA) or ESFA.
It is a provider’s responsibility to ensure the relevant funding is secured from the relevant funding body in 2021/22 for their residents.
You must not claim funding where a resident only sits or resits a learning aim assessment or examination and no extra learning takes place. You must not claim funding for any provision you deliver to a resident whose learning is taking place outside England.
You must not claim funding for any part of any resident’s learning aim or programme that duplicates provision they have received from any other source.
You must not enrol individuals on learning aims or learning programmes eligible for AEB funding at the same time as any new apprenticeship they start, funded from an employer’s digital account or Government-employer co-investment.
You must not enrol individuals through AEB, where a learner is planning to undertake an apprenticeship and where that training will replicate vocational and other learning aims covered by the apprenticeship standard or framework, including English and maths.
The WMCA will not fund a resident to repeat the same regulated qualification where they have previously achieved it unless it is for any GCSE where the resident has not achieved grade C, or grade 4, or higher.
You must not use your WMCA AEB allocation to deliver provision to residents in custody. The Ministry of Justice funds prison education in England. Please note you can use your WMCA AEB to fund individuals released on temporary licence.
You must provide accurate unique resident number (ULN) information to awarding organisations and ensure all information you use to register residents for qualifications is correct. You can find more information about the Personal Learner Record Service on the GOV.UK website.
WMCA AEB devolved funding can only be spent on residents with a WMCA postcode.
The WMCA flexibilities available through the devolved AEB enables it to fully, co-funded or pay differently for certain activities which it believes will deliver better impact or outcome for residents. These flexibilities will have been agreed as part of your Delivery Plan. In addition, where appropriate for the resident, you can deliver local flexibility provision alongside a legal entitlement qualification.
You must check the eligibility of the learner at the start of each learning aim and only claim funding for eligible learners.