External Funding
Did you know that a lot of our qualifications are approved for funding by the Department for Education’s (DfE) Adult Skills Fund (ASF) which is the government’s accountable body for funding education, apprenticeships and training for young people and adults in England?
ESB International already works with approved FE and sixth-form colleges, Independent Training Providers (ITPs), schools and academies who receive annual funding allocations from the ASF, whose vision is the same as ours; to support, develop and help fund world-class education and skills provision for every learner to reach their potential, regardless of their background.
Understanding the funding landscape in England can be a bit of a minefield, so we have provided some key information below that relates specifically to the types of funding available for ESB qualifications.
We highly recommend that you refer directly to government, DfE and ASF websites for the most up-to-date information, as funding rules and information change on a regular basis. To see a list of qualifications approved for funding, please see the overview table below.
Schools ( ages 4-16)
Learners in state school primary and secondary education are all categorised as full-time learners and are therefore ineligible for government funding of ESB qualifications.
Learners in private fee-paying schools are also ineligible for funding of ESB International’s qualifications.
Further Education (FE) and Sixth-form colleges and Independent Training Providers ( ages 14-19)
Learners who are 14-19 and in FE and Sixth-form colleges may be eligible for funding of ESB qualifications, depending on several factors, for example:
- If they are enrolling on an ESOL Skills for Life qualification from Pre-Entry to Level 2.
- What else the learner is doing (if anything):
- ESB qualifications can be incorporated into Study Programmes, however a learner cannot be funded for two study programmes at the same time. Learners can start a new programme of study in the same academic year, once the first one has finished.
- If learners are completing A-levels, T-levels or an Apprenticeship, they won’t be eligible for funding for an ESB qualification.
- Learners in private fee-paying further education are ineligible for funding of ESB qualifications.
Further Education (FE) and Sixth-form colleges and Independent Training Providers (19+)
Adult learners (19+) may also be eligible for funding of ESB qualifications. Again, this is dependent on several factors, for example:
- Previous qualifications, for example if they have already completed a full level 3 or above qualification.
- If they are already being funded for another ASF funded qualification.
Key funding information relating to ASF funding for ESOL qualifications:
- Individuals will be eligible for ASF funding if they meet the criteria here, the learning is taking place in England and they are ordinarily resident in the UK on the first day of learning.
- The ASF will fund learners aged 19 or older on the 31st of August within the funding year.
- The ASF will fund ESOL learning up to and including level 2.
- Providers offering ESOL qualifications may need to deliver additional learning to individual learners that incurs additional cost above the qualification rate. There may be additional funding available for this – click on the funding guidance link below to find out more.
- Pre-entry funding is available for our Speaking and Listening qualifications, supporting learners who are not yet ready for Entry 1. The ESB Pre-entry Assessment in Speaking and Listening is a non-regulated qualification, so it is eligible for funding via non-regulated Z codes and quality assured through the RARPA process (Recognising and Recording Progress and Achievement).
Additional Information
The ASF manages the majority of these contracts, with the exception of devolved authorities, where funding is managed at a local level. The devolved areas include:
- Greater London Authority (GLA)
- Greater Manchester
- Liverpool City Region
- West Midlands
- East Midlands
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
- Greater Lincolnshire
- Hull and East Yorkshire
- Tees Valley
| Qualification Name | Qualification Number | 14-16 Funding | 16-19 Funding | Local Flexibilities |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ESB Level 4 Award in Professional Presentation Skills | 600/0557/7 | x | √ | x |
| ESB Entry Level Award in ESOL Skills for Life (Speaking and Listening) (Entry 1) | 601/5445/7 | √ | √ | √ |
| ESB Entry Level Award in ESOL Skills for Life (Speaking and Listening) (Entry 2) | 601/5447/0 | √ | √ | √ |
| ESB Entry Level Award in ESOL Skills for Life (Speaking and Listening) (Entry 3) | 601/5407/X | √ | √ | √ |
| ESB Level 1 Award in ESOL Skills for Life (Speaking and Listening) | 601/5465/2 | √ | √ | √ |
| ESB Level 2 Award in ESOL Skills for Life (Speaking and Listening) | 601/5467/6 | √ | √ | √ |
| ESB Entry Level Award in ESOL Skills for Life (Reading) (Entry 1) | 601/5469/X | √ | √ | √ |
| ESB Entry Level Award in ESOL Skills for Life (Reading) (Entry 2) | 601/5471/8 | √ | √ | √ |
| ESB Entry Level Award in ESOL Skills for Life (Reading) (Entry 3) | 601/5411/1 | √ | √ | √ |
| ESB Level 1 Award in ESOL Skills for Life (Reading) | 601/5473/1 | √ | √ | √ |
| ESB Level 2 Award in ESOL Skills for Life (Reading) | 601/5490/1 | √ | √ | √ |
| ESB Entry Level Award in ESOL Skills for Life (Writing) (Entry 1) | 601/5470/6 | √ | √ | √ |
| ESB Entry Level Award in ESOL Skills for Life (Writing) (Entry 2) | 601/5472/X | √ | √ | √ |
| ESB Entry Level Award in ESOL Skills for Life (Writing) (Entry 3) | 601/5444/5 | √ | √ | √ |
| ESB Level 1 Award in ESOL Skills for Life (Writing) | 601/5474/3 | √ | √ | √ |
| ESB Level 2 Award in ESOL Skills for Life (Writing) | 601/5483/4 | √ | √ | √ |
| ESB Entry Level Certificate in ESOL Skills for Life (Entry 1) | 601/5541/3 | √ | √ | √ |
| ESB Entry Level Certificate in ESOL Skills for Life (Entry 2) | 601/5540/1 | √ | √ | √ |
| ESB Entry Level Certificate in ESOL Skills for Life (Entry 3) | 601/5537/1 | √ | √ | √ |
| ESB Level 1 Certificate in ESOL Skills for Life | 601/5543/7 | √ | √ | √ |
| ESB Level 2 Certificate in ESOL Skills for Life | 601/5544/9 | √ | x | x |
| ESB Entry Level Award in Graded Examinations in Speech (Entry 1) (EAL-A1) | 603/0553/8 | √ | x | x |
| ESB Entry Level Award in Graded Examinations in Speech (Entry 2) (EAL-A2) | 603/0616/6 | √ | x | x |
| ESB Entry Level Award in Graded Examinations in Speech (Entry 3) (EAL-B1) | 603/0621/X | √ | x | x |
| ESB Level 1 Award in Speech (Grade 1) | 501/1665/4 | √ | x | x |
| ESB Level 1 Award in Speech (Grade 2) | 603/6757/X | √ | x | x |
| ESB Level 1 Award in Speech (Grade 3) | 501/1662/9 | √ | x | x |
| ESB Level 2 Certificate in Speech (Grade 4) | 603/5192/5 | √ | √ | x |
| ESB Level 2 Certificate in Speech (Grade 5) | 501/1668/X | √ | x | x |
| ESB Level 2 Certificate in Speech (Grade 6) | 501/1669/1 | √ | √ | x |
| ESB Level 2 Certificate in Speech (Grade 8) | 501/1667/8 | √ | √ | x |
External Funding for ESB Qualifications – Eligibility Table