Becoming an apprenticeship training provider

Understanding the apprenticeship provider landscape

Apprenticeship provider registration overview

Overview of requirements for businesses to become registered apprenticeship training providers.

To deliver apprenticeship training funded by the government, organisations must be registered on the Apprenticeship Provider and Assessment Register (APAR). This replaced the separate RoATP and EPAO registers in August 2023.

Register name: Apprenticeship Provider and Assessment Register (APAR)
Created: August 2023 (merged RoATP and EPAO)
Application assessment: Approximately 12 weeks
First-year cap (new supporting providers): £100,000 maximum subcontracted delivery in the first year
Regulator: Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) from 1 April 2026 - previously DfE; ESFA closed 31 March 2025

Apply to APAR

Provider types

Main providers - can contract directly with employers and government, can subcontract
Employer-providers - train their own employees only
Supporting providers - deliver as subcontractors for a lead provider, up to £500,000 a year (minimum 3 months' trading. New supporting providers are capped at £100,000 in their first year)

APAR eligibility requirements

Requirements for applying to the Apprenticeship Provider and Assessment Register.

Trading history: Minimum 12 months trading
UKPRN: Must have UK Provider Reference Number
ICO registration: Must be registered with Information Commissioner's Office
Financial viability: Must demonstrate adequate financial resources
Quality assurance: Must have quality assurance strategy in place
Provider routes: Main provider, employer provider, or supporting provider
Supporting providers: Minimum 3 months' trading; subcontracted delivery capped at £500,000 per year (£100,000 in the first year for new supporting providers)

APAR application guidance

Preparing your application

Get UKPRN - register with UK Register of Learning Providers first
ICO registration - ensure you're registered for data protection
Financial evidence - prepare accounts showing 12 months' trading history
Quality strategy - document your approach to quality assurance
Staff qualifications - evidence of qualified teaching/training staff
Policies - safeguarding, complaints, appeals procedures

First-year cap: New supporting providers are limited to £100,000 of subcontracted delivery in year one. Plan your capacity accordingly.

Funding rules 2026 to 2027

Apprenticeship funding rules 2026-27

Key funding rules for apprenticeship providers from DfE.

Funding bands: 30 bands ranging from £1,500 to £27,000
Payment structure: 80% monthly instalments during training, 20% on completion
Minimum duration: 8 months (reduced from 12 months)
Off-the-job training: Each apprenticeship standard has a published minimum number of off-the-job training hours (from 1 August 2025)
End-point assessment: Mandatory independent assessment at end of apprenticeship
ESFA closure: All functions transferred to DfE from 31 March 2025

Apprenticeship funding rules

How payment works

Funding is paid monthly throughout the apprenticeship:

80% - monthly instalments during training (on-programme payments)
20% - completion payment after successful end-point assessment

Funding bands: Each apprenticeship standard has a maximum funding band (£1,500 to £27,000). You negotiate the actual price with employers within this band.

Apprenticeship levy and co-investment

Apprenticeship levy rates and employer co-investment requirements.

Levy rate: 0.5% of payroll for employers with pay bill over £3 million
Annual allowance: £15,000 (offsets first £3 million of pay bill)
Current co-investment: 5% employer contribution for non-levy employers (starts before 1 August 2026)
Co-investment from 1 August 2026: 25% when levy funds are exhausted
Full funding for young apprentices: Currently ages 16-21 (plus 22-24 with an EHC plan or care leavers) at non-levy employers; extends to all under-25s from 1 August 2026
Levy expiry: 24 months; funds entering from 1 August 2026 expire after 12 months
Government top-up: 10% top-up withdrawn from 1 August 2026

Pay apprenticeship levy

Working with levy and non-levy employers

Levy-paying employers (pay bill over £3m):

Pay for apprenticeship training from their apprenticeship service account
Choose any provider on APAR
Funds expire after 24 months (funds entering from 1 August 2026 expire after 12 months, and the 10% top-up is withdrawn from the same date)

Non-levy employers:

Government funds 95% of training costs (5% employer co-investment) for starts before 1 August 2026. From 1 August 2026 the employer contribution rises to 25%
Full funding for apprentices aged 16 to 21 (and 22 to 24 with an EHC plan or care leavers). This extends to all under-25s from 1 August 2026
Access funding through approved providers or levy transfers

Growth and Skills Levy: what changes when

The apprenticeship levy is being reformed into the Growth and Skills Levy in phases:

August 2025 - foundation apprenticeships (level 2, for ages 16 to 21, plus 22 to 24 with an EHC plan, care leavers or prison leavers) introduced
April 2026 - apprenticeship units become available
1 August 2026 - new funding mechanics - 25% co-investment, 12-month expiry for new funds, 10% top-up withdrawn, full funding for all under-25s at non-levy employers
October 2026 - £2,000 incentive for non-levy employers hiring apprentices aged 16 to 24

Ofsted inspection

Ofsted inspection requirements

Ofsted inspection framework for apprenticeship providers.

Framework change: November 2025 - major framework revision
Overall Effectiveness grade: Removed - replaced with Report Card system
Safeguarding: Now binary assessment - "Met" or "Not Met"
New provider visits: Monitoring visit within around 24 months of starting funded delivery
Key differentiator: KSB (knowledge, skills, behaviours) tracking quality
Quality Alliance: Sector-led quality assurance framework

Education inspection framework

Preparing for inspection

Under the renewed inspection framework (from November 2025), providers receive a report card grading each evaluation area on a 5-point scale rather than a single overall judgement. Safeguarding is judged separately as "Met" or "Not met".

Main success factors:

Strong knowledge, skills, behaviours (KSB) tracking
Good progression and completion rates
Effective employer engagement
Quality teaching and assessment
Strong safeguarding procedures

New providers: Expect a monitoring visit within around 24 months of starting funded delivery.

Subcontracting

If you want to subcontract delivery to other organisations.

Apprenticeship subcontracting requirements

Requirements for subcontracting arrangements in apprenticeship delivery.

Threshold: Subcontractors delivering £100,000 or more a year must be listed on APAR (the £100,000 de minimis is unchanged for 2026-27 and is available to all providers from 1 August 2026)
Lead provider responsibility: Full responsibility for quality assurance and compliance
Assurance: Provide assurance on subcontracting arrangements in line with the apprenticeship funding rules
Financial management: Must demonstrate value for money in subcontracting
Management fee: Must be justified and reasonable

Apprenticeship funding rules 2026 to 2027

Lead provider responsibilities

If you subcontract, you remain responsible for:

Quality of training delivered by subcontractors
Compliance with funding rules
Safeguarding
Data and reporting
Apprentice outcomes

Due diligence: Before subcontracting, verify the subcontractor's capability, financial stability, and compliance history.

Employer-provider partnerships

Requirements for employer-provider arrangements in apprenticeship delivery.

Apprenticeship agreement: Written agreement required between employer and apprentice
Training plan: Required document setting out training content and responsibilities
Employer responsibilities: Wages, supervision, off-the-job training time, safe working environment
Provider responsibilities: Training delivery, progress monitoring, EPA coordination
Levy employers: Can choose any provider on APAR, fund via their apprenticeship service account
Non-levy employers: Access funding through main providers or via the apprenticeship service with government contribution

Apprenticeships for employers

Building employer relationships

What employers want:

Training relevant to their business needs
Minimal disruption to operations
Clear progress reporting
Support with off-the-job training requirements
Help navigating funding and administration

What you must provide:

Apprenticeship agreement (between employer and apprentice)
Training plan (formerly the commitment statement)
Regular progress reviews
Support for end-point assessment

Next steps to become a provider

Check eligibility - 12 months' trading, relevant expertise
Get UKPRN - register at ukrlp.co.uk
Register with ICO - data protection registration
Prepare evidence - financial records, policies, staff CVs
Apply to APAR - submit application via the government service
Await assessment - about 12 weeks
Contract - once approved, sign your funding agreement
Start delivering - in line with your funding agreement (new supporting providers: £100,000 first-year subcontracting cap)
Prepare for Ofsted - monitoring visit within around 24 months of starting funded delivery