Government officials are seeking sector views as they design the next national adult education budget (AEB) tender – which one specialist is predicting will face a further funding squeeze.
Several Education and Skills Funding Agency market engagement events are scheduled for later this month, September, ahead of the launch of the invitation to tender, which is expected to get underway before the end of 2022.
It will be a rerun of the controversial 2021 AEB procurement for providers in non-devolved areas of England, which was hit with multiple delays and significantly reduced the private provider base.
But there are likely to be several differences this time around amid the government’s funding and accountability reforms, which are currently in the public domain for consultation. These include proposals for new and increased funding rates.
