Bidding has opened for the next round of adult education budget (AEB) procurement by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA).
Up to £63 million has been made available for qualification based AEB for 2023/24 with a further £12 million up for grabs for the free courses for jobs scheme (FCFJ), both serving non-devolved areas of England.
Tender documents state that contracts can, at the ESFA’s discretion, be extended annually for up the three years.
As with previous procurements, most bidders will be subjected to checks on their financial health. Colleges must have a financial health rating of at least ‘requires improvement’ and other providers must be rated at least ‘satisfactory’.
