Register of training organisations refresh Market entry pre-qualification process June 2015 Market entry and market exit team

Purpose of the Register Ensure organisations currently listed, and any new organisations, are: • Suitable entities to deliver or develop learning

Safeguard public funds together with our interests and those of the provider, learners’ or users’

• Financially robust The refresh of the register of training organisations will… Enable the Agency to: • Confirm if organisations with an existing funding agreement with us are suitable to continue to fund • Support the sector in subcontracting provision, by requiring subcontractors intending to deliver £100,000 or more in aggregated value, to enter the Register before they enter into such arrangements

Act as the market entry point for organisations seeking to be eligible to compete for contracts when funding becomes available

Register refresh Who is it for? •

Any organisation currently listed on the Register regardless of when they last applied

•

Any new organisation that wants to compete for funding or contracts

Why do organisations have to refresh? •

Questions have been updated– the questions have been updated to reflect changes to procurement regulations (Public Contract Regulations 2015)

•

It ensures information is current – for example ensuring organisations are evaluated on their most recent financial statements as their position may have changed since their last application

•

It ensures all organisations are evaluated equally as we have updated our questions and process – with all organisations completing the same questions we can use these answers to invite organisations to tender, improving responsiveness to new opportunities

What is new?

1. One Register

2. Updated pre-qualification process

3. Financial health assessment toolkit

One Register We have widened the remit of the register in order to simplify our processes and reduce the number of PQQs organisations are required to complete if they are interested in more than the delivery of education and training.

The Register Delivery of information, advice and guidance (help individuals make decisions on learning, training and work opportunities)

Development of services Delivery of education and training

(enhancing the delivery of the National Careers Service and increasing the numbers of young people taking up Apprenticeship and Traineeship opportunities)

Updated pre-qualification process We have updated our pre-qualification process to reduce the number of questions for organisations that do not want to tender. For organisations that want to tender when opportunities become available our updated questions help them understand what is required to deliver a contract.

Pre-qualification process Due diligence questions (includes a financial health self-assessment)

Capacity and capability questions

All organisations must complete and pass the due diligence and capacity and capability questions in order to be invited to tender

(cannot be submitted unless the due diligence questions are submitted first)

Testing capacity and capability further at this stage will enable us to focus our tendering more efficiently

FHA self-assessment toolkit What is it? An Excel worksheet designed to: •

guide organisations through the financial health assessment (FHA)

•

help determine what information is required to undertake an assessment

•

predict a grade of Outstanding/Good/Satisfactory/Inadequate based on the information entered

The toolkit provides directions/warnings according to what is input and it provides explanations on where to find the financial numbers from financial statements.

What does this mean for organisations that apply? Organisations complete the self-assessment toolkit and upload it to the due diligence questions. They must also submit their latest financial statements that have been used to complete the self-assessment toolkit, as well as any other additional information identified in our guidance.

ESF 2014 to 2020 Over the next few months, we will procure the following European Social Fund (ESF) 2014 to 2020 programme-funded education and training services:

•

support programmes for young people (IP1.2)

•

programmes for the unemployed (IP1.1)

•

skills support for the workforce (IP2.1)

•

skills support for employers (IP2.2)

These will help meet Local Enterprise Partnerships’ (LEPs) priorities. To bid for these ESF opportunities organisations will need to complete and pass the due diligence questions and capacity and capability questions. We close for applications at 5.00pm on Friday, 3 July 2015

Key activities and dates Register Refresh available to complete 2 June 2015

• Only organisations that apply at the Register Refresh and successfully complete the due diligence and

Organisations register / login to e-tendering portal Access and complete pre-qualification questions

capacity and capability questions will be invited to tender

• due diligence questions • capacity and capability questions • Organisations that miss the 3 July 2015 deadline must Submit application Before 5.00pm on 3 July 2015

wait until the next application window later this year

Applications evaluated by SFA Results / feedback issued to organisations on etendering portal End of August 2015 * Register is published End of August 2015 *

• Organisations that submit a tender before we issue feedback on the Register Refresh will only be considered at contract award if their Register Refresh application is successful

* Date may change depending on the number of applications we receive

Important links Register webpage https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/sfa-register-of-training-organisations Read me first instruction document

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/sfa-pre-qualification-questions How to access the e-tendering portal and questions https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sfa-register-reference-support-guide-for-the-e-tendering-portal

Skills Funding Agency e-tendering portal https://skillsfundingagency.bravosolution.co.uk/web/login.shtml Financial health assessment guidance (including self-assessment toolkit and supporting guidance)

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sfa-financial-health-assessment Additional financial information guidance https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sfa-register-additional-financial-information