GLA Adult Skills Fund: final funding and performance management rules for funding year 2026 to 2027

What's new

The following table represents the key changes made from version two of this document (ASF Grant Funding and performance management rules 2025 to 2026, published in January 2026). 

Please note that this document applies from the date of its publication.

This document sets out the Greater London Authority's ASF funding rules for the academic year running from 1 August 2026 to 31 July 2027. The rules apply to all providers of education and training who receive ASF grant funding from the Secretary of State for Education acting through the Greater London Authority (“GLA”). Section 101 of the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009 allows for funding to be subject to conditions in this way.

Providers must respond to the priorities set by the Mayor in the London Growth Plan, Inclusive Talent Strategy and those set by local commissioners and other stakeholders, for example London Skills Improvement Plan (“LSIP”).

These rules do not apply to apprenticeships, advanced learner loans or to education and training services funded by the Department for Education (“DfE”).

Grant funded providers paid on actual levels of delivery must also familiarise themselves with section on London Talent Pathways.

This document forms part of the terms and conditions of funding and you must read them in conjunction with your Conditions of Funding (Grant). You must operate within the terms and conditions of the Conditions of Funding (Grant), these rules, and the Individualised Learner Record (“ILR”) specification and supplementary GLA guidance. If you do not, you are in breach of the Conditions of Funding (Grant) with the GLA.

All information, including hyperlinks, were correct when we published this document.

The GLA reserves the right to make changes to these rules. This may be, for example, to ensure devolved ASF aligns to the priorities outlined in the London Growth Plan and Inclusive Talent Strategy and continues to comply with any requirements set by government.

Understanding the terminology

The terms ‘GLA’, ‘we’, ‘us’ and ‘our’ refer to the Greater London Authority.

When we refer to ‘you’, ‘your’ or ‘providers’, this includes colleges, higher education institutions and local authorities who receive funding from us to deliver education and training. We will use the generic term ‘you’ or ‘provider’ unless the requirements only apply to a specific provider type.

We use the term ‘grant agreement’ to describe the GLA adult skills fund Conditions of Funding (Grant) which is issued to ASF grant providers.

We use the terms ‘individual’ and ‘learner’ to cover those whose provision is funded by us.

We use the term ‘provision’ or ‘learning’ to refer to all learning that we fund, whether it is a regulated qualification or other learning that is not a regulated qualification.

If we refer to qualifications, either these will be from the Regulated Qualification Framework (RQF) or an Access to Higher Education Diploma recognised and regulated by the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA).

If we refer to a 'learning aim', we mean a single episode of learning which could be a regulated qualification, a component of a regulated qualification or non-regulated learning identified by a Learning Aim Reference Code.

If we refer to ‘programmes’ we mean a coherent package of learning which may include regulated qualifications, components of regulated qualifications or non-regulated learning with clearly stated aims supporting agreed outcomes.

We have included a glossary (Annex 7) to explain technical terms.

Contacting us

You can contact us through our Service Desk at [email protected]. You can also contact your provider manager.

Individuals will be eligible for ASF funding if the learning is taking place in England and they are ordinarily resident (a person who normally lives in the United Kingdom, are allowed to live there by law, and return there after temporary trips outside the country) in London on the first day of learning.

We will fund eligible individuals, resident in London on the learning start date. We will fund individuals for learning that is delivered at an employee’s workplace.

Age

On the first day of learning a learner must be aged 19 or older on 31 August within the 2026 to 2027 funding year to be GLA funded.

The age of the learner on 31 August in the funding year determines whether the learner is funded through the ASF funding methodology (for individuals aged 19 and over).

Individuals aged 19 to 24 with an Education Health and Care Plan are funded by the DfE through the young people's funding methodology and fall outside the scope of these rules.

Duration

Learners will be eligible for GLA ASF for the whole of the learning aim or programme if they are eligible for funding at the start, even if the duration is for over one year. You must reassess the learner for any further learning they start.

Potential issues

If an individual starts a learning aim or programme and is not eligible for funding, we will not fund their learning while they remain ineligible.

You must not fund a learner who is unable to complete a learning aim or programme of study in the time they have available.

You must check the residency eligibility of a learner, including whether they are resident in London, at the start of each learning aim and only claim funding for ASF for eligible learners. Further details for this can be found in Annex 1.

Learners with limited length visas

You must not fund learners who would not have enough time on their visa to complete their course and who do not intend to, or would not be eligible to, renew their visa. Where a course continues past a learner’s visa expiry date, you may at your discretion fund that learner only where there is documented evidence indicating that the learner intends to, and is likely to be eligible to, renew their visa. 

Learners who have applied for an extension or variation of their immigration permission

Any person who has applied for an extension or variation of their current immigration permission in the UK is still treated as if they have that leave. This only applies if the application was made before their current permission expired. Their leave continues until the Home Office decide on their immigration application. Their leave will continue where they have appealed or sought an administrative review of their case within the time allowed to them for doing so. 

Therefore, a person is considered to still have the immigration permission that they held when they made their application for an extension, administrative review or appeal and their eligibility would be based upon this status. 

This is on the basis that the provider confirmed at enrolment (via learner’s self-declaration) that the learner intended to and will be eligible to renew their visa.

EEA and Switzerland frontier workers

An EEA (please see Annex 1)  or Switzerland frontier worker is someone who is employed or self-employed in the UK who resides in the EEA or Switzerland and returns to that residence in the EEA or Switzerland at least once a week.

Unlike other categories, a frontier worker or their eligible family member does not have to be resident in the UK on the first day of learning in order to have an eligible residency status.

Asylum seekers are eligible to receive full funding if:

• they are resident in London, and
• have lived in the UK for six months or longer while their claim is being considered by the Home Office, and no decision on their claim has been made, or
• are receiving local authority support under section 23C or section 23CA of the Children Act 1989 or the Care Act 2014

An individual who has been refused asylum will be eligible for full funding if:

• they are currently resident in London, and
• they have appealed against a decision made by the UK government against granting refugee status and no decision has been made within six months of lodging the appeal, or
• they are granted support for themselves under section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, or
• they are receiving local authority support for themselves under section 23C or section 23CA of the Children Act 1989

No recourse to public funds conditions

The learner’s immigration permission in the UK may have a ‘no recourse to public funds’ condition. Public funds do not include education or education funding. Therefore, this does not affect a learner’s eligibility, which must be decided under the normal eligibility conditions.

Learners in the armed forces

British armed forces personnel, Ministry of Defence personnel or civil and crown servants that meet the criteria in the  ‘learner eligibility' section who reside in London, where the learning takes place in England are eligible for GLA funded ASF.

Members of other nations’ armed forces stationed in England, and their family members, aged 19 and over, are eligible for GLA funded ASF, the ‘learner eligibility’ section and resides in London. We will not fund family members that remain outside of London.

You must not make compulsory charges relating to the direct costs of delivering a learning aim to learners we fully fund, including those with a legal entitlement to full funding for their learning. Direct costs include any essential activities or materials without which the learner could not complete and achieve their learning.

If a fully funded learner needs a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check to participate in learning, you cannot charge them for this. If the learning is associated with the learner’s employment, their employer is responsible for carrying out and paying for this check.

We will fund learners with learning difficulties or disabilities as set out in the Apprenticeships, Skills, and Children and Learning Act 2009.

The DWP has the responsibility for securing the provision of reasonable facilities for education and training suitable to the requirements of persons who are 19 and over. The DWP has delegated this responsibility to the GLA. This includes learners with an identified learning difficulty or disability who have previously had an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHC) plan and have reached the age of 25.

The 16 to 19 funding methodology will apply to learners aged 19 to 24 who have an EHC plan and require provision and support costs.

GLA will fund learners aged 19+ whose first language is BSL to study for a first qualification in BSL, up to and including level 2 as set out in our BSL flexibility.

To access provision and support costs you must inform us before the start of the 2026 to 2027 funding year where a learner:

• has reached the age of 25 and has not completed their programme of learning as set out in their EHC plan by the end of the previous funding year, or
• will reach the age of 25 in the funding year, where their EHC plan is not extended by their local authority to allow them to complete their programme of learning.

The learner must:

• have an EHC plan that confirms their needs could only be met by the training organisation they are, or were, attending
• continue to make progress on the programme of learning as set out in their EHC plan.

If a learner has an EHC plan, you must report this in the ‘Learner funding and monitoring’ fields in the ILR.

We will not fund learners whose EHC plan is extended by the local authority beyond their 25th birthday. The local authority must continue to provide top-up funding and contract directly with the institution.

You must not claim funding for individuals who do not meet the eligibility criteria set out in the residency requirements section. Examples of individuals who do not meet the eligibility criteria include the following. 

• those who are here without authority or lawful status 

• who are resident in the UK on a student or graduate visa

• those who are in the United Kingdom on holiday, with or without a visa 

• who are in the UK on a work-related sponsorship visa, including skilled worker visas and seasonal worker visas

• those whose biometric residence permit or residence permit imposes a study prohibition or restriction on the individual.

Please note this list is not exhaustive.

Dependants of all individuals with sponsorship visa status, with the exception of seasonal workers, are eligible for ASF funding.

The eligibility criteria for ASF funding includes having earnings below the London Living Wage hourly rate of £14.80 or the calculated London Living Wage annual gross salary of £28,860. This includes individuals with no earnings, such as those who are unemployed or economically inactive.

In order to claim full funding for learners who are unemployed and not in receipt of benefits, you must indicate that they earn below the national earnings threshold by using LDM code 391 and FFI code 1.

If the learner is unemployed and is claiming benefits you must complete the Benefit Status Indicator (BSI) to identify the learner is in receipt of:

• Jobseeker’s Allowance (BSI 1),
• Universal Credit (BSI 4), or
• Employment and Support Allowance (all categories) (BSI 5).

The GLA ASF London Living Wage earnings threshold enables learners to be fully funded if they are unemployed, employed or self-employed and earn below either the London Living Wage hourly rate of pay or the calculated London Living Wage annual gross salary.

You may fully fund learners who are unemployed, employed or self-employed, up to and including level 2, level 3 and certain level 4 or level 5 offers, if they earn below the London Living Wage earnings threshold.

The London Living Wage is an hourly rate of pay, calculated annually by the Resolution Foundation and overseen by the Living Wage Commission. It is currently set at £14.80 (October 2025).

The annual gross salary London Living Wage threshold is calculated based on the hourly rate at that point in time, multiplied by 37.5 (hours per week), multiplied by 52 (weeks per year). The current annual London Living Wage threshold is £28,860.

For the purposes of calculating a learner’s earnings, only income from employment should be included, universal credit and other state benefits must be disregarded.

The London Living Wage earnings threshold may change within the academic year. When this occurs, you can use this methodology to calculate the new annual London living wage earnings threshold.

You must have seen evidence of the learner’s gross annual wages in these circumstances. This could be a wage slip or a UC statement within 3 months of the learner’s learning start date, or a current employment contract which states gross monthly/annual wages. Please note this is not an exhaustive list, but you must evidence your decision to award full funding to an individual who would normally be eligible for co-funding.

You may also fully fund learners who meet the London Living Wage earnings threshold criteria for qualifications included in the GLA Funded ASF section, unless otherwise stated in the relevant section.

To claim full funding for learners who earn below the national earnings threshold, you must use LDM code 391 and FFI code 1. Where the learner earns below the London Living Wage earnings threshold but earns above the national earnings threshold, you must use FFI code 1, DAM code 010 and DAM code 023.

A learner must be in learning for a minimum number of days between their learning start date and learning planned end date before you can earn funding, including learning support. You can access this information in the GLA ASF funding rates and formula for 2026 to 2027.

This does not apply where the learner achieves the learning aim.

A learner could have prior learning or attainment that has been previously accredited by an awarding organisation or could be formally recognised and count towards achievement of a qualification. If this is the case, you must:

• reduce the funding amount claimed for the qualification aim by the percentage of learning the learner does not need
• follow the policies and procedures set by the awarding organisation in regard to recognition of prior learning, including any restrictions concerning where RPL or prior attainment may not be applied
• ensure you have a robust internal RPL policy and appropriate resources to deliver RPL.

We would not expect RPL or prior attainment to be used against the whole qualification, this is exemption rather than RPL.

You must not use prior learning to reduce funding for

• English and maths qualifications up to and including level 2, 
• or essential digital skills qualifications up to and including level 1.

If a learner enrols on an advanced subsidiary (AS) level qualification followed by an A level, you must reduce the funding claimed for the A level to take account of the prior study rate of the AS level and record this in the ‘funding adjustment for prior learning’ field in the ILR. You can access ILR information on the ILR specification, validation rules and appendices, and ILR guides and templates at the DWP ILR Guidance Webpage.

You and the learner can agree to suspend learning while the learner takes a break from learning. This allows the learner to continue at a later date with the same eligibility that applied when they first started their learning.

We will not fund a learner during a break in learning.

You must record the date a learner starts a break in learning and the date they restart their learning in the ILR. Further guidance on recording breaks can be found in the ILR provider support manual.

You must have evidence that the learner agrees to return and continue with the same learning aim, otherwise, you must report the learner as withdrawn. When the learner returns to learning, you must re-plan and extend the remaining delivery as required.

You must not use a break in learning for short-term absences, such as holidays or short-term illness.

We will not fund:

• qualifications, units or learning aims that are not listed on find a learning aim, or on the DfE list of qualifications approved for funding
• provision to learners in custody. The Ministry of Justice funds prison education in England. Please note you can use your GLA funded ASF to fund individuals released on temporary licence
• end-point assessments outside of apprenticeship standards, which is subject to Ofqual external assurance and regulated as a qualification
• any part of any learner’s learning aim or programme that duplicates provision they have received from any other source
• training through GLA-funded ASF, in which a learner is undertaking or planning to undertake an apprenticeship and where that training will:
  • offer career related training that conflicts with the apprenticeship aims
  • be taking place during the apprentices working hours. Where an apprentice has more than one job, working hours refers to the hours of the job the apprenticeship is linked to
• learners to repeat the same regulated qualification where they have previously achieved it, unless it is for any GCSE where the learner has not achieved grade 4 (C) or higher, or for English and maths where the learner has been assessed as having an existing skill level lower than grade 4. This is the case even if they have previously achieved a GCSE or equivalent qualification in English or maths
• learners to sit or resit a learning aim assessment or examination where no extra learning takes place
• learners who are undertaking an apprenticeship and where that training will replicate vocational and other learning aims covered by the apprenticeship standard. This includes English and maths or approved English or maths qualifications which are required for an apprentice to complete their apprenticeship, where an apprentice does not already hold a suitable equivalent qualification. 

The apprenticeship funding route is the primary funding mechanism. The exception is where the employer does not fund English and maths. 

The apprentice may exercise their legal entitlement in this situation, and they can be funded through ASF. 

Refer to the apprenticeship funding rules for further guidance.

You must hold and retain evidence to assure us that you are using the funding appropriately. Most evidence will occur naturally from your normal business process.

You must make sure enrolments for GLA-funded ASF support your decision to claim funding and support the individual’s case for consideration as resident in London, or any exceptions set out in the ‘Residency requirements’ section.

In line with General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR), you must record in the evidence pack what appropriate documentation you have seen, rather than take photocopies to prove eligibility.

Annex 5 contains the details on the evidence required.

For information on subcontracting, please see Annex 6.

GLA-funded ASF includes support for four legal entitlements to full funding for eligible adult learners. A learner can only be fully funded for one vocational qualification from the entitlement qualifications list when exercising their legal entitlement. 

Appropriate information, advice and guidance should be given to a learner and the learner should be made aware of their entitlement rights and progression routes on completing an entitlement qualification.

The legal entitlements for level 2 and level 3 follow the definition of fullness below. 

The legal entitlements are set out in the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009, and enable eligible learners to be fully funded for the following qualifications:

• first full qualification at level 2 for individuals aged 19 to 23
• English and maths up to and including level 2 for individuals aged 19 and over who have not previously achieved a GCSE grade A* - C or grade 4 or higher, and/or have been assessed as having an existing skill level lower than grade 4 (even if they have previously achieved a GCSE or equivalent qualification in English or maths)
• Essential Digital Skills qualifications (EDSQs) or Digital Functional Skills qualifications (FSQs), up to and including level 1, for individuals aged 19 and over, who have digital skills assessed at below level 1
• first full qualification at level 3 for individuals aged 19 to 23.

Additional funding arrangements

For those grant funded providers who have a tailored learning allocation, we will fully fund non-regulated English, maths and digital for learners. 

This includes those learners assessed at pre-entry level with significant learning difficulties and/or disabilities as part of a personalised learning programme, where assessment has identified the learner cannot undertake the entitlements above through your Adult Skills Fund core allocation.

You must:

• carry out a thorough initial assessment to determine an individual’s current level using current assessment tools based on:
  • the national literacy and numeracy standards and core curriculums or DfE published English and Maths Functional Skills subject content, or
  • the national standards for essential digital skills or DfE published digital Functional Skills subject content
• carry out an appropriate diagnostic assessment to inform and structure a learner’s evidence pack to use as a basis for a programme of study
• enrol the learner on a level above that at which they are assessed and/or of which they have prior attainment, and be able to provide evidence of this
• deliver ongoing assessment to support learning
• record the evidence of all assessment outcomes in the evidence pack

The assessments must place a learner’s current skills levels within the level descriptors used for the RQF.

The following qualifications fall under learning up to and including Level 2.

Any learners aged 19 and over wishing to undertake a qualification at level 2 or below, outside the legal entitlements, will be fully funded if they meet the definition of being below the London Living Wage earnings threshold or unemployed. If they do not meet the definition of being below the earnings threshold or unemployed they will be co-funded.

We will fully fund individuals for BSL up to and including level 2, who meet the following criteria:

• any learner 19+ whose first or preferred language is British Sign Language (BSL), or
• any learners who cannot access spoken language because of their deafness and would benefit from BSL, or
• Parents and carers of deaf children and/or young people.

We will also fully fund any learner aged 19 and over, where they meet the eligibility of being unemployed or below the London Living Wage earnings threshold, to study for qualifications in BSL, up to and including level 2.

This entitlement covers regulated award and certificate qualifications in BSL, up to and including level 2.

Who we will fund

We will fully fund learners who are aged 19 to 23 and have not previously achieved a full level 3, regardless of the earnings threshold or employment status, if they choose a qualification from the level 3 legal entitlement list at DfE list of qualifications approved for funding. You must not charge them any course fees.

We will also fund learners aged 24 or over who have not previously achieved a first full level 3 qualification.

In addition, we will fully fund any learners aged 19 or over, where they meet the eligibility of being unemployed or below the London Living wage earning threshold, who wish to undertake a level 3 qualification regardless of prior level 3 attainment.

Changes to level 3 funding from 2026 to 2027

The introduction of the single integrated settlement allows the simplification and consolidation of the GLA ASF funded level 3 provision by combining all previous level 3 offers:

• free courses for jobs (FCfJ)
• GLA FCfJ regional flexibility
• previous GLA level 3 flexibility.

Whilst the ringfence is removed, we expect providers to continue to prioritise the delivery of Level 3 qualifications.

In line with the GLA integrated settlement, the ringfence for FCfJ qualifications has been removed to provide greater flexibility and simplify the level 3 provision on offer. 

As a result, all previous FCfJ uplifts to qualifications on the FCfJ national list will no longer apply. Whilst the ringfence is removed, we expect providers to continue to prioritise the delivery of Level 3 qualifications.

To improve job readiness, progression to work and foster the provision of higher skills to Londoners, GLA introduces a 10 per cent London Priority Uplift on level 3 qualifications across London priority sectors aligned to the London Growth Plan. 

The uplift will also apply to level 2 construction and engineering and manufacturing on the national Free courses for jobs list. 

Further information of how the London priority sectors have been defined by SSA tier 2 can be found in Annex 4. 

All qualifications attracting the London Priority Uplift should be listed on the find a learning aim service as ASF adult core fundable learning aims. Please refer to the 2026/27 GLA ASF Funding Rates and Formula for further information.

Access to higher education (HE) courses will not attract the London Priority Uplift, regardless of the SSA tier 2.

Permission should be sought from the GLA for the delivery of any qualifications that may fall outside of the above arrangements, but where exceptional circumstances may apply for employment reasons.

For 2026 to 2027 funding year, transition arrangements are in place to ensure that no ASF grant provider is adversely impacted by this funding change when delivering like-for-like delivery, which will be reviewed at reconciliation in October 2027.

Learners who meet the residency eligibility, have exhausted their first level 3 legal entitlement and do not meet the definition of being unemployed or earning below the London Living Wage earnings threshold may receive funding via an Advanced Learner Loan (ALL).

Providers must not claim for GLA ASF funding where learners are already being funded through an ALL, or a skills bootcamp where applicable. The criteria for ALL can be found in the ALL funding rules 2026 to 2027.

Learners may be fully funded to undertake non-prescribed vocational and technical qualifications at level 4 that support skills gaps in London, where they meet the definition of being unemployed or below the London Living Wage earnings threshold, regardless of prior qualification level. Please refer to the Technical guidance note for further detail.

A list of eligible qualifications will be published on the GLA website and updated from time to time. Funding any other level 4 qualifications is subject to prior approval by the GLA.

Funding non-prescribed vocational and technical qualifications at level 4 will support ASF providers to offer clear progression routes from existing provision into skills training that leads to high labour-market returns and/or supports skills gaps in priority sectors for London.

Learners may be fully funded to undertake a level 5 CELTA (Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) qualification in London at an enhanced GLA-specific funding rate of £1,123, where they meet the definition of being unemployed or below the London Living Wage earnings threshold, regardless of prior qualification level.

We will fully fund eligible learning aims which support the upskilling of teaching or learning support staff to deliver improved specialist provision for disabled learners and learners with SEND within the adult/further education sector.

The above funding flexibility must be used to support eligible staff employed within the publicly funded adult and further education sectors in teaching or learning support roles.

Only learning aims approved by the GLA in advance of enrolment will be fundable within this flexibility. A list of eligible learning aims will be published on the GLA website and updated from time to time. Providers can apply to add a learning aim to the list of eligible learning aims by submitting a GLA qualification approval application form to [email protected]

The Sector-based work academy programme (SWAP) is designed to help Job Centre Plus claimants build confidence to improve their job prospects and enhance their CV, whilst helping employers in sectors with current local vacancies to fill them. SWAP can last up to six weeks and has three main components:

• pre-employment training
• work experience placement
• a guaranteed job interview.

The scheme runs in England and Scotland. Participants remain on benefits throughout their placement.

Only the pre-employment training element in England can be funded through ASF local flexibility and usually lasts two to three weeks. Jobcentre Plus fund the other components and will pay any travel and childcare costs whilst claimants are on the work experience placement.

Further Education providers are part of the SWAP local design process and are informed when to expect referrals and how many.

You must keep a copy of the claimant’s SWAP referral notification issued by Jobcentre Plus in the evidence pack setting out start date and times for their DfE funded ASF funded pre-employment training.

To claim full funding for claimants referred to SWAP pre-employment training you must use LDM code 375 and complete the Benefit Status Indicator (BSI) to identify the claimant is in receipt of Jobseeker’s Allowance (BSI 1), Universal Credit (BSI 4), or Employment and Support Allowance (all categories) (BSI 5).

We will fully fund individuals for a work placement who meet the definition of being unemployed or below the London Living Wage earnings threshold, and who:

• are aged 19 to 24 on 31 August within the 2026 to 2027 funding year, 

and 

• enrol on one or more learning aims from the ASF core offer listed on find a learning aim, alongside a work placement learning aim.

A learner’s work placement must take place with an employer and allow the learner to develop new workplace knowledge, skills and behaviours. In total, the work placement element must be at least 70 hours and a maximum of 240 hours, and it must not be virtual or be simulated learning in an artificial environment.

A learner can have separate work placements in different organisations. These must last at least 2 weeks with each employer, and at least 70 hours in total with each placement supporting progression linked to their learning plan.

For learners on Jobseeker’s Allowance or Universal Credit, work placements can be between 70 to 240 hours.

A learner who is undertaking work experience as part of a SWAP funded through DWP must not be funded through the 19 to 24 work placement.

For eligible learners aged 19 to 24 the work placement will be funded through the GLA funded ASF funding methodology, with further information available in the GLA ASF funding rates and formula for 2026 to 2027.

Providers must use learning aims that are marked with Adult Skills Fund – Work Placement, refer to the GLA ASF funding rates and formula for 2026 to 2027.

The employer must offer at the end of each work placement (which you must evidence) either:

• a formal interview for a job or apprenticeship vacancy, plus feedback, or
• an exit interview, written feedback and evidence of the learner’s time and activities during the work placement.

If you are claiming Industry Placement funding for a learner, then you must not also claim work placement funding through the Adult Skills Fund.

Trade Union Representatives are key to creating a healthy and safe workplace, workplace equality, and ensuring worker’s rights are protected. The GLA recognises the importance that trade union representatives have free access to specific training courses.

All ASF eligible learners aged 19 and over wishing to undertake an approved Trade Union qualification/unit (from the GLA Trade Union learning aims flexibility list) will be fully funded irrespective of the London Living Wage threshold.

Learners may be fully funded for specific licences to practise, where they meet the definition of being unemployed or earning below the London Living Wage earnings threshold and have the right to work in the UK.

By funding licence to practise learning schemes, the GLA will offset the costs of industry accreditation and support increased progression into work for learners accessing sector-relevant training through the ASF.

The GLA offers this flexibility in the following sectors/occupations based on mayoral priority sectors and skills gaps.

Construction: Construction Skills Certification Scheme.

• Providers are able to claim the cost of a CSCS card to support learners to start work in the construction industry where a learner meets the definition of unemployed or is earning below the London Living Wage earnings threshold and is enrolled on a level 2 or 3 qualification within SSA 5.2 Building and Construction, listed on find a learning aim. 
• Additionally providers can claim the cost of a CSCS card – Labourer (Green) for a learner who is enrolled on a level 1 qualification within SSA 5.2 Building and Construction, and meets the criteria of unemployed or earning below the London Living Wage Threshold. 
• For learners, we will fund the cost of their card application fee and the health and safety test.
• Some qualifications have an associated alliance scheme and these can also be funded. CSCS cards will be recorded against category code 76 - Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS). Refer to learning aim reference service (LARS) category codes for further details.

Hospitality: SIA Licence (Door Supervisor).

• The GLA will fully fund the SIA licence cost and, if required, delivery of the associated First Aid qualification required to have been achieved by SIA Licence applicants.

The SIA Licence cost can be claimed for eligible learners on their successful completion of a sector-relevant, licence-linked ASF-funded learning aim in the current academic year.

The GLA will provide further detail in the Technical guidance note for 2026 to 2027 on the sector-relevant ASF-funded learning aims that will enable this flexibility, and on the relevant coding to be able to claim this activity in the ILR.

The King’s Trust Team Programme (formerly known as The Prince’s Trust) is a 12-week course designed to improve confidence, motivation and skills for eligible 16 to 25-year-olds. Each team recruits a mix of 16 to 25-year-olds of different abilities and backgrounds, including employees sponsored by their employer. We fund the team programme. Providers in partnership with the King’s Trust run and manage it on a local basis

In order to deliver the team programme, you must get approval from The King’s Trust.

For eligible learners aged 19 to 25, we fund the team programme through our ASF funding methodology. Please also refer to The King’s Trust section in the GLA ASF Funding Rates and Formula for 2026 to 2027. 

Tailored learning is primarily non-qualification based provision that is tailored to the skills needs of the learners, employers and local communities. Tailored learning is non-formula funded which gives it the flexibility to support learners furthest from the workplace and to meet changing employer needs. The primary purpose of tailored learning is to support learners into employment and to progress to further learning, in line with the overall purpose of the ASF. It will, however, also support wider outcomes including improvements to health and wellbeing, and equipping parents/carers to support their child’s learning.

Tailored learning includes employer-facing provision that has been designed in collaboration with employers and others, that is not qualification-based.

We would expect you to encourage and support all learners to progress on to new or more stretching provision to help them into more formal learning or employment. We would not expect to see multiple enrolments on similar level courses, or a repeat of similar learning aims where this does not benefit the learner’s development.

Providers have the freedom and flexibility within these parameters to determine how they use their tailored learning allocation, to meet the needs of their communities and employers.

This can include outreach activities in order to engage learners and drive participation in adult learning. If we fund your organisation through an agreement paid on actual levels of delivery, you will not have a tailored learning allocation. Where applicable, your ASF allocation will include an amount of non-formula tailored learning funding. We state this value in Appendix 1 of your grant agreement.

To deliver tailored learning, you must:

• follow the GLA funded ASF tailored learning funded methodology and submit ILR data under funding model 11 for the delivery and support, and
• complete the funding claim.

You must not use tailored learning funding for learning that is:

• eligible for funding through an advanced learner loan (ALL)
• primarily or solely for leisure purposes. We define learning for leisure purposes as learning where the primary or sole intent of the learning is for leisure.

Tailored learning funding will be reconciled against the tailored learning allocation line at the end of the funding year. You must repay funding that has not been used for tailored learning or where its use cannot be evidenced. You must record the costs of tailored learning for audit purposes.

Non-formula tailored learning funding is paid on profile as set out in Annex 2. 

You must include costs for eligible learners, up to the value of your non-formula tailored learning allocation. This should include the cost of delivering learning and any support costs, in line with learner support and learning support. You must record these costs in the learner’s evidence pack and maintain evidence that support the costs for audit purposes.

We will monitor tailored learning provision through the ILR and claim submissions and may require you to provide information on your delivery where it does not represent value for money.

You have the flexibility to use your tailored learning funding in line with the ASF formula funded methodology (funding model 38), to meet local demand. This flexibility works one way, you cannot use your ASF formula funded allocation to fund additional tailored learning.

You can use the amount of non-formula tailored learning funding (stated in Appendix 1 of your grant agreement) to deliver formula funded non-regulated provision. If you do, you must:

• follow the ASF formula-funded methodology and submit ILR data under fund model 38, and
• enrol learners following the ASF eligibility requirements, you must not use your tailored learning local fee remission policy.

You can support learners aged under 19 if they meet both of the following, they are:

• a parent, carer or guardian attending a wider family learning
• funded through non-formula tailored learning using funding model 11 in the funding model field (refer to ILR guidance for more information).

Tailored learning courses are delivered and reported on the ILR under the following purpose types, please refer to the 2026 to 2027 ILR specification for further details:

• Engaging and/or building confidence
• Preparation for further learning
• Preparation for employment
• Improving essential skills (defined by DfE for these purposes as English, ESOL, maths, digital)
• Equipping parents/carers to support children’s learning
• Health and well-being
• Developing stronger communities.

Learner outcomes of tailored learning courses are reported on the ILR. Please refer to the 2026 to 2027 ILR specification for further details.

The eligibility principles we apply to tailored learning provision are as follows:

• learners must meet the residency eligibility criteria
• it must not be provision linked to occupational regulation unless there is an agreed concession in place
• it must not be learning, for example, ‘induction to college’, that should be part of a learner’s experience
• it must not be used primarily or solely for ‘leisure’ purposes
• it must not be a non-regulated version of a regulated qualification. That includes regulated qualifications that are not currently approved for funding
• it must not be above notional level 3.

Where you are delivering tailored learning, you must ensure you have appropriate and robust quality assurance processes in place. For instance, you could follow ‘the recognising and recording progress and achievement (RARPA) cycle’. Further information on RARPA is available from the Learning and Work Institute.

Providers must have a fair and transparent fees policy in place. Providers are asked to collect fee income from people who can afford to pay and use where possible to extend provision to those who cannot. Providers should consider charging employers where their tailored learning is employer facing. Your fees policy must be available on your website and, where appropriate, in the venues where you deliver tailored learning.

Learning support is available to meet the cost of putting in place a reasonable adjustment, as set out in the Equality Act 2010, for learners who have an identified learning difficulty or disability, to achieve their learning goal.

Learning support must not be used to deal with everyday difficulties that are not directly associated with a learner’s learning on their programme.

You must:

• carry out and document a thorough assessment to identify the learner’s learning difficulty and/or disability
• agree and record the assessment and outcome of your assessment in the evidence pack
• record details of reasonable adjustments required and how support will be planned and delivered
• record and retain the appropriate evidence to demonstrate that the planned support has been delivered
• confirm the continuing necessity and appropriateness of these reasonable adjustments on a monthly basis – you must record this information and retain it in the evidence pack.
• report in the ILR that a learner has a learning support need associated with an identified learning aim, by entering code LSF1 in the ‘Learning Delivery Funding and Monitoring’ field and entering the corresponding dates in the ‘Date applies from’ and ‘Date applies to’ fields. This does not apply to any non-formula tailored learning.
• You can only claim learning support funding for each month in which reasonable adjustments are provided to the learner and where evidence of costs can be provided. For months in which no reasonable adjustments are necessary, or no costs have been incurred, a claim for learning support funding must not be made. 

All learning support claims must be reported in the ILR. To claim any costs that exceed the fixed monthly rate up to £19,000 you must also use the earnings adjustment statement (EAS). For any costs over £19,000 please see the next section for exceptional learning support.

You must keep evidence of these additional costs in the evidence pack. You must only record the excess amount on the EAS, not the whole learning support cost.

For learning aims with a planned length of less than one calendar month, the funding calculation has been changed so that, in most cases, you should no longer need to use the EAS to claim the learning support. However, if you see that this funding has not been reflected in your funding reports, and we expect this to be in exceptional cases only, then please claim the entire cost of the learning support through the EAS, instead of just the excess. 

If a learner needs significant levels of support to start or continue learning and has support costs of more than £19,000 in a funding year, you can claim exceptional learning support (ELS).

Learners aged 19 to 24 who require significant levels of support should have an EHC plan provided by their local authority and, therefore, would access funding from their local authority.

You must submit ELS claims at the beginning of the learner's programme, or when you identify the learner requires support costs of more than £19,000 in a funding year, by completing and sending the GLA exceptional learning support cost form document.

To claim exceptional learning support for a learner aged 19 to 24 you must confirm why the individual does not have an EHC plan. This should be a letter or email from the learner’s local authority stating the reason(s) why the individual does not need an EHC plan.

When you claim exceptional learning support you must explain why you have claimed the amount you have, which would be linked to the learner’s assessment and planned learning support claim. You must only claim amounts for your costs of providing the support to the learner and not include any indirect costs or overheads.

Learner support is available to provide financial support for individuals with a specific financial hardship preventing them from starting or staying in learning. Before you award support to a learner, you must identify their needs within the following ‘categories’:

• Hardship funding – general financial support for vulnerable and financially disadvantaged learners
• 20+ childcare funding – for learners aged 20 or older on the first day of learning who are at risk of not starting or continuing learning because of childcare costs
• Care to Learn top up for 19-year-olds
• Residential access funding – to support GLA ASF-funded learners (set out in paragraph ) where they need to live away from home in order to access provision
• ICT devices and connectivity - to support disadvantaged learners who cannot undertake online delivery

You must not claim more than five per cent of your total Learner Support final claim as administration expenditure. You must document your process for managing your administration costs over the current funding year and record, report and retain evidence on spending for each of the categories.

GLA-funded providers are required to report Learner Support costs using the Earnings Adjustment Statement (EAS). For more detail on completion of the EAS for GLA-funded delivery please refer to the GLA earnings adjustment statement guidance.

You must:

• have criteria for how you will administer and distribute your funds, these must reflect the principles of equality and diversity and be available to learners and to us on request
• assess and record the learner’s needs, demonstrating the need for support – you must record this information and retain in the evidence pack
• report the appropriate Learner Support Reason codes in the ‘Learner Funding and Monitoring’ fields in the ILR
• complete three funding claims throughout the year, and record costs regularly through the earnings adjustment statement process
• consider the availability of other support for learners, for example from Jobcentre Plus
• make it clear to learners it is their responsibility to tell the Department for Work and Pensions about any learner support they are receiving from you, as learner support payments may affect their eligibility to state benefits
• Use either ASF or loans bursary to support specific provision funded by either ASF or ALL where a learner is on 2 courses at the same time.

You must not use learner support funds for any of the following:

• essential equipment or facilities if the learner is eligible for full funding with the exception of the items covered in the Hardship section and ICT devices and connectivity
• a learner in custody or released on temporary licence
• a learner carrying out a higher education course or learning aims fully funded from other sources
• to pay attendance allowances or achievement and attendance bonuses.

In previous years 20 per cent of funding was held back and only earned on achievement of the learning aim; this will continue for grant funded providers paid on actuals. However, this 20 per cent element will now be earned on completion for grant-funded providers paid on profile for new starts from 1 August 2026 . We therefore refer to ‘achievement /completion’ and ‘achieves/completes’ to reflect the difference. For more information please refer to the GLA funding rates and formula guidance.

For fully funded learners who are unemployed we will pay 50 per cent of the achievement/completion payment if they start a job before achieving/completing the learning aim. If the learner then achieves/completes the learning aim, we will pay the remaining achievement/completion payment. The following conditions apply:

• the learner must provide you with evidence through a declaration, that they have a job for at least 16 hours or more a week for 4 consecutive weeks
• where the learner was claiming benefits relating to unemployment, they must also declare that they have stopped claiming those.

Your ASF is allocated to you as a block grant for 2026 to 2027. We will make payments based on your payment profile as set out in GLA OPS.

Your grant agreement will state the maximum amount of ASF provision you can deliver between 1 August 2026 and 31 July 2027. It will also state the maximum value of non-formula funded tailored learning we will fund (where applicable to you).

Your ASF block grant can be used to fund new starts for adult skills, non-formula funded tailored learning (where applicable to you) and learner support.

You must provide three funding claims setting out your actual delivery to date and, where appropriate, provide a forecast for the remainder of the funding year (please see Annex 2). The funding claims must include adult skills, non-formula funded tailored learning and learner support funding. The funding claims you must provide are set out below but please refer to the funding claims guidance (when published) for details of the:

• mid-year funding claim
• year-end forecast claim, and
• final funding claim.

At the end of the 2026 to 2027 funding year we will apply a three per cent reconciliation tolerance for under-delivery. Where your delivery of the overall ASF is at least 97 per cent of your ASF block grant funding allocation, we will not make a year-end adjustment to your ASF block grant funding allocation and you will not have to pay back any unspent funds. Please note that we may adjust your allocation where you under-perform between 97 per cent and 100 per cent in two consecutive years.

If you do not deliver 97 per cent or above, we will confirm the value of funding you must pay back in your reconciliation statement.

Our calculation of performance thresholds regarding your tailored learning allocation will only include delivery of non-formula funded tailored learning up to the value specified in your grant agreement (where applicable). Any underspend on tailored learning can be offset by overspends on your other funding lines.

If a learner is continuing learning at the final R14 data collection at the end of the year, but you record in a subsequent ILR year that they should have left in the previous ILR year, you will have earned funding that you need to pay back. You can pay this funding back through the earnings adjustment statement as per the GLA ASF funding rates and formula for 2026 to 2027. You will be required to submit an additional return identifying the learner who is the subject of the late data and further guidance on the process is included in the GLA ASF Technical Guidance Note.

ASF block grants and ASF agreements paid on actual levels of delivery remain separate with different payment and performance management arrangements. You cannot vire funds between the two without our prior written approval.

GLA provider managers will work closely with ASF providers to ensure that their delivery and performance meets the criteria agreed in the grant agreement. GLA Provider Managers will undertake regular monitoring visits to providers and will raise any concerns regarding delivery, including performance, at the earliest opportunity.

Where issues with performance and/or the quality of delivery are identified, we will work with you, the DfE and Mayoral Combined Authorities (where appropriate) to develop an action plan to address these issues. If performance does not improve in accordance with the action plan, we reserve the right to reduce your grant value.

We will use our approach to funding to make sure learning provision is of a high quality. We will use your track record to assess your ability to deliver education and training to the required standard. We may not consider growth requests and may reduce or remove your allocation if one or more of the following is true:  

• your Ofsted grade is ‘urgent improvement required’ in any evaluation area relevant to GLA funded ASF provision
• you are in formal intervention for minimum standards or inspection
• you have been issued with a notice for financial management and control
• you have been issued with a notice to improve, additional conditions of funding or additional contractual obligations in relation to minimum quality standards for 19+ education and training
• you have significantly underdelivered against your funding agreement value in previous years
• you are subject to an investigation for breach of funding agreement and/or failed audit.

Please refer to GLA managing provider performance for further details on GLA ASF Grant-funded provision monitoring and intervention processes.

The programme is subject to the following specific delivery requirements set out below.

• Your vocational training delivery must be in line with the Key Sectors in your agreed delivery plan. For definitions of key sectors please see Annex 4.
• All learners must complete a vocational learning aim at level 1 or above within key sectors as part of their learning programme.
• You must deliver level 3 provision in line with your agreed Delivery Plan. From August 2026, all level 3 provision is referred to as the London Level 3 Offer.
• You may be asked to update your Delivery Plan annually to respond to skills gaps identified by the Sector Talent Boards. We will provide you with planning guidance ahead of the start of each academic year so that provision can be developed in line with employers’ occupational demands.
• Wraparound support can only be provided to a learner who is enrolled on a level 1 or a higher-level industry-relevant vocational qualification. The expectation is that the wraparound courses and the vocational training happen simultaneously. This support includes learning aims under:
  •  SSA 6.2 (Digital Technology (users)), 
  • 14.1 (Foundations for Learning and Life) and,
  • 14.2 (Preparation for Work), including licence to practise costs. 
• The funding available for your delivery of Wraparound support is specified in your agreed Delivery Plan.
• Delivery provision could be in person, online distance learning or hybrid (both in person and online delivery). We will not accept learning that is software-led online distance learning: where there is minimal or no interaction with a tutor or other students, learning is self-directed and there is a lack of individually targeted support and attention.
• A maximum of 25 per cent of your allocation can be subcontracted to other organisations. Please see the Annex 6 to this guidance for more information.

All evidence must be collected in line with Annex 5. You are required to return data about the learners and learning aims delivery via the Individualised Learner Record (ILR). We may also ask you to provide supplementary data about the employment outcomes achieved for each learner such as sector of employment, occupation, position title, etc.

You may claim a job outcome payment of £500 (before any disadvantage uplift) where a learner progresses to ‘Good work’ job outcome or a payment of £300 (before any disadvantage uplift) for progression to an ‘Other work’ outcome. All employment outcomes must start within six months of the completion of the learner’s last adult skills funded learning aim.

You must only claim one job outcome payment per learner per academic year.

You should claim the employment outcome in the appropriate funding year based on the date when the outcome is achieved, provided the outcome is within six-months of the learning end date. The exception to this will be the final year of the programme, where all employment outcomes must be reported and claimed by R14 of that year.

To claim a ‘Good work’ outcome payment, you must be able to demonstrate that:

• the learner has already completed one or more adult skills learning aims that, taken together, last for a minimum duration of 55 guided learning hours, and
• within six months of completing their programme of learning (specifically, completing their last learning aim) the learner has entered employment (or a new role/additional responsibilities with an existing employer with higher pay), new contract or new opportunities for the self-employed, an apprenticeship or a paid work placement that meets the definition of ‘Good Work’ outcome:
  • it is for a minimum of 16 hours per week
  • it is continuous for at least 12 consecutive weeks
  • it pays a basic salary of the London Living Wage or above
  • it does not involve the use of zero-hours contracts (except where the individual explicitly consents).

To claim a ‘Other work’ outcome payment, you must be able to demonstrate that:

• the learner has already completed one or more adult skills learning aims that, taken together, last for a minimum duration of 55 guided learning hours, and
• within six months of completing their programme of learning (specifically, completing their last learning aim) the learner has entered employment (or a new role / additional responsibilities with an existing employer / higher pay), new contract or new opportunities for the self-employed, an apprenticeship or a paid work placement that meets the definition of ‘Other Work’ outcome, i.e.: 
  • it is for a minimum of 16 hours per week
  • it is continuous for at least 12 consecutive weeks
  • it pays a basic salary above the National Minimum Wage (NMW) or NMW for apprentices depending on the age or the apprenticeship status of the learner but below the London Living Wage
  • it does not involve the use of zero-hours contracts (except where the individual explicitly consents).

Employers committed to paying the London Living Wage have until the following May to implement the uplift across their workforce. Until this date, an employment outcome will still meet the definition of ‘Good work’ if it pays above the previous London Living Wage earnings threshold.

If you have supported a learner to achieve self-employed status in sectors where self-employment is a pre-requisite to employment, and the criteria are met, a ‘Good work’ or ‘Other work’ employment outcome can also be claimed.

Employment outcomes must be reported in the ILR, within the year(s) of your grant agreement, using the GLA-specified Jobs and Skills Programme Outcome Payment learning aim, coded as Funding Model 38. There are specific coding requirements for reporting employment outcomes in the final year of your grant agreement. For more detail, please refer to the GLA ASF Technical Guidance Note.

Job outcome payments will be processed as part of your monthly ILR return. Your 'Good Work' and ‘Other Work’ Job Outcomes allocation is ringfenced for the delivery of job outcomes and will be reconciled based on the actual delivery of job outcomes. We will not fund participation from your Job Outcomes allocation.

Evidence of the learner’s employment outcome must be collected and retained and include:

• a copy of a letter or email from the employer, or
• a contract of employment, or
• evidence of higher pay for those who were employed upon enrolment or
• a learner’s self-certification form signed by the learner (hard or soft copy) relating to their employment outcome.

You must confirm the employment outcome meets the requirements of the funding.

In the case of self-employment outcomes, you must collect and store:

• a learner’s self-declaration confirming self-employed/ freelance status, or
• written confirmation of a piece of work undertaken in the form of a contract or email from an employer confirming the opportunity/contract for delivery.