High needs funding: due diligence process for special post-16 providers
Information settingoutlining out the process thatfor maysecuring lead to a grant funding arrangementfrom with the EducationDepartment andfor SkillsEducation Fundingto Agencysupport forhigh theneeds delivery of education provision for high needs students.
Applies to England
Documents
Annex 1: EducationDfE education and skills conditionsagreements ofand fundingaccountability grantagreements: 20242025 to 2025 (specialist post-16 institutions)2026
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/esfa-education-and-skills-agreements-and-accountability-agreements-2024-to-2025https://www.gov.uk/guidance/dfe-education-and-skills-agreements-and-accountability-agreements-2025-to-2026
Annex 2: Institution details
MS Word Document, 71.6602 KB
Annex 3: Local authority details
MS Word Document, 67598 KB
Details
This guidance explains the process that may lead to a grant funding arrangement with the EducationDepartment andfor SkillsEducation Funding Agency (ESFADfE) to deliver provision for high needs students.
In order to be eligible to receive ESFADfE funding, special post-16 institutions (SPI) are required to be referenced within their provider‘provider local authority (LA) high needs place change request workbookworkbook’ (required by 85 NovemberDecember 2024)2025) and must be named on at least 10 Educationeducation Healthhealth and Carecare (EHC) plans.
Once they have met the above requirement, ESFADfE will undertake due diligence to ensure themselves that the SPI is eligible to receive ESFADfE funding.
The guidance and accompanying annex documents explain the due diligence process.
Financial information requirements
For an institution that has actively traded for a minimum of 36 months but not produced its first set of financial statements, it must supply its management accounts detailing actual trade to date and be supplemented with forecast information to equal a minimum of 12 months of financial information.
Updates to this page
Published 23 September 2015
Last updated 166 OctoberNovember 2024
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Update history
2025-11-06 14:45
Updated for the 2026 to 2027 academic year and to reflect that the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) has closed and all activity has moved to the Department for Education (DfE).
2024-10-16 09:58
Updated the guidance for the academic year 2025 to 2026. There are new deadlines and we have included a link to an updated conditions of funding grant document. We have also updated ‘Annex 2: Institution details’ and ‘Annex 3: Local authority details’.
2023-10-10 14:57
The due diligence process for special post-16 institutions for academic year 2024 to 2025 has been updated.
2022-10-19 10:57
Updated deadline date for return of LA high needs place change workbook
2022-10-14 12:27
The due diligence process for special post-16 institutions for academic year 2023 to 2024 has been updated.
Details
This guidance explains the process that may lead to a grant funding arrangement with the EducationDepartment andfor SkillsEducation Funding Agency (ESFADfE) to deliver provision for high needs students.
In order to be eligible to receive ESFADfE funding, special post-16 institutions (SPI) are required to be referenced within their provider‘provider local authority (LA) high needs place change request workbookworkbook’ (required by 85 NovemberDecember 2024)2025) and must be named on at least 10 Educationeducation Healthhealth and Carecare (EHC) plans.
Once they have met the above requirement, ESFADfE will undertake due diligence to ensure themselves that the SPI is eligible to receive ESFADfE funding.
The guidance and accompanying annex documents explain the due diligence process.
Financial information requirements
For an institution that has actively traded for a minimum of 36 months but not produced its first set of financial statements, it must supply its management accounts detailing actual trade to date and be supplemented with forecast information to equal a minimum of 12 months of financial information.
Updates to this page
Sign up for emails or print this page
Update history
2025-11-06 14:45
Updated for the 2026 to 2027 academic year and to reflect that the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) has closed and all activity has moved to the Department for Education (DfE).
2024-10-16 09:58
Updated the guidance for the academic year 2025 to 2026. There are new deadlines and we have included a link to an updated conditions of funding grant document. We have also updated ‘Annex 2: Institution details’ and ‘Annex 3: Local authority details’.
2023-10-10 14:57
The due diligence process for special post-16 institutions for academic year 2024 to 2025 has been updated.
2022-10-19 10:57
Updated deadline date for return of LA high needs place change workbook
2022-10-14 12:27
The due diligence process for special post-16 institutions for academic year 2023 to 2024 has been updated.