Statement of approach to subcontracting
The University of Nottingham uses subcontractors to complement its own delivery and where enhancements to teaching and learning for apprentices can be gained by partnering with specialist providers of subject-matter expertise. Additionally it uses subcontractors for L2 English, Maths or Functional Skills provision when required (the University does not deliver teaching and learning at L2).
All subcontractors are subject to the University's Subcontracting Policy and a thorough due diligence process will be undertaken by the University as main provider to satisfy itself that the subcontractor has been selected fairly and has capacity, capability, quality and a good financial business standing (with the exception of when partnering with organisations that are exempt from providing this information to the Education and Skills Funding Agency as part of the Register of Apprenticeship Training Organisations, eg HEIs monitored by OfS, or large public sector organisations).
The university will make subcontractor declarations to ESFA as required and will obtain an independent auditors report where subcontracting exceeds £100,000 annually.
The university provides the following services:
- Review of capacity, capability and readiness prior to contract start
- Assessment of subcontractors costs against Education and Skills Funding Agency apprenticeship funding rules (where the employer is the delivery subcontractor, special conditions are applied)
- On-programme QA monitoring and review
- Gaining employer and apprentice feedback on subcontracted provision
- Working with subcontractor to improve and refine programme content
The University does not retain any funding to support activity with subcontractors.
Degree apprenticeship programmes that include subcontracting:
All programmes - Level 2 Functional Skills
Subcontractor name: Runway Training
Rationale for subcontracting: To fill gaps in niche or expert provision.
Level 7 Advanced Clinical Practitioner
Subcontractor name: Department of Research and Education in Emergency and Acute Medicine (DREEAM).
Rationale for subcontracting: To fill gaps in niche or expert provision.