Our subcontracting partners 2022/23

In accordance with our ESFA funding contracts, below is a summary of our subcontracts for the academic year 2022/23 with a high-level rationale for each. 

Each of these rationales is approved in greater detail each year by the Corporation’s audit committee to ensure that each contract is low risk from a quality and financial perspective, has sufficient monitoring in place to guarantee the quality going forward and is of strategic value to the organisation. 

Our subcontracting policy and general strategic aims is available from our policies and procedures page. 

 

Partner: SOFEA

Specific funding stream: 16 to 19 programmes and 16 to 19 programme high needs funding 

Value of contract in academic year (16-19 programme delivery): 

  • Funds passed to SOFEA: £174,283.95 (80% of funding drawn down) 
  • Funding retained by Activate Learning for management of the contract: £10,407.83 
  • Funding retained Activate Learning for quality assurance and oversight: £10,373.11 
  • Funding retained Activate Learning for administrative functions such as data returns: £22,416.31 

Value of contract in academic year (16-19 high needs support): 

  • Additional funding is generated through high needs funding arrangements with local authorities for students that require support above £6,000 
  • Funds passed to SOFEA: £168,945.92 (80% of funding drawn down) 
  • Funding retained by Activate Learning for EHCP co-ordination: £10,084.76 
  • Funding retained Activate Learning for delivery management and compliance: £13,347.14 
  • Funding retained Activate Learning for quality monitoring and support and delivery activities: £12,818.31 
  • Funding retained Activate Learning for administrative functions such as data returns: £5,986.27 

High-level rationale summary:
SOFEA deliver provision for NEET, hard to reach and High Needs learners in the Didcot area.  Utilising their food bank facilities, they re-engage learners in learning activities centred around the world of work in a warehousing facility.  The relationship enables and supports hard to reach young people and engages them back into education in a unique way. External organisations recognise SOFEA and Activate Learning’s influence and presence in the county and beyond through the FairShare brand. There are increased opportunities to grow and expand the provision together on the Didcot site.  This is a jointly delivered study programme on Sofea’s premises with a member of Activate Learning staff on site four days a week.   

 

Partner: Reading Football Club Community Trust

Specific funding stream: 16 to 19 programmes 

Value of contract in academic year: 

  • Funds passed to RFCCT: £103,027 (84% of funding drawn down) 
  • Funding retained by Activate Learning for management of the contract: £3,086.17 
  • Funding retained Activate Learning for quality assurance and oversight: £6,746.55 
  • Funding retained Activate Learning for administrative functions such as data returns: £1,144.28 
  • Funding retained Activate Learning relating to payment advance in previous year: £8,689 (a one-year advance was passed to Reading FCCT to launch a new cohort of learners in lieu of lagged funding) 

High-level rationale summary:
Activate Learning will be sharing facilities at the Madejski Stadium for the provision of co-delivery on Level 3 and Level 1 sports programmes. Activate Learning will use the premises for their own delivery of level 2 provision.  Co-delivery provides access to specialist premises and coaches, supporting employer-led delivery of these qualifications. AL will provide pastoral support and English and maths delivery. In addition, the BTEC L1 will also be co-delivered with RFCCT to allow a pathway for playing football, taught by qualified teachers who are also experts at the club to add employer-led expertise. 

Activate Learning are subcontracting with RFCCT to enhance the opportunities available to our students. The community connections and employer links offered by RFFCT are exceptional, while the classrooms, gym and training facilities at the Madejski Stadium will benefit the student’s educational experience. 

  

Partner: Ignite Sport UK Ltd

Specific funding stream: Adult Education Budget 

Value of contract in academic year: 

  • Funds passed to Ignite: £83,885 (84% of funding drawn down) 
  • Funding retained by Activate Learning for management of the contract: £7,881.30 
  • Funding retained Activate Learning for quality assurance and oversight: £6,227.08 
  • Funding retained Activate Learning for administrative functions such as data returns: £2,007 

High-level rationale summary:
Ignite Sport have forged relationships with user groups that are not currently engaging with Activate Learning. By working with Ignite on this cohort we can engage with a wider user base for potential further learning opportunities in response to stakeholder demands and increase our geographical base to parts of the county that do not currently work with Activate Learning.  The curriculum offer has been modified from 21/22 to ensure that AL and Ignite offer complementary products that allow students to progress from one to the other and participate in higher-level learning. 

 

Partner: The Buck Project

Specific funding stream: ESF Programme – Skills Support for the unemployed 

Value of contract in academic year: 

  • Funds passed to Buck: £76,000 (80% of funding drawn down) 
  • Funding retained by Activate Learning for management of the contract: £7,149 
  • Funding retained Activate Learning for quality assurance and oversight: £11,462 
  • Funding retained Activate Learning for administrative functions such as data returns: £808 

High-level rationale summary: 

This new subcontract is for a further extension to the SSU service (Skills Support for the Unemployed) and runs until February 2023.The Buck Project delivered on the first phase of SSU from April 2019 to July 2021, during which time they achieved all their outcomes and targets effectively and successfully.  

The requirement to reengage The Buck Project on the contract has come with support from the ESFA to fulfil the remaining value of the contract before it finishes in March 2023. The Buck Project can start immediate delivery and are confident they will be able to deliver both courses and outcomes.  

The Buck project can access students in the south of the county that are proving more difficult for Activate Learning to engage with.  They are specialists in supporting hard to reach and disengaged learners and have a strong record of progression with these students.  

 

Partner: Optalis

Specific funding stream: 16 to 19 programmes and 16 to 19 programme high needs funding 

Value of contract in academic year (16-19 programme delivery): 

  • Funds passed to Optalis: £36,825.74 (80% of funding drawn down) 
  • Funding retained by Activate Learning for management of the contract: £3,328.91 
  • Funding retained Activate Learning for quality assurance and oversight: £5,603.96 
  • Funding retained Activate Learning for administrative functions such as data returns: £273.57 

Value of contract in academic year (16-19 high needs support): 

  • Additional funding is generated through high needs funding arrangements with local authorities for students that require support above £6,000 
  • Funds passed to Optalis: £55,282.58 (80% of funding drawn down) 
  • Funding retained by Activate Learning for EHCP co-ordination: £2,268.61 
  • Funding retained Activate Learning for delivery management and compliance: £3,004.65 
  • Funding retained Activate Learning for quality monitoring and support and delivery activities: £3,610.47 
  • Funding retained Activate Learning for administrative functions such as data returns: £2,695.21 

 

High-level rationale summary: 

We work with this partner on the ‘Supported internship’ programme where Activate Learning provide classroom training and development activities, with Optalis providing, monitoring and supporting work placements for these learners in the local community.  This is a high profile partnership, engaging multiple stakeholders and providing routes into work for high needs learners.  This is a programme that is recognised by the ESFA as benefitting from partnership work to involve the support of specialists and multiple employers across the region – working with this partner increases our ability to offer multiple roles and provide sustained and continuous support for the employer and the student in the workplace. 

 

Partner: Ways Into Work CIC

Specific funding stream: 16 to 19 programmes and 16 to 19 programme high needs funding 

Value of contract in academic year (16-19 programme delivery): 

  • Funds passed to WiW: £46,889.03 (80% of funding drawn down) 
  • Funding retained by Activate Learning for management of the contract: £3,929.25 
  • Funding retained Activate Learning for quality assurance and oversight: £7,473.61 
  • Funding retained Activate Learning for administrative functions such as data returns: £319.39 

Value of contract in academic year (16-19 high needs support): 

  • Additional funding is generated through high needs funding arrangements with local authorities for students that require support above £6,000 
  • Funds passed to WiW: £137,807 (81% of funding drawn down) 
  • Funding retained by Activate Learning for EHCP co-ordination: £10,256.75 
  • Funding retained Activate Learning for delivery management and compliance: £10,735.73 
  • Funding retained Activate Learning for quality monitoring and support and delivery activities: £3,979.69 
  • Funding retained Activate Learning for administrative functions such as data returns: £7,189.09 

 

High-level rationale summary: 

We work with this partner on the ‘Supported internship’ programme where Activate Learning provide classroom training and development activities, with Ways into Work providing, monitoring and supporting work placements for these learners in the local community.  This is a high profile partnership, engaging multiple stakeholders and providing routes into work for high needs learners.  This is a programme that is recognised by the ESFA as benefitting from partnership work to involve the support of specialists and multiple employers across the region – working with this partner increases our ability to offer multiple roles and provide sustained and continuous support for the employer and the student in the workplace. 

Partner: Oxfordshire Employment Service, part of Oxfordshire County Council 

Specific funding stream: 16 to 19 programmes and 16 to 19 programme high needs funding 

Value of contract in academic year (16-19 programme delivery): 

  • Funds passed to OES: £20,930.40 (80% of funding drawn down) 
  • Funding retained by Activate Learning for management of the contract: £1,552.46 
  • Funding retained Activate Learning for quality assurance and oversight: £3,560.46 
  • Funding retained Activate Learning for administrative functions such as data returns: £119.68 

Value of contract in academic year (16-19 high needs support): 

  • Additional funding is generated through high needs funding arrangements with local authorities for students that require support above £6,000 
  • Funds passed to OES: £300,124 (80% of funding drawn down) 
  • Funding retained by Activate Learning for EHCP co-ordination: £9595.10 
  • Funding retained Activate Learning for delivery management and compliance: £12,699.08 
  • Funding retained Activate Learning for quality monitoring and support and delivery activities: £47,022.21 
  • Funding retained Activate Learning for administrative functions such as data returns: £5,695.61 

 

High-level rationale summary: 

We work with this partner on the ‘Supported internship’ programme where Activate Learning provide classroom training and development activities, with OES providing, monitoring and supporting work placements for these learners in the local community.  This is a high profile partnership, engaging multiple stakeholders and providing routes into work for high needs learners.  This is a programme that is recognised by the ESFA as benefitting from partnership work to involve the support of specialists and multiple employers across the region – working with this partner increases our ability to offer multiple roles and provide sustained and continuous support for the employer and the student in the workplace.  

 

Partner: Oxfordshire Employment Service, part of Oxfordshire County Council

Specific funding stream: 16 to 19 programmes and 16 to 19 programme high needs funding

Value of contract in academic year (16-19 programme delivery):

  • Funds passed to OES: £20,930.40 (80% of funding drawn down)
  • Funding retained by Activate Learning for management of the contract: £1,552.46
  • Funding retained Activate Learning for quality assurance and oversight: £3,560.46
  • Funding retained Activate Learning for administrative functions such as data returns: £119.68

Value of contract in academic year (16-19 high needs support):

  • Additional funding is generated through high needs funding arrangements with local authorities for students that require support above £6,000
  • Funds passed to OES: £300,124 (80% of funding drawn down)
  • Funding retained by Activate Learning for EHCP co-ordination: £9595.10
  • Funding retained Activate Learning for delivery management and compliance: £12,699.08
  • Funding retained Activate Learning for quality monitoring and support and delivery activities: £47,022.21
  • Funding retained Activate Learning for administrative functions such as data returns: £5,695.61

High-level rationale summary:

We work with this partner on the ‘Supported internship’ programme where Activate Learning provide classroom training and development activities, with OES providing, monitoring and supporting work placements for these learners in the local community.  This is a high profile partnership, engaging multiple stakeholders and providing routes into work for high needs learners.  This is a programme that is recognised by the ESFA as benefitting from partnership work to involve the support of specialists and multiple employers across the region – working with this partner increases our ability to offer multiple roles and provide sustained and continuous support for the employer and the student in the workplace.