Our subcontracting partners 2023/24

If you wish to become a subcontracting partner, please visit our subcontracting opportunities page for details. 

In accordance with our ESFA funding contracts, below is a summary of our subcontracts for the academic year 2023/24 with a high-level rationale for each.

Each of these partners is approved 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: £153,710.94 (81% of funding drawn down)
  • Funding retained by Activate Learning for management of the contract: £28,724.76
  • Funding retained Activate Learning for quality assurance and oversight: £4,204.40
  • Funding retained Activate Learning for administrative functions such as data returns: £3,238.41

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: £174,875.60 (86% of funding drawn down)
  • Funding retained by Activate Learning for EHCP co-ordination: £2,343.52
  • Funding retained Activate Learning for delivery management and compliance: £10,898.57
  • Funding retained Activate Learning for quality monitoring and support and delivery activities: £4,141.46
  • Funding retained Activate Learning for administrative functions such as data returns: £11,541.85

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: £139,660 (88% of funding drawn down)
  • Funding retained by Activate Learning for management of the contract: £8,428.26
  • Funding retained Activate Learning for quality assurance and oversight: £9,426.90
  • Funding retained Activate Learning for administrative functions such as data returns: £1,204.21

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, coaching and English and maths delivery for the L1 programme, with RFCCT staff delivering the main aim and additional coaching hours. The main aim on the L3 programme is jointly delivered, as are coaching sessions. AL will provide pastoral support and English and maths delivery.

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: 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: £20,796.80 (80% of funding drawn down)
  • Funding retained by Activate Learning for management of the contract: £2,122.32
  • Funding retained Activate Learning for quality assurance and oversight: £3,015.20
  • Funding retained Activate Learning for administrative functions such as data returns: £61.68

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 Optalis: £82,431.70 (82% of funding drawn down)
  • Funding retained by Activate Learning for EHCP co-ordination: £3,526.50
  • Funding retained Activate Learning for delivery management and compliance: £4,670.65
  • Funding retained Activate Learning for quality monitoring and support and delivery activities: £5,612.38
  • Funding retained Activate Learning for administrative functions such as data returns: £4,189.63

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: £55,325.33 (80% of funding drawn down)
  • Funding retained by Activate Learning for management of the contract: £7,492.70
  • Funding retained Activate Learning for quality assurance and oversight: £6,269.55
  • Funding retained Activate Learning for administrative functions such as data returns: £69.01

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: £123,647.05 (82% of funding drawn down)
  • Funding retained by Activate Learning for EHCP co-ordination: £8,608.73
  • Funding retained Activate Learning for delivery management and compliance: £9,010.75
  • Funding retained Activate Learning for quality monitoring and support and delivery activities: £3,340.25
  • Funding retained Activate Learning for administrative functions such as data returns: £6,039.01

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.