Apply to have your qualifications regulated

The role of awarding organisations

Awarding organisations can choose to be regulated by Ofqual. If you want us to regulate some or all of your qualifications, you can apply to become aan Ofqual recognised awarding organisation offor those qualifications. You’llYou will need to ensure you can havedemonstrate a full understanding of what being Ofqual-recognisedrecognised by Ofqual means: it’s a major undertaking that conferscould bring significant benefits to your organisation but alsoit imposesmeans requirementsyou thathave to comply with Ofqual’s rules at all times. This will have an impact on your business,organisation becauseand regulatedhow organisationsyou must comply with our regulations.operate.

BeingThe anrole Ofqual-regulatedof awarding organisationorganisations

Becoming recognised

An awarding organisation designs, develops, delivers and awards qualifications, including in some cases apprenticeship end-point assessments (EPAs).(EPAs). Qualifications usually test knowledge, skills and understanding of a subject and are awarded to learners who demonstrate the requiredspecified level of attainment.attainment, which is set by the awarding organisation.

Awarding organisations offer qualifications to meet the needneeds of theirthe customers: schools, colleges and training providers that buy and teach the courses that lead to theirthese qualifications. Awarding organisations put in place the exams, tests and other assessments that students take to achieve their qualifications.

A good awarding organisation will combine expertise in assessmenta subject area or sector, with expertise in designing and developing qualifications and assessments, effective operational delivery.delivery of assessments and appropriate governance.

Main benefits

The benefits of being a recognised awarding organisation are:include:

• yourthe qualificationspossibility canof bethe consideredDepartment for Education considering your qualifications for public funding forand teaching in state and publicly funded schools and colleges
• recognitionproviding provides confidence to qualification users that your organisation has the capacity and competence to develop and offer high-quality qualifications
• certificatesbeing forable regulatedto qualificationsuse can carry the Ofqual logologo, –as a recognised mark of quality, on certificates for your regulated qualifications; the Ofqual quality mark is valued internationally
• yourinternational qualificationsregulation willof beyour regulatedqualifications, internationally, as well as in England, providedso long as that they continue to be offered and taken in EnglandEngland; -note thethat you must also continue to meet Ofqual qualityrules markand isrequirements valuedeven when you offer your qualifications internationally
• yourthe qualificationslisting willof beyour listedregulated qualifications on the Register of Regulated Qualifications and the ‘find a regulated qualification’ -service on GOV.UK– an important resource for those wanting to find a suitable qualification
• youthe canability to apply to offer offer apprenticeship EPAs where where Ofqual is the regulator

Apprenticeship end-point assessments

Ofqual regulates apprenticeship EPAs.apprenticeship EPAs. If you want to offer offer EPAs regulated regulated by Ofqual, you will need to be recognised by us. Each organisationEach organisation is considered for recognition in the context of the number and type of of EPAs they they want to offer. For more information on how Ofqual regulates apprenticeship EPAs,apprenticeship EPAs, read our Ofqual regulation of Apprenticeship End-Point Assessment: a guide for awarding organisations.

Once you have achieved Ofqual recognition for apprenticeship EPA(s),EPAs, theyou will need to create a Department for Education (DfE) requiresApprenticeship youService toAccount, applyif toyou joindo thenot apprenticeshipalready providershave andone. assessmentYou registerwill (APAR)also ifneed youa haveUK notprovider donereference sonumber already.(UKPRN) Detailsissued ofby thethe UK DfERegister requirementsof andLearning processProviders.

HowApply to apply for recognition

We have a process to decide whether you can become a recognised awarding organisation. Further details are in the supporting information document.

The Recognition Process (PDF, 161 KB, 1 page)

Before starting an application, be aware that there are very clear limits to what we regulate. For example, we do not regulate training courses that only certify that someone attended a course but do not make judgements about an attendee’s level of attainment.

Starting

Our theprivacy process

7statement Topdescribes Tipshow foryour Recognitiondata will be used and processed as part of the application process.

Starting the process

Next steps

Once you have set up an account, you will theninitially be invited to a webinar. If you wish to continue with considering applying to be recognised by Ofqual, you will be offered a meeting with Ofqual staff. This meeting should take place before starting your application. The meeting will help you understand our requirements and the application process. We will talk about:

• what it means to be an Ofqual-regulatedOfqual regulated awarding organisation so you are fully aware of our expectations
• the types of qualifications you intend to offer
• how you will ensure quality
• how you intend to operate as an awarding organisation once recognised
• what evidence we would need to see from you

Following the meeting, if you want to proceed with an application, we will provide you with access to the application form. We can continue to advise you to ensure you are providing sufficient supporting evidence.

When you are ready, you should use the gateway to submit your application and evidence. We will then review your application against our Criteriacriteria for Recognitionrecognition. If your application and supporting information indicates that you are capable of meeting our criteria, we would normally invite you to discuss your application with a recognition panelpanel, whoafter which Ofqual will decide whether to recognise you as an awarding organisation.

IfMaking youchanges areas an existing awarding organisation

If you would like to make a change to your current scope of recognitionrecognition, or withdraw qualifications, please log into The Portal and navigate to the ‘My Organisation’ page where you can view your scope of recognition and requestapply to:

• to expand your scope of recognition to offer regulated qualifications qualifications:
  • in a wider range of sector subject areas, areas
  • at different levels than you are currently regulated for, or to offer qualifications for
  • that have specific conditions or criteria
  • exempt

  Please arefer descriptionto orthe descriptionsguidance ofin qualificationsthe fromPortal should you wish to expand your scope of recognition

Surrender and partial-surrenderpartial surrender

If you wouldwish like to partially surrender part or surrenderall entirelyof your regulatedscope statusof recognition, please submitsend us the following information through a ‘Contact‘contact the Regulator’regulator’ requestmessage.

1. Details onof Thewhether Portalyou want to surrender some of your scope of recognition or want to surrender your whole scope, and wetherefore willno getlonger backwant to be regulated by us.
2. Details of the qualification types, SSAs, levels, and/or specific qualifications you no longer want to be regulated.
3. Confirmation that you are following General Condition D6 (Management of the withdrawal of qualifications).
4. Your proposed timeline for the surrender.

We will review the information you provide and respond as soon as we can either to explain anythat we need further informationinformation, to set a surrender date or evidenceto youexplain willwhen needwe expect to providebe withable yourto request.set a surrender date. It is important to remember that the surrender date is set and managed by Ofqual, and we may vary that date where we consider this is necessary, for example to protect learners.