Funding guidance for young people: ILR funding returns
Advice about individualised learner record (ILR) funding returns for institutions funded by ESFA.
- From:
- Education and Skills Funding Agency and Department for Education
- Published
- 10 March 2014
- Last updated
-
2125NovemberJune20242025 — See all updates
Applies to England
Documents
Advice: Individualised learner record (ILR) funding returns 2022 to 2023
PDF, 353 KB, 34 pages
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Advice: Individualised learner record (ILR) funding returns 2021 to 2022
PDF, 369 KB, 34 pages
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Advice: Individualised learner record (ILR) funding returns 2020 to 2021
PDF, 5.06 MB, 35 pages
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Advice: Individualised learner record (ILR) funding returns 2019 to 2020
PDF, 293 KB, 31 pages
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16 to 19 Funding claim data checks for 2017 to 2018 and 2018 to 2019
PDF, 364 KB, 2 pages
Individualised Learner record (ILR) returns: 2018 to 2019 - presentation
MS PowerPoint Presentation, 285 KB
Details
The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) closed on 31 March 2025. All activity has moved to the Department for Education (DfE). You should continue to follow this guidance.
What’s new for 20242025 to 2025?2026?
NoWe fundinghave:
-
made reconciliationchanges ruleson havethe beenrequirements changedfor returning final claims for the coming2025 to 2026 funding year. SomeInstitutions technicalthat advicedeliver on16 returningto 19 education are not required to submit a mid-year claim, year-end claim or sign off a final claim through MYESF. Only institutions that have DfE adult funded provision should follow the advice in the how to return ILR funding claims hasto DFE guidance in beenmaking updatedtheir forreturns thisto the funding year.body.
-
Traineeshipclarified fundingthe ceasedprocess afterand 2023dates on under performance and overperformance calculations
-
updated Annex C to 2024reflect asthe allmost continuingup studentsto weredate expectedcalculation steps and timelines for recoveries
-
updated the list of PDSAT report to completereflect theirthe traineeshipspost-16 beforefunding 31reports Julythat 2024.are available
What’s new for 20232024 to 2024?2025?
WeNo havefunding setreconciliation outrules somehave smallbeen changeschanged fromfor 2022the tocoming 2023:
clawbackyear. profileSome settechnical outadvice inon annexreturning C
annexfinal Dclaims has been updated withfor somethis additionalfunding technicalyear.
Traineeship advice
annexfunding Eceased hasafter been2023 updatedto with2024 someas additionalall technicalcontinuing advicestudents inwere respectexpected ofto institutioncomplete self-checkingtheir oftraineeships ILRbefore data
31 July 2024.
For information
Colleges, providers, schools and academies receive annual funding allocations from the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) for provision of 16 to 19 education.
This guidance gives advice about individualised learner record (ILR) returns for institutions funded by the ESFA. It is important for all institutions that we fund to carry out data recording checks each year.
You will also find our published funding guidance useful.
Funding claims
All ILR funded institutions must submit funding claims by the deadline.
Details
The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) closed on 31 March 2025. All activity has moved to the Department for Education (DfE). You should continue to follow this guidance.
What’s new for 20242025 to 2025?2026?
NoWe fundinghave:
-
made
reconciliationchangesrulesonhavethebeenrequirementschangedfor returning final claims for thecoming2025 to 2026 funding year.SomeInstitutionstechnicalthatadvicedeliveron16returningto 19 education are not required to submit a mid-year claim, year-end claim or sign off a final claim through MYESF. Only institutions that have DfE adult funded provision should follow the advice in the how to return ILR funding claimshasto DFE guidance inbeenmakingupdatedtheirforreturnsthisto the fundingyear.body. -
Traineeshipclarifiedfundingtheceasedprocessafterand2023dates on under performance and overperformance calculations -
updated Annex C to
2024reflectastheallmostcontinuingupstudentstoweredateexpectedcalculation steps and timelines for recoveries -
updated the list of PDSAT report to
completereflecttheirthetraineeshipspost-16beforefunding31reportsJulythat2024.are available
What’s new for 20232024 to 2024?2025?
WeNo havefunding setreconciliation outrules somehave smallbeen changeschanged fromfor 2022the tocoming 2023:
clawbackyear.profileSomesettechnicaloutadviceinonannexreturningCannexfinalDclaims has been updatedwithforsomethisadditionalfundingtechnicalyear.Traineeship
adviceannexfundingEceasedhasafterbeen2023updatedtowith2024someasadditionalalltechnicalcontinuingadvicestudentsinwererespectexpectedoftoinstitutioncompleteself-checkingtheiroftraineeshipsILRbeforedata
For information
Colleges, providers, schools and academies receive annual funding allocations from the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) for provision of 16 to 19 education.
This guidance gives advice about individualised learner record (ILR) returns for institutions funded by the ESFA. It is important for all institutions that we fund to carry out data recording checks each year.
You will also find our published funding guidance useful.
Funding claims
All ILR funded institutions must submit funding claims by the deadline.
Updates to this page
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Update history
2025-09-17 14:40
We have updated the contract institution funding reconciliation adjustments information in the individualised learner record funding returns 2025 to 2026 guidance. We have clarified the process for calculating responsive growth which now includes new rules for affordability checks and the potential recovery of funds. We have confirmed that from academic year 2026 to 2027, we will no longer review under or over delivery based on R10 data.
2025-06-25 12:11
We have added the ILR returns guidance for 2025 to 2026. ‘’ What’s new for 2025 to 2026?We have: made changes on the requirements for returning final claims for the 2025 to 2026 funding year. Institutions that deliver 16 to 19 education are not required to submit a mid-year claim, year-end claim or sign off a final claim through MYESF. Only institutions that have DfE adult funded provision should follow the advice in the how to return ILR funding claims to DFE guidance (
2024-11-21 10:27
We have amended paragraph 14 of the the arrangements section of the Individualised learner record (ILR) funding returns 2024 to 2025 advice.
2024-07-31 11:22
We have published the 2024 to 2025 ILR funding returns guidance. No funding reconciliation rules have been changed for the coming year with some technical advice on returning final claims updated for this funding year. Traineeship funding ceased after 2023 to 2024 as all continuing students were expected to complete their Traineeships before 31 July 2024
2023-04-26 12:59
We have added the Advice: Individualised learner record (ILR) funding returns 2023 to 2024 guidance.
2022-07-29 13:15
We have updated the Advice: Individualised learner record (ILR) funding returns 2021 to 2022 guidance and added the Advice: Individualised learner record (ILR) funding returns 2022 to 2023 guidance