Guidance

DfE subcontracting standard

Subcontracting assurance arrangements for all Department for Education (DfE) funded post-16 providers.

Applies to England

Documents

Subcontracting standard self-assessment template

Details

This document and the supporting auditors guidance set out the requirements for all providers who subcontract £100,000 or more of their delivery,delivery across all DfE funding streams.

SubcontractingThe standardfollowing auditmust reportsbe forreturned in-scopeto providers,DfE should be submitted using document exchange by 31 August.August of the relevant funding year:

  • independent reporting accountant’s report
  • subcontracting standard self-assessment template completed by the reporting accountant
  • assurance declaration completed by the provider

Updates to this page

Published 28 July 2021
Last updated 2712 FebruaryMarch 2026 + show all updates
  1. Added 'Subcontracting standard self-assessment template'.

  2. Added 'Subcontracting standard oversight arrangements for post-16 providers' and updated 'Assurance reviews of subcontracting standards for post-16 providers: framework and guide for reporting accountants'. Removed the 'DfE subcontracting' PDF as this is a duplication of the information on the 'DfE subcontracting' HTML document.

  3. Added the date of 31 July 2025 for subcontracting standard audit reports to be submitted using Document Exchange.

  4. Added assurance reviews of the subcontracting standard for post-16 providers document.

  5. First published.

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