Adult Skills Supply Chain Fees and Charges Policy 2026-27

Purpose

This policy sets out the fees, charges and management costs associated with the Royal Borough of Greenwich's subcontracted Adult Education Budget (AEB) provision. It explains the rationale for retained funding, the services provided in return for those costs, and the arrangements for publication and transparency.

Scope

This policy applies to all organisations delivering Adult Education Budget funded provision through the Royal Borough of Greenwich's Employment and Skills Framework Agreement.

Compliance

This policy has been developed in accordance with Greater London Authority (GLA) and Department for Education (DfE) requirements relating to subcontracting, transparency and publication of management fees and charges. This would provide assurance that the document aligns with funding rules.

Sub-Contracting Arrangements

Supply Chain Fees and Charges Policy

Sub-Contracting Arrangements 

The Royal Borough of Greenwich sub-contracts delivery of Adult and Community Learning through a Framework Agreement. The Council established the first Employment and Skills Framework in 2011 in order to procure Skills Funding Agency funded Adult and Community Learning and other employment and adult skills provision. The Employment and Skills Framework sets out the rationale, policy context and detailed arrangements for how the council works with its sub-contracted providers (including payment terms).

The Framework was set up to give the council greater flexibility in the procurement of skills and training services. It enables the council to regularly adapt what it purchases, and from whom it purchases, to reflect the needs of the local economy, businesses and residents. It enables the council to secure value for money, ensure the high quality of services and more readily change provision to reflect the changing needs of the economy and employers. It also allows the council to procure through a broader range of specialist providers and align provision with the specialist facilities offered through the Royal Borough of Greenwich’s Skills Centres.

The Employment and Skills Framework sets out the rationale, policy context and detailed arrangements for how the council works with its sub-contracted providers. All providers who are appointed to the Employment and Skills Framework have signed up to these arrangements and terms and conditions are clearly set out as part of contracts. The policy will be reviewed in the last year of the current Framework Agreement, which expires at the end of August 2029. 

Contract Management

The council retains a proportion of the GLA/SFA allocation to cover management and administration costs.  This covers direct management and administration including staffing costs; a programme of training and development support for contracted providers; partnership working around adult skills; Management Information System to collate and analyse data on performance and quality, publicity, marketing, events and equipment costs. The Council retains up to 20% of subcontracted funding allocations to cover management and administration costs associated with delivery, oversight, quality assurance and contract management.

There are no charges and fees for sub-contractors. The rest of the Greater London Authority (GLA)  / Department for Education (DFE)  funding for Tailored Learning  and Adult Skills  is tendered on an annual basis in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Framework Agreement.  Payment terms are agreed in advance at the beginning of each funding year as part of the sub-contract arrangements.  All providers are aware of the terms and conditions of the funding which they agree to as part of the contracting arrangements. 

Role of the Adult and Community Learning (ACL) Team 

The ACL Team work closely with providers to ensure quality of teaching and learning and align provision to council’s strategic priorities, the needs of local residents and employers. To do this the team undertakes the following functions: 

• Strategic direction: provide overall direction/context/strategic fit for adult and community Learning. 
• Procurement:  rigorous selection of providers for the Employment and Skills Framework; annual tendering and through call offs and mini competition to select and contract with providers that best meets the Royal Borough of Greenwich’s needs/ provide value for money. 
• Monitoring: regular individual monitoring meetings with sub-contracted providers to discuss performance, quality, delivery, safeguarding issues. 
• Provider Forum Meetings for providers to meet each term. 
• Audits, learner walks and spot checks to test policies/ practices or check paper-based records. 
• Observation of Teaching Learning and Assessment (OTLA) ; team of sessional OTLA staff undertake programme of observations to monitor quality of teaching learning and assessment and drive improvements in performance. Moderation of assessment through a peer panel. 
• Finance:  checking and payment of invoices, claims and submission of Individual Learner Record . 
• Data and Management Information Systems :  collation and analysis of performance data from individual sub-contracted providers, uploading of data to SFA; provision of web-based MIS system.
• Marketing, publicity and engagement: advertising and marketing materials, events and engagement activity, (e.g. Adult Learners Week), online prospectus.
• Partnership working between our sub-contracted providers, the wider Greenwich Learns partnership, learners and employers.
• Self-Assessment Report  and Quality Improvement Plan : self-assessment and quality improvement process 
• Quality framework and toolkit to ensure consistent approach across the programme
• Training and capacity building programme of facilitated training sessions for sub-contracted providers to build capacity and consistency, share best practice and improve quality. 

Equality and Inclusion

The Royal Borough of Greenwich is committed to ensuring that adult learning opportunities are accessible and inclusive and that subcontracting arrangements support equality of opportunity for residents.

Copies of this policy are available on request. click here to request a copy

Appendix 1 list of subcontractors and funding for 2026/27:

royalgreenwich.gov.uk

Email: adult-learning@greenwich.gov.uk