HE in FE: Frequently Asked Questions

Eligibility

Q: Many colleges won't meet the 400+ HE FTE's bracket necessary for colleges to lead a bid (in England). Could this requirement be changed so that either bids could be led by an HEI or by a consortia of smaller colleges?

A: Yes, HEFCE have agreed that the 400+ requirement will be reduced to 100+. So any college with over 100 HE FTEs will be eligible to bid.

Q: In terms of numbers of HE students needed for eligibility, are student numbers included that aren't funded by HEFCE? E.g international students or foundation degrees funded entirely by employers.

A: FE institutions in England which teach higher education to more than 100 full-time equivalent students are entitled to bid so any HE student not directly funded by HEFCE may be included in the 100 FTEs.

Q: Can a single institution bid?

A: Yes, but if a course is accredited by an HEI the HEI would need to be a fully signed up partner to the bid. Any partners you do have need to be meaningful, with a clear breakdown of roles, responsibilities and funding allocations in the bid. Regarding the nature of partners - think broadly about different types of partnerships, these can also be partners for specific areas e.g. dissemination partners including subject centres and RSCs.