Training provider compliance in the United Kingdom
The UK has no single register of training providers. Which body you deal with depends on what you deliver, how it is funded and which of the four nations you work in. CAQA helps providers map the route, prepare applications and build the quality systems that inspection and oversight look for.
Registration. Quality systems. Australian partnerships.
Who regulates training providers in England
- No licence is needed to run unfunded training in England. Public funding and recognised programmes bring the regulators in.
- Apprenticeship training providers must be on the Apprenticeship Provider and Assessment Register (APAR). Its application guidance is now published by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP); entry is by invitation or through the gap-in-provision route, and applicants need 12 months of trading.
- Skills England, an executive agency sponsored by DWP, works with employers on occupational standards, apprenticeships and technical qualifications.
- Ofsted inspects further education, skills and apprenticeship providers.
- Higher education providers register with the Office for Students (OfS).
- Ofqual regulates awarding organisations and their qualifications, not training providers.
- The Education and Skills Funding Agency closed on 31 March 2025, and the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education has been replaced by Skills England, so neither is a current body.
Registering for funded delivery in England
- Register on the UK Register of Learning Providers (UKRLP).
- For apprenticeships, apply to APAR when an invitation or gap-in-provision route is open, with at least 12 months of trading.
- For higher education, apply to the Office for Students.
- Prepare for Ofsted inspection from the first day of funded delivery.
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
- Scotland: Qualifications Scotland replaced the Scottish Qualifications Authority on 1 February 2026.
- Wales: Medr, the Commission for Tertiary Education and Research, regulates further education, higher education and apprenticeships; Qualifications Wales regulates qualifications and Estyn inspects.
- Northern Ireland: the Department for the Economy appoints ApprenticeshipsNI providers through procurement; CCEA Regulation regulates qualifications and the Education and Training Inspectorate inspects.
International students
To enrol students on a Student visa anywhere in the UK, a provider needs a Home Office student sponsor licence, which requires educational oversight from a recognised body such as the OfS or Ofsted.
Working with Australia
UK providers often partner with Australian RTOs or set up in Australia. That needs an Australian company with an ABN or ACN, people who meet ASQA's Fit and Proper Person Requirements, independently assessed financial viability, and training delivered to students in Australia. See entering the Australian VET market.
How CAQA helps UK providers
- Mapping the right route for your provision across the four nations
- APAR and Office for Students application preparation
- Ofsted readiness reviews and quality improvement planning
- Policies, procedures and quality systems
- Partnerships with Australian RTOs and Australian registration
We work with UK providers remotely and on site by arrangement, and agree the consultant, scope, fees and time zone before work starts.
Questions from UK providers
Who publishes the apprenticeship provider register guidance now?
The Department for Work and Pensions, which also sponsors Skills England.
Does Ofqual approve training providers?
No. Ofqual regulates awarding organisations and qualifications; Ofsted inspects providers.
Do we need a sponsor licence for international students?
Yes, for students on a Student visa, with educational oversight from a recognised body.
Sources
Countries we work in
Working in Australia? See our consultancy services.