Professional and Career Development Loans (PCDL)

Form A – Application for Inclusion on the Learning Provider List

This form must be used by learning providers applying to the Education and Skills Funding Agency (the ESFA) for inclusion on the PCDL Learning Providers List (LP List).

Learning providers must ensure that they have enclosed copies of all the supporting material and evidence requested with Form A.

Once complete, please save this form and then email it, with all required documentation, to

If you require any information or further advice regarding PCDL or the registration process, you can or telephone 0300 303 8610.

The Education and Skills Funding Agency will respond to applications within 30 working days.

Section 1: Learning Provider Information

All providers MUST complete this section

Name of organisation
Trading name (if different to above)
Registered address
Telephone
Email address

Legal Status please 3 as appropriate

Limited Company / Non-Limited Company (Partnership, Sole Trader) / Public UK / Public (Outside of UK) / Private (Outside of UK)

Please note:

If you are an overseas organisation or you cannot identify your company’s legal status using one of the above categories, please call 0300 303 8610 or email for further information.

Companies House number (if appropriate)

Charity Commission Registration number (if appropriate)

Named contact (person responsible for all contact for PCDL)
Postal address (if different from above)
Daytime contact number
Email
Website address

Has your organisation been previously included on the PCDL LP List?

If ‘Yes’, please provide the Registration

Number (if known)

Will the organisation named in Section 1deliver the training directly and receive the course fees?

Subcontracting

The application for inclusion on the LP List must be from the learning provider that is actually delivering the learning and receiving the course fees. Applications will be declined if they are from an organisation that intends to subcontract training delivery to another provider.

Private providers only

(UKPublic Funded Providers – go to Section 2)

Names and date of birth of all company directors or equivalents

Name / DD / MM / YY
Name / DD / MM / YY
Name / DD / MM / YY
Name / DD / MM / YY

If necessary, please continue in Section 5 Additional Information.

If the course (or courses, if more than one is being registered), is delivered at a different address to the addresses given above, please enter the contact name and address details below.

Note:

Overseas organisations should contact the ESFAdirect as some information included above may not be required.

Section 2: Financial and Funding Information

All providers MUST complete this section

To help establish that your organisation is not reliant on PCDL for funding and that you would be financially viable if your organisation’s income from PCDL supported learners was removed. Please state your organisation’s annual turnover as recorded on the latest year-end statutory financial statements.

£

Financial Year

How many learners in total are enrolled with your organisation at this time?

Does your organisation receive funding from the Education and Skills Funding Agency?

If ‘Yes’,please complete the details below.

The ESFAcontact name
Email address

Not-for-Profit Companies (UK only)

Is your organisation a Not-for-Profit Company?

Please select ‘Yes’/’No’

An Experian credit check report is used to assess the financial health of organisations,which takes into account profit levels for private companies. If you are a not-for-profit company, the lack of profit mayaffect the outcome of this report and you may fail the check as a result. We may request your latest year-end statutory financial statements; abbreviated accounts will not be acceptable.

Section 3: Learning Programme Information

Private providers only

How long has your organisation been operating as a learning provider?

Years / Months
Years / Months

All providers MUST complete this section

Is the course(s) or qualification(s) included on this form accredited?

If ‘Yes’,please give details of the awarding or accrediting organisation(s) and supply a copy of yourup-to-date accreditation authorisation for this course/qualification.

Please confirm that your organisation is assessing an individual’s suitability for the course they have expressed an interest in. This typically takes the form of stating prerequisite qualifications or skills which are required for the course or a pre-course assessment test.

Please note:

Franchise elements of any learning programme or Career Counselling or Job Search Courses cannot be supported using a PCDL.

Do any of the courses you are registering have any franchise arrangement? If yes, please call 0300 303 8610 or email for further information.

Section 4: Course Registration and Learner Information

All providers MUST complete this section

Please list below information about the course(s) you wish to register.

Please note: The course(s) must be eligible for PCDL support; and must be intended to lead into employment in the UK, EU or EEA; and must not be a course which leads into further learning.

Course name (include indication of level where appropriate) / Length of time your organisation has delivered the course / Mode of delivery (p/t, f/t, distance learning) / Course Hours per week / Course duration (must match course material) / Total Course Cost* £
Example
MSc Human Resource Management / 3 years / f/t / 20 / 12 months / £XXXX.XX
£
£

Note: When registering a course, the duration should be considered when establishing the mode of delivery. Generally, a full-time course will be 16 hours or more a week, part-time courses will be 5 hours or more a week and distance-learning courses will be 3 hours per week or more.

Please list below the names and contact details of prospective learners who have expressed an interest in using PCDL to fund a course with your organisation.

Name and address of learner / Course name / Anticipated course start and end date / Telephone number / Email address
Example
Name/address / MSc Human Resource Management / 06/09/XX
30/06/XX / 0121 123 6789 /

Note: Learners may be contacted for confirmation.

If any unpaid work experience is included in the course, please state the length of time and frequency of occurrence.

* If course fees include costs for food, travel or accommodation, please supply a breakdown showing the cost for each element.

Course fees / Food / Travel / Accommodation / Equipment

Section 5:Additional Information

All providers MUST complete this section

Refund policy: Your refund policy must apply to all learners, not just those looking to be supported by PCDL. Briefly state how this is communicated to all learners.

Complaints policy: Your complaints policy must apply to all learners, not just those looking to be supported by PCDL. Briefly state how this is communicated to all learners.

Course brochure: You will need to supply a copy of the course brochure or a hyperlink to electronic information that shows course prices, course content, duration and delivery method (for example full-time, part-time, distance learning).

Additional Information

Section 6: Required Supporting Documentation

Have you attached copies of?

Supporting Evidence/Documentation / Ltd Company
3 / Non-Ltd Company and Not-for-Profit Company3
3 / Public UK
3 / Public Outside of UK
3 / Private (Outside of UK)3
Learning Agreement

As a minimum, the example agreement should include: learners details; course details; costs; start and end date and general terms and conditions.

It must include a space for signatures by both parties and be available to all learners (not just those looking to be supported by a PCDL).

The agreement may be described by another name, or may use a number of separate documents to fulfil this purpose. If so, the ESFA must be supplied with copies of all documents, which together comprise the Learning Agreement.

Refund policy
Complaints policy
Course brochure -or hyperlink to specific course details
Proof of accreditation -copy of your up-to-date accreditation authorisation
Statutory financial statement – not-for-profit and non-limited companies must include their most recent accounts to include
  • An end of period Profit and loss account, or equivalent.
  • An end of period Balance sheet
  • Commentary and breakdown, including relevant notes to the accounts

Letter from accountant -non-limited companies must supply an accountant’s letter that confirms your organisation’s legal status and trading history.
Proof of publicly funded status – A copy of confirmation letter or other relevant information from your funding government department/organisation.

Section 7: Learning Provider Declaration

I confirm that the information provided on this form,including the supporting documentation, is complete and accurate.

I confirm that I (and the contact named in section 1 of this form, if different) have read and understood the Professional and Career Development LoansLearning Provider List - Requirements for Inclusionguidance document.

I understand that if my application for inclusion is successful, my organisation must continue to adhere to the requirements, including any updated requirements implemented by the Education and Skills Funding Agency. I understand that any breach of the requirements for inclusion may result in my organisation’s removal from the Learning Provider List.

I declare that none of the Directors or Senior Managers of my organisation has previously been involved with any organisation registered with Professional and Career Development Loans (or Career Development Loans) which ceased trading, impacting on learners or which has been removed from the Learning Provider List (or the Register of Training Organisations).

I confirm that my organisation’s business is not reliant on Professional and Career Development Loans for funding and it would continue to be financially viable if its income from Professional and Career Development Loan supported learners was removed.

I understand that failure to disclose all relevant information may result in my organisation’s application for inclusion on the Professional and Career Development Loan Learning Provider List being declined.

Signed: (Authorised to sign)

Date:

Print name:

Position in the organisation:

Note: Who isauthorised to sign?

Public Providers: Financial Director or equivalents

All Other Providers:Company Director or equivalents

Education and Skills Funding Agency