Overview
The College occasionally enters into subcontracting arrangements in order to enhance the provision for learners and widen student participation. In the ESFA funding rules, there is now a requirement to be more transparent about the arrangements being entered into and therefore the College must produce and publish a Supply Chain Fees and Charges Policy. All subcontractors will be required to enter into a legally binding contract with the College, a model of which will be published alongside this policy on the college website.
Contribution to Teaching and Learning
The College appreciates that there are circumstances when entering into a subcontracting arrangement would enhance the College portfolio by extending provision into new programme areas or enhance participation by improving accessibility. However in all cases, the subcontractor must be able to demonstrate high quality teaching and learning and delivery of effective and timely outcomes for learners.
Payment Mechanisms
In accordance with the terms of the contract, or unless otherwise agreed, the Subcontractor shall submit a financial claim in respect of each programme or fraction of programme completed in the previous payment period. Payment will be made 30 days after the end of the payment period.
Payment will only be made upon receipt of verifiable evidence.
No payment will be made in relation to participation in a programme of any student who:
- Has not enrolled in accordance with the provisions set down in the contract; or
- Is a person considered under the guidelines to be fully funded by a source other then the ESFA or funded by them more than once in relation to the same programme.
Clawback will be applied to subcontractors who under deliver, cannot provide appropriate evidence and/or as a
result of internal and external audits.
Fees retained by the College will be agreed annually with the subcontractor and will be dependent on the costs incurred by the College in delivering the programmes. As a minimum, the College will retain 20% which will be to cover the costs incurred due to:
- Completing effective due diligence
- Enrolment and induction
- Quality assurance visits, including internal verification (where appropriate)
- Announced and unannounced spot visits
- Course evaluation
- Collation and storage of registers and activity logs where appropriate
- ILR checks and returns
- Structured evaluation meetings, including minute taking
- Teaching and learning observations, feedback and mentoring or other support as required
- Administration of payments
Communication
The Board of Governors will approve the Fees and Charges policy and model contract annually at its July meeting. Both documents will then be published on the College website by 31st July of each given year.
