Apprenticeship units delivery readiness guide

The 7 initial apprenticeship units from Skills England go live in April 2026. For training providers, this is a significant operational challenge: new ILR programme types, APAR scope extensions, Skills Test delivery, and employer agreement templates all need to be in place before you can take a funded start. This guide walks through every preparation step.

Apprenticeship units Provider readiness April 2026

Check unit eligibility Read the full units guide

Published: March 2026. Based on Skills England technical specifications and ESFA guidance current at publication.

The 7 units at a glance

Unit name Level Delivery hours Indicative funding band

AI Foundations Level 2 30–50 hrs ~£1,800/learner

AI and Data for Business Level 3 60–90 hrs ~£2,800/learner

Digital Skills for Work Level 2 30–60 hrs ~£1,500/learner

Green Skills and Sustainability Level 2–3 40–70 hrs ~£2,000/learner

Leadership Foundations Level 3 50–80 hrs ~£2,500/learner

Project Delivery Essentials Level 3 50–90 hrs ~£2,200/learner

Customer Relationship Management Level 2–3 40–70 hrs ~£1,800/learner

Funding bands subject to final ESFA confirmation. Check the current ESFA Funding Rules for approved rates.

Step-by-step: getting delivery-ready

Confirm your APAR status and apply for unit scope

Before delivering any funded unit, you must be on the Apprenticeship Provider and Assessment Register (APAR) with the relevant unit(s) in your approved scope.

If you are already on APAR: log in to Manage Apprenticeships and apply to add each unit to your approved training list. Allow 4–6 weeks for assessment.
If you are not on APAR: begin the full registration process immediately — this typically takes 6–12 weeks minimum. Skills England has signalled a simplified units-only route is coming mid-2026, but confirmation is pending.
Check the unit technical specification to confirm the sector subject area (SSA) code — your APAR application must match.

Download and map the unit technical specifications

Each unit has a published technical specification from Skills England detailing learning outcomes, knowledge and skills requirements, assessment criteria, and delivery guidance.

Download the specification for each unit you plan to deliver from the Skills England website.
Map your existing curriculum content against the required learning outcomes — identify what you already have and what needs to be developed.
Units do not require KSB mapping in the apprenticeship sense, but learning outcomes must be demonstrably covered in your delivery plan.
Build a curriculum outline for each unit: session plan, delivery sequence, and methods (online, in-person, blended).

Update your MIS and ILR submission processes

Units use a new ILR programme type code — separate from full apprenticeship aims. Your MIS must support this before you can submit funded starts.

Contact your MIS provider (OneFile, Aptem, Maytas, Bud, etc.) to confirm unit programme type support and expected release date.
Update your ILR submission checklist to include the new fields required for unit aims.
Run a test submission in the ESFA's ILR tools before your first live start.
Funding claims for units will follow a similar process to apprenticeship claims — confirm your claim schedule with your MIS provider.

Plan Skills Test delivery

Unlike full apprenticeships, units are assessed by a Skills Test — not an End-Point Assessment. There is no EPA organisation involvement.

Skills Tests are designed and administered by the training provider (with Ofsted/quality oversight).
Each unit technical specification sets out the assessment approach — review this carefully and develop your test materials in advance.
Ensure your internal quality assurance processes cover Skills Test marking and moderation.
Plan your assessment schedule so learners can be tested within the unit's delivery window — there is no deferred EPA process.

Prepare employer training agreements

Funded unit starts require a training agreement between the provider, the employer, and the learner — similar to a full apprenticeship commitment statement but shorter.

Draft a unit-specific training agreement template covering: unit name, delivery hours, employer obligations, learner obligations, funding arrangement (levy or co-investment), and expected completion date.
For levy-paying employers: the employer reserves the unit in the DAS before the start — ensure this is in place before starting delivery.
For non-levy employers: confirm the co-investment payment terms and set up the DAS reservation on their behalf.
Brief your employer engagement team on the differences from full apprenticeship agreements.

Brief your delivery and quality teams

Units are a new product type for most providers — your delivery staff and IQA team need to understand how they differ from full apprenticeships before the first cohort starts.

Run a briefing session covering: unit structure, delivery hours, no OTJ requirement, Skills Test vs EPA, ILR code, and evidence expectations.
Update your IQA sampling plan to include unit starts from April 2026.
Decide whether units will sit within your existing programme team structure or be managed separately.

Provider readiness checklist

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Key differences: units vs full apprenticeships

What units do NOT require

No OTJ training (20% rule does not apply)
No End-Point Assessment organisation
No 12-month minimum duration
No apprenticeship employment requirement
No KSB mapping in the formal sense
No progress reviews (though good practice)

What units DO require

APAR registration with unit scope approved
ILR submission with correct programme type code
DAS reservation before the start
Training agreement signed before delivery
Skills Test delivered and marked by provider
IQA coverage of Skills Test marking

Managing units alongside your full apprenticeship cohort

Prentice by TIQPlus is being updated to support apprenticeship unit starts — covering unit ILR codes, Skills Test tracking, and employer agreement management alongside your existing apprenticeship programmes.

Book a demo Unit eligibility checker