ESFA and funding eligibility
- Employer UKPRN confirmed and registered on DfE reference data
- Employer has a PAYE scheme active in England
- Levy-paying or non-levy status confirmed
- Apprenticeship service account created and provider approved
Employer due diligence checklist
A structured checklist for business development and compliance teams to complete before signing an employer agreement with a new employer partner. Covers UKPRN registration, levy or co-investment status, workplace suitability for the standard, safeguarding policy checks, and apprenticeship service setup — everything Ofsted and ESFA expect providers to verify before delivery begins.
UKPRN verification
Levy status
Workplace suitability
Safeguarding
Published: 4 March 2026. Format: CSV workbook starter.
Due diligence areas covered
Workplace suitability
- Workplace can support the apprenticeship standard (relevant job role)
- Employer can provide OTJ time within contracted hours
- Employer has a named line manager responsible for the apprentice
- Working environment meets health and safety requirements
Safeguarding and welfare
- Employer has a safeguarding policy in place
- DBS checks completed for staff working with under-18s (where applicable)
- Employer contact confirmed for welfare concerns and escalation
- Prevent duty awareness confirmed with employer contact
Agreement and commitment
- Employer agreement reviewed and signed
- Employer understands their obligations (OTJ, reviews, sign-off)
- Employer contact for reviews identified and available
- Provider visit / workplace assessment completed where required
Why due diligence matters for Ofsted
Ofsted inspectors assess whether providers have verified that employers can genuinely support apprenticeship delivery — not just signed them up to fill cohort numbers. Common inspection findings include:
- Employers who cannot provide OTJ time within working hours, resulting in poor pace.
- Workplaces that do not reflect the standard being delivered — learners not doing relevant work.
- No safeguarding policy at the employer — risk to under-18 learners and those in vulnerable circumstances.
- Employer contacts who are not genuinely involved in reviews — signing forms without engagement.
Completing this checklist before signing any employer agreement creates a documented trail of your due diligence, which is reviewable during inspection.
Managing employer relationships at scale?
Prentice gives you a live view of employer engagement across all your employer partners — tracking sign-off activity, review attendance, and OTJ approval rates so you can identify disengaged employers before they become inspection risks.