OfS publishes interim evaluation report on the Degree Apprenticeship Funding Competition

In September 2023, the Office for Students (OfS) introduced the DAFC to boost the capacity and equality of opportunity within degree apprenticeship provision in higher education. The OfS distributed £40 million of funding via three waves between January 2024 and July 2025. This funding was intended to:

• expand course provision at universities and colleges already offering degree apprenticeships
• increase the number of students on degree apprenticeships
• expand course provision at higher education providers who are new to offering Level 6 degree apprenticeships
• increase equality of opportunity within degree apprenticeships.

The OfS appointed Ipsos, working in partnership with the Education Policy Institute (EPI), to deliver a process, impact and value for money evaluation of the funding competition. Today’s report presents interim findings of the evaluation, focusing on the design, delivery, outcomes and impacts of Wave 1 funded projects, which targeted institutions already delivering degree apprenticeship programmes.

The report finds:

• Most institutions (87 per cent) thought the funding had enabled them to increase awareness of degree apprenticeships amongst prospective apprentices. Two thirds (66 per cent) said it had helped them to raise awareness among prospective apprentices from currently underrepresented groups, despite this not being a requirement for projects in the first wave of funding.
• Of the institutions that delivered apprentice-recruitment activities, 59 per cent used the funding to target people from an ethnic minority background, 57 per cent targeted students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, and 51 per cent focused on students from areas of low participation in higher education.
• Around nine in 10 institutions (94 per cent) said that DAFC activities had contributed to expanding the number of L6 Degree apprenticeship programmes in the 2024/25 academic year, with institutions successfully launching new apprenticeship programmes that they considered were industry-relevant and attractive to both employers and prospective apprentices.
• 93 per cent of employers agreed that degree apprenticeships were an effective way to address skills needs in their sector, and 90 per cent said they were likely to continue to employ degree apprentices in the future.

A total of 51 institutions were awarded funding through Wave 1 of the DAFC, totalling £11.7 million, with funding awards ranging from £54,000 up to £1 million. This funding supported a range of activities associated with enhancing their degree apprenticeship provision including curriculum development, employer engagement, apprentice attraction and project management to ensure funding activities were delivered as planned.

The report also sets out the approaches that institutions considered as effective strategies for delivery across a range of activity types, including the recruitment of staff to specialist roles, working closely with employers to develop industry-relevant curriculum and attract apprentices.

Alastair Wilson, Head of Student Pathways and Progression at the OfS, said:

‘Degree apprenticeships can be an effective route for students who want to combine paid work with a high-quality education in their chosen industry, as well as those who may not wish to follow a more traditional route into higher education.

‘Today’s report shows that our funding competition is making positive steps towards increasing the range and availability of these courses, as well as helping institutions to attract apprentices from groups that are currently underrepresented.

‘While this was not a requirement for projects in this round of funding, the early evidence suggests degree apprenticeships could help to improve access to higher education for students that are less likely to benefit.

‘Employers also told us that they viewed these apprenticeships as offering a clear, funded career ladder, providing opportunities for advancement to employees that might otherwise lack the financial means to pursue a traditional degree, and helping to address employee shortages within particular professions.

‘I encourage any university or college that offers degree apprenticeships to reflect upon the emerging best practises highlighted in the report and consider how they can ensure they are delivering high quality education that meets the needs of students and employers.’

Notes

1. The Office for Students is the independent regulator for higher education in England. We are striving to deliver exemplary regulation in the interests of students. Find out more about our new strategy.
2. Read more about the funding competition.
3. Ipsos, working in partnership with the Education Policy Institute (EPI), has been appointed by the Office for Students to deliver a process, impact and value for money evaluation of the funding competition. We are publishing interim evaluation reports on our website, with a final report due to be published in autumn 2026.
4. Read the interim findings on the progress of activities to increase equality of opportunity in Level 6 degree apprenticeships.