Apply to have your qualifications regulated
Source: gov.uk (2025-09-02)

Who and what Ofqual regulates, how to apply to be regulated and what happens when you want to stop being regulated.

We have made changes to the process of having your qualifications regulated (also called Ofqual recognition). Providing your feedback (https://ofqual.citizenspace.com/public/01a91ca7) will help us to keep improving this service.

Awarding organisations can choose to be regulated by Ofqual. If you want us to regulate some or all of your qualifications, you can apply to become an Ofqual recognised awarding organisation for those qualifications. You will need to ensure you can demonstrate a full understanding of what being recognised by Ofqual means: it’s a major undertaking that could bring significant benefits to your organisation but it means you have to comply with Ofqual’s rules at all times. This will have an impact on your organisation and how you operate.

The role of awarding organisations

An awarding organisation designs, develops, delivers and awards qualifications, including in some cases apprenticeship assessments. Qualifications usually test knowledge, skills and understanding of a subject and are awarded to learners who demonstrate the specified level of attainment, which is set by the awarding organisation.

Awarding organisations offer qualifications to meet the needs of the schools, colleges and training providers that buy and teach the courses that lead to these qualifications. Awarding organisations put in place the exams, tests and other assessments that students take to achieve their qualifications.

A good awarding organisation will combine expertise in a subject area or sector, with expertise in designing and developing qualifications and assessments, effective operational delivery of assessments and appropriate governance.

Schools, colleges, and training providers

We do not regulate schools, colleges or training providers, and they do not need to apply for Ofqual recognition.

However, a school, college or training provider must apply for recognition if it also intends to act as an awarding organisation. This means it will design, develop, deliver, and award its own qualifications.

Main benefits

The benefits of being a recognised awarding organisation include:
- the possibility of the Department for Education considering your qualifications for public funding and teaching in state and publicly funded schools and colleges
- providing confidence to qualification users that your organisation has the capacity and competence to develop and offer high-quality qualifications
- being able to use the Ofqual logo, as a recognised mark of quality, on certificates for your regulated qualifications; the Ofqual quality mark is valued internationally
- international regulation of your qualifications, as well as in England, so long as that they continue to be offered and taken in England; note that you must also continue to meet Ofqual rules and requirements even when you offer your qualifications internationally
- the listing of your regulated qualifications on the Register of Regulated Qualifications and the ‘find a regulated qualification (https://www.gov.uk/find-a-regulated-qualification)’ service on GOV.UK – an important resource for those wanting to find a suitable qualification
- the ability to apply to offer apprenticeship assessments where Ofqual is the regulator
Apprenticeship assessments

Once you have achieved Ofqual recognition for apprenticeship assessments, you will need to create a Department for Education apprenticeship service account, if you do not already have one. You will also need a UK provider reference number (UKPRN) issued by the UK Register of Learning Providers (https://www.ukrlp.co.uk/).

For more details, visit the apprenticeship assessment service (https://assessors.apprenticeships.education.gov.uk/).

Apply for recognition

We have a process to decide whether you can become a recognised awarding organisation. Further details are in the supporting information document (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-for-recognition-supporting-information/supporting-information-application-for-recognition).

Before starting an application, be aware that there are very clear limits to what we regulate. For example, we do not regulate training courses that only certify that someone attended a course but do not make judgements about an attendee’s level of attainment.

Our privacy statement (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ofqual-recognition-process-privacy-statement) describes how your data will be used and processed as part of the application process.

If you wish to offer regulated qualifications in Wales or Northern Ireland you will need to apply to the qualifications regulator in Wales (https://qualifications.wales/) or the qualifications regulator in Northern Ireland (https://ccea.org.uk/regulation).

Before you start

You will need to read our:
- criteria for recognition (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/criteria-for-recognition)
- guidance for the criteria (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-for-recognition-supporting-information/recognition-application-guidance-for-the-criteria)
- supporting information (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-for-recognition-supporting-information/supporting-information-application-for-recognition)
If you want to understand more about what being regulated by Ofqual would mean if you were to achieve Ofqual recognition, please review our rules (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/awarding-organisations-understanding-our-regulatory-requirements#the-ofqual-handbook---rules-and-guidance-for-qualifications).

If you think being an Ofqual regulated awarding organisation is the right choice for you, apply through our recognition service using the ‘start now’ button below. You will need to set up an account to make your application.

Start now (https://apply-to-have-your-qualifications-regulated.ofqual.gov.uk/eligibility/start)

Continue an existing application (https://apply-to-have-your-qualifications-regulated.ofqual.gov.uk/application/tasks).

Before filling in your application

We recommend that you complete the ‘pre-application engagement’ section of the application before continuing with the rest of your application. You will be sent an email with supporting information and to book a one-to-one meeting with us.

The meeting will help you understand our requirements and the application process. We will talk about:
- what it means to be an Ofqual regulated awarding organisation so you are fully aware of our expectations
- the types of qualifications (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/types-of-regulated-qualifications/qualification-descriptions) you intend to offer
- how you will ensure quality
- how you intend to operate as an awarding organisation once recognised
- what evidence we would need to see from you
As you continue with your application we can advise you to ensure you are providing sufficient supporting evidence.

Submitting your application

When you are ready, you should use the recognition service to submit your application and evidence. We will then review your application against our criteria for recognition (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/criteria-for-recognition). If your application and supporting information indicates that you are capable of meeting our criteria, we would normally invite you to discuss your application with a recognition panel, after which Ofqual will decide whether to recognise you as an awarding organisation.