Hull and East Yorkshire Combined Authority has taken control of a £19 million Adult Skills Fund from 2026/27, giving local leaders greater influence over how adult skills provision supports regional priorities.
For learners, employers and local communities, that's intended to be a positive step. Devolution gives regions more flexibility to invest in the skills and training that matter most to their economies.
For providers, however, it also reflects a reality that has become increasingly familiar across adult learning: funding is becoming more localised, while reporting and compliance requirements become more varied.
As more combined authorities take responsibility for Adult Skills Fund delivery, providers need to adapt to an increasingly changing financial environment. While national funding rules remain important, devolved authorities may introduce their own priorities, monitoring requirements and reporting expectations.
For Finance Directors, the challenge is often less about any individual authority and more about managing change. New devolved arrangements can mean new reporting requirements, revised funding priorities or different approaches to monitoring performance. Staying ahead of those changes is essential for maintaining confidence in funding claims and submissions.
For MIS Managers, accuracy remains critical. Learner records, funding data and source-of-funding coding must align with current requirements, often across multiple contracts and funding streams. Where providers operate across several devolved areas, complexity can increase significantly.
This is where having the right systems is important. EBS is designed to support the realities of the UK post-16 funding environment. Built-in validation, configurable funding rules and comprehensive reporting capabilities help providers manage evolving requirements with confidence. Rather than relying on manual checks and workarounds, organisations can maintain accurate funding data and respond more effectively as funding arrangements change.
The rise of devolved funding is reshaping the adult learning sector. For providers, success increasingly depends not only on delivering high-quality provision, but also on having the systems and processes needed to operate confidently across a changing funding environment.
Find out more about how EBS supports adult learning providers.