October 2003/48
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| To: | Heads of HEFCE-funded higher education institutions Heads of HEFCE-funded further education colleges |
| Of interest to those responsible for: | Strategic planning, Funding, Access, Quality Assurance, Curriculum development |
| Reference: | 2003/48 |
| Publication date: | October 2003 |
| Enquiries to: |
For queries on the document and Sections 2 and 3 of the bidding template: For queries on Section 1 of the bidding template and other technical problems: |
Executive summary (read on-line)
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Invitation to bid for funds
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Executive summary
Purpose
1. This publication invites bids for full-time or part-time additional foundation degree places from 2004-05; and for funds to develop new programmes. Institutions wishing to bid for foundation degree places to support Ufi activity should do so through this competition and not directly to the Ufi.
Key points
2. All higher education institutions and further education colleges directly funded by HEFCE are eligible to submit bids. We advise colleges with small amounts of directly funded higher education (HE) provision to bid in collaboration with other larger HE providers.
3. We will allocate £5.5 million through this competition to contribute to developing foundation degree programmes, and will fund 10,000 full-time equivalent additional student places. We have calculated an expected distribution of the development funds and additional places across the regions. We strongly encourage institutions to discuss with other HE providers in their region and/or sub-region their plans for developing foundation degrees and delivering the additional places. Where institutions reach agreement, and submit bids that overall do not exceed the funds and additional places available in the region, we would expect to allocate all the funds and places sought, provided that the bids satisfy the generic and programme-specific criteria.
4. We expect the bids to widen participation in HE and reduce skills shortages, sub-regionally, regionally and/or nationally. Institutions intending to address regional or sub-regional skills needs should contribute to raising skills levels in those sectors identified as priorities by the Regional Development Agencies. Institutions should also take account of skills needs identified by emerging Sector Skills Councils and other professional or employer bodies.
5. In particular, we wish to encourage bids that will:
- deliver high quality foundation degree programmes
- involve employers in the design, delivery and review of the programmes
- help to meet local, regional and/or national skills needs
- increase the number of foundation degree students overall
- widen participation by increasing the number of students from disadvantaged backgrounds
- be delivered through further education colleges.
Action required
6. Institutions should submit bids for the 2004-05 competition on the forms that can be downloaded from our secure web-site, https://extranet.hefce.ac.uk (will be available on or before October 17). Bids should be uploaded to the same web-site by midday on Wednesday 3 December 2003. There is no need to submit a hard copy of the bid.
7. To access the site, institutions will need an organisation key and an initiative-specific key. We will write separately to the head of the institution with this information, and instructions on how to use the site.