The Birmingham apprenticeship DPS is only for training providers already on the apprenticeship provider and assessment register (APAR, formerly RoATP). If your organisation is not on the register, start with our guide to APAR, UKPRNs and apprenticeship DPSs instead, because nothing here can be won without it.
If you are an apprenticeship training provider already on APAR, this guide explains who runs the Birmingham apprenticeship DPS, what it buys, how you apply and what entry typically involves, using public information only.
Who runs it and what it buys
The buyer is the University of Birmingham, through its Procurement Division. The arrangement is called Provision of Apprenticeship Training Services to the University of Birmingham, and it was advertised in August 2023 as a dynamic purchasing system (DPS) with a five-year term.
According to the notice, the University plans to recruit apprentices to develop local talent and open entry routes into its workforce, and to use apprenticeships for existing staff where a role meets the definition of an apprentice. It buys apprenticeship training where it cannot deliver that training in house.
University of Birmingham apprenticeships cover a wide spread of roles. Its own apprenticeship pages mention business administration, finance, laboratory technician, engineering, IT and marketing, which gives a sense of the standards it is likely to need.
Who it suits
On our frameworks page we say that both apprenticeship DPSs buy apprenticeship delivery through a dynamic purchasing system, and both are only open to providers who already hold apprenticeship provider status. If you're on the register, they are worth a look. If you're not, they are not the place to start.
Within that group, it suits providers whose standards match the roles a large university employs, and who can deliver to apprentices based in Birmingham.
How you apply
You apply in your own name through the University's In-Tend e-tendering portal, which is where the notice says documents are published and applications are submitted. Applying means completing the supplier's questionnaire and accepting the University's terms and DPS instructions.
The notice says the DPS will stay open to new suppliers, and to suppliers previously turned down, for its five-year duration, and that admitted providers can choose which opportunities to compete for. We could not confirm its current status from a public page, so check the listing on In-Tend before you start.
What entry typically involves
The University's documents set the actual requirements. In general terms, apprenticeship procurement like this typically involves:
- being on APAR, so that you are eligible for government funding to train apprentices
- evidence of the apprenticeship standards you deliver and your record of delivering them
- a financial standing check
- a selection questionnaire covering your organisation, policies and capability
APAR has entry conditions of its own, and the register identifies each provider by its UK provider reference number (UKPRN). Our APAR guide explains both.
What being on it does and doesn't mean
Admission makes you eligible to compete, not guaranteed apprentices. When the University needs training for a standard, it competes the requirement among the admitted providers, and you bid against the others each time. A DPS place is a route to opportunities, not a pipeline of learners.
Where it fits with the others
Of the six frameworks on our frameworks page, Birmingham and Warrington are the two for approved apprenticeship providers. If you hold APAR status, the Warrington apprenticeship DPS is worth applying to as well. For general training outside apprenticeships, look at the YPO training framework.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to be on APAR to join the Birmingham apprenticeship DPS?
Yes in practice. APAR is the register of organisations eligible for government funding to train apprentices, and the DPS buys apprenticeship training. If you are not on it, this DPS is not your starting point.
Is the University of Birmingham apprenticeship DPS still open?
The 2023 notice set a five-year term and said the DPS would stay open to new applicants throughout. We could not confirm its current status from a public page, so check the University's In-Tend portal.
What is the difference between APAR and RoATP?
They are the same register under different names. The register of apprenticeship training providers (RoATP) became the apprenticeship provider and assessment register (APAR) on 1 August 2023.
Does admission guarantee apprentices?
No. Admission lets you bid when the University competes a requirement. Each opportunity is still won against the other admitted providers.
Sources
- Find a Tender — University of Birmingham, Provision of Apprenticeship Training Services (Dynamic Purchasing System) (contract notice, August 2023)
- University of Birmingham — Apprenticeships
- GOV.UK — Apply to the APAR as an apprenticeship training provider
- GOV.UK — Apply to join the apprenticeship provider and assessment register (APAR)
- GOV.UK — Download the apprenticeship provider and assessment register (APAR)
- legislation.gov.uk — Public Contracts Regulations 2015, regulation 34 (dynamic purchasing systems, as made)