Adult Skills Fund

As part of the Landmark West Yorkshire Devolution Deal, we have taken over responsibility for the region’s £65 million annual Adult Skills Fund.

Taking over control of the Adult Skills Fund

Adult Skills Fund (ASF) aims to engage adults and provide them with the skills needed for entering and sustaining work, an apprenticeship/traineeship, or other further learning.

The key priorities for West Yorkshire ASF is to:

  • Support the unemployed to gain and sustain employment
  • Unlock progression opportunities and career adaptability through skills, particularly for those on low wages and with insecure work
  • Make learning more inclusive to support disadvantaged residents
  • Increase the supply of skills to support key sectors in West Yorkshire
  • Improve West Yorkshire’s resilience by identifying and delivering the skills needed for the future

Adult Skills Fund Strategy

The Adult Skills Fund Strategy for the West Yorkshire Combined Authority highlights strengths, opportunities and challenges across the region and sets out key priorities for the devolved Adult Education Budget to ensure it supports the West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s Strategic Vision.

Read the ASF Strategy

West Yorkshire Further Education Compact

This document formalises the close, strategic partnership between the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, all of the region's Further Education colleges and the West Yorkshire Consortium of Colleges, placing skills at the heart of the joint ambition to develop a region for learning and creativity and a thriving, inclusive economy.

Read the document

Adult Skills Fund Procurement

In order to access tender opportunities for the West Yorkshire Adult Skills Fund via our Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS), please complete the following:

1. Register onto the YORTender portal (if not already registered) - suppliers should click on the link that says 'Supplier Registration'.

2. Submit an application to join the Adult Skills DPS (79437) on YorTender.

Suppliers should allow enough time for this process, which includes upload of several documents as evidence. 

If you are a learner...

The Adult Skills Fund supports adults to increase their skills and achieve the equivalent of GCSE and A Level qualifications.

Any adult over the age of 19 is eligible for support through the Adult Skills Fund. In particular, the following people are entitled to access training for free:

  • unemployed and seeking work
  • wanting to achieve Level 2 in Maths or English for the first time
  • earning less than £25,000 a year
  • wanting to achieve basic digital skills
  • wanting to achieve your first full Level 2 or Level 3 (GCSE or A Level equivalent) qualification

If you are over the age of 19 and are looking for training support. 

More Information





Adult Skills Fund

Just try be yourself, be curious, be inspired.

Kristina Learner
Core Adult Skills Fund Documents 2024-2025
Core AEB Documents 2023-2024

Guidance documents relating to the 2023-2024 Adult Education Budget Team can be accessed here: