OfS Ready: Subcontract/franchise Higher Education Providers

The Department for Education’s new requirement for franchise (subcontract) providers to register with the Office for Students (OfS) is now in force, and the deadline to make an application ‘in-good-time’ is in just a few months. Join IHE’s webinar to get the latest policy insights and top tips to help with your OfS application preparations.

If you franchise or subcontract higher education courses from a university partner and you have (or plan to have) more than 300 students, you must apply to register with OfS by the end of June 2026 (unless exempt) or risk losing access to student finance in 2028/29. If you are unsure if this applies to you, take a look at the latest guidance published 20 March 2026 alongside the government response published in December 2025, or join the webinar where we will explore who is in scope in detail.

The webinar will focus on:

- Policy insights: DfE’s requirements for subcontract/franchise providers and the impact of the expectations being placed on your lead providers (E10 OfS Condition).

- OfS ready: Top tips and considerations specific to subcontract/franchise providers when making an application to register.

- Opportunities and implications of changing partnerships during registration (franchise/ subcontract to validation)

- Opportunities and risks as an OfS registered provider.

The main presentation will be followed by a Q&A.

Booking information

This free webinar is open to IHE Members, Launchpad Subscribers, and non-member higher education providers. IHE Members and Launchpad subscribers can register via the IHE Community.

Non-members will receive a direct invitation to secure their free ticket. If your organisation is planning to apply to the OfS, and currently is not a member of IHE, get in touch with Natalja Williams (Membership and Services Manager) at natalja@ihe.ac.uk to receive a booking link for the session.

Note to non-members: By registering to this event, you agree to be added to the IHE mailing list. As an independent organisation, it remains with IHE, to make the final decision on whether an individual or particular organisation can attend an event organised by IHE.

Please note, only IHE Members will receive a copy of the recording of this event. Non-members will just receive the slides.

Once you have booked, you will be sent a confirmation email with a link to register for the webinar. If you need any further support, please email events@ihe.ac.uk