Skills Bootcamps

Rating: Compared to financial year 24/25 Q4, the Delivery Confidence Assessment (DCA) rating at 25/26 Q4 remained at AMBER. There remain workload pressures, but the resource position is currently stable. We are currently working to resolve staff allocated to the national contract programme as we transition into BAU. The risk of overspend the Skills Bootcamps programme budget in FY2025-26, is due to stronger-than-expected performance in local areas, resulting in the budget being allocated more quickly than expected. DWP has agreed to cover a significant proportion of the financial shortfall. Costs for the on-going legal challenge and legal claim are still on-going and are yet to be finalised. This will also transfer to DWP. Mitigations have been undertaken and senior colleagues have been in discussions with DWP, who have agreed to cover a substantial proportion of the financial shortfall. Grant activity and other related functions will continue as part of BAU operations as this work transitions to DWP.

Schedule: Compared to financial year 24/25-Q4, the project's end-date at 25/26-Q4 remained the same as 31/05/2026. National delivery of the programme will end on the 31/03/2026. We expect that the programme will exit the GMPP on the 31/05/2026, as Mayoral Strategic Authorities (MSAs) increasingly assume responsibility for adult skills delivery from FY26-27.

Cost: The programmes whole life costs are £790.39m (when applying an inflator). The winding down of national delivery means that spend in more recent years is lower than in previous years due to spend now only being on grants delivery.

Source: NISTA Major Projects Annual Report 2025-26 (data)

Rating: Compared to financial year 23/24-Q4, the Infrastructure Project Authority's Delivery Confidence Assessment rating at 24/25-Q4 remained at AMBER. This is primarily due to the following factors‚ The project has not yet been re-assessed through a NISTA Gateway Review, though one is planned for June 2025.

Schedule: Compared to financial year 23/24-Q4, the project's end-date at 24/25-Q4 remained at 29/05/2026. This is primarily due to the following factors‚ We expect that the programme will exit the GMPP as Mayoral Strategic Authorities increasingly assume responsibility for adult skills delivery from FY26-27.

Cost: Compared to financial year 23/24-Q4, the project's departmentally agreed Whole Life Cost at 24/25-Q4 (measured in £m) increased from 640 to 785. This is primarily due to the following factors‚ Following the 2024 Autumn Budget and Spending Review, the programme received additional funding to enable a further year of delivery in FY25/26, in local areas and Established Mayoral Strategic Authorities receiving integrated settlements.

Source: NISTA Annual Report 2024-25 (data)

Rating: The Senior Responsible Owner's Delivery Confidence Assessment rating at 23/24-Q4 is Amber. This is primarily due to the following factors. The Infrastructure Project Authority has not yet communicated a Delivery Confidence Assessment to the project. (We expect to schedule an IPA Gateway review in summer 2024.) The SRO's DCA is Amber. The Skills Bootcamps programme remains broadly on schedule, with learner starts continuing to exceed targets, though volatility in the supplier market creates risk. Work is underway both to improve the programme's underlying data architecture to support delivery at greater scale, and to work with suppliers to drive up quality of provision.

Schedule: The project's end-date at 23/24-Q4 is 2026-05-29. This is primarily due to the following factors. Compared to 2223-Q4, the scheduled project end-date has changed from 31 MAR 2024 to 29 MAY 2026. This is primarily due to: gaining approval and funding for a further round of Skills Bootcamps delivery commencing 1 FEB 2024 and expected to conclude 28 FEB 2026; work to improve the programme's underlying data architecture underway and scheduled to conclude 30 APR 2025. The data architecture work is expected to deliver a more stable, longer-term delivery solution for Skills Bootcamps that will enable the programme to offboard from the GMPP, subject to further approval.

Cost: The project's departmental-agree Whole Life Cost at 23/24-Q4 is 640m. This is primarily due to the following factors. 00 (m) to 640.25 (m). This is primarily due to the following factors: 1) the whole-life cost reported last year was based on initial estimates that have now been revised in our latest forecasts and revised in the latest business case.

Source: IPA Annual Report 2023-24 (data)