FAQS ON HOW TO DELIVER PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

An awarding body is an official organisation with the authority to design, assess and award regulated qualifications. All official awarding bodies must be included in the Register of Regulated Qualifications and recognised by Ofqual, the official UK qualifications regulator.

We are a national Awarding Organisation with a collaborative approach to doing business. We work with employers, Training Providers and FE Colleges of all shapes and sizes to design, develop and award nationally recognised qualifications. We cover lots of different sectors and offer off-the-shelf, customised and tailored qualifications as well as providing a mapping service for existing training programmes. Visit our About Us page for further information.

IAO stands for Innovate Awarding Organisation.

Any FE College or Training Provider must be an approved centre to offer Innovate Awarding qualifications, please see Becoming an Approved Centre for more details. Employers can either use an approved Training Provider or we can help you gain approval, enabling you to undertake training in-house. Please Contact Us for more information

If you apply to become an approved centre we aim to process your application within 5 working days, the rest of the process depends on a number of factors but we aim to complete your approval as quickly and thoroughly as possible. For all our approved centres, we operate a web-based system, all the specifications for qualifications are online and ready to be downloaded and printed at your convenience. We also operate an online registration and certification system for centres to upload every learner registration, review batches of learners and details, and to upload results to claim for certificates.

We offer a range of qualifications across a multitude of sectors. We are continually developing new qualifications too; find out what is currently available on our Qualifications Listing. You can stay up to date with our latest news and qualifications by signing up to our regular email updates. We can also create bespoke qualifications if no suitable ones are available, please contact us.

All our qualifications are regulated by The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual), a non-ministerial government department that regulates qualifications, exams and assessments in England. You can find out more by visiting the Ofqual website.

Yes, we are able to create bespoke qualifications to meet customer's needs. For example we have worked with customers such as Evans Cycles, creating bespoke qualifications that directly suited their needs. If you would like to discuss your options and what you would like out of a qualification please Contact Us.

The Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF) is the way of recognising skills and achievements by allowing learners to compare the size and level of difficulty of qualifications.

Innovate Awarding qualifications are all approved by Ofqual so you can be assured they meet the highest standards and comply with all regulatory requirements.

Anyone can undertake a qualification so long as they meet the entry requirements of the course set out by the FE College or Training Provider and any pre-requisites outlined in the qualification specification.

We use a team of External Quality Advisors (EQAs) who ensure that our Centres meet all requirements to deliver and assess the Innovate Awarding qualifications which they offer. This includes Centre approval, qualification approval, Centre visits and sampling of Learner's portfolios and other quality assurance activities.

The credit value represents the estimated time and effort it takes to complete a unit. One credit is equal to approximately ten hours' learning time, including both teaching and self-directed (i.e research) time.

Levels are a level of demand that qualifications are developed towards, based on the challenge or difficulty for a learner. Entry level qualifications are the lowest level, although qualifications can be development to include Entry level 1-3.

This is the size of the qualification. Awards are made up of 1 to 12 credits (10 to 120 hours' learning).

This is the size of the qualification. Certificates are made up of 13 to 36 credits (130 to 360 hours' learning).

This is the size of the qualification. Diplomas are made up of 37 credits (370 or more hours' learning).

After completing the Centre Approval Application Form we aim to process your application within 5 working days. Our approval process is underpinned by a unique risk management system, which evaluates each centre's ability to meet regulatory requirements. Please Contact Us to find out more.

We are always ready to answer your questions, simply Contact Us with your query.

Depending on the qualification and size there is a sliding cost scale, however some are supported by funding. The breakdown of costs is outlined in our Fees List but you can contact us to discuss this further.

Each qualification is different, and on our qualifications listing, we outline the GLH (guided learning hours) and TQT (total qualification time) for each qualification. One credit is equal to approximately ten hours' total learning time.

Please email Contact Us to inform Innovate Awarding of any updates to your Centre or Staff.

Our customer support team can assist you with amendments required. Supporting information such as proof of Learner identity may be requested before an amendment is completed. Please telephone 0117 314 2800 or Contact Us.

Certificate turn-around is 2 days from the point of submission of results by the Centre via our online registration and certification system. Claims for certification will be processed within two working days and dispatched to the Quality Assurance Manager at the College or Centre.

Yes, simply Contact Us to request a replacement certificate (replacement certificates incur an administration charge of £30).

Innovate Awarding operates a web-based online registration and certification system for Centres to upload every Learner registration, review batches of Learners and details, and to upload results to claim for certificates.

We work with employers to help find the best way they can up-skill or retrain their workforce. We can support you in accessing qualifications and apprenticeships whether it is in gaining approval to deliver in-house or in partnership with an external training provider. Other services include mapping of staff training to recognised standards and accredited qualifications, development of accredited qualifications specific to the training needs of your organisation and external certification of your own bespoke training programmes. See the employer homepage for further details of our services to employers.

If you are a Learner and have a query regarding an Innovate Awarding qualification which you are undertaking, please contact your College or Centre in the first instance who will then contact Innovate Awarding on your behalf.

If we do get things wrong, we'll make every effort to resolve your issues quickly and efficiently. If you'd like to raise a formal complaint please contact us. Learners should in the first instance exhaust the complaints and appeals processes of their Centre prior to contacting us.