Approvals and fees
Use the categories below to find the relevant answer to your question.
If you’d like to get approved for delivering T Levels from September 2026, we’re excited to welcome you on board! Our next approval window is open from 23 February 2026 to 26 June 2026. In the meantime, you can read the information below on how the process works.
To apply for approval to deliver T Levels, you must first be listed as eligible with the Department for Education (DfE).
If the DfE lists a college or academy group, all locations under that group are eligible, but each college / academy must still apply for T Level approval with us individually.
If the DfE lists a specific school or college, only that location can be approved.
Check your eligibility
Providers currently funded to offer 16-to-19 study programmes, with students in funded band 5 (full-time), are eligible.
Providers who only deliver apprenticeships or adult provision are not eligible.
The application window runs from the last Monday in February to the final Friday in June each year.
Please note the upcoming T Level Approval window dates:
- For 2026/2027 delivery: 23 February 2026 to 26 June 2026
- For 2027/2028 delivery: 22 February 2027 to 25 June 2027
*Please note providers may apply at any point during the window. On receipt of your application, if you are a brand-new NCFE T Level provider you will be required to have an approval review within 20 working days of application.
- Approval is only granted for delivery starting in September of the same year.
- Approval cannot be gained a year in advance (for example, for September 2027 delivery, you’d need to apply for approval in 2027).
Even if you’ve applied to the DfE, you must also apply to us. To do this:
1. Visit the T Levels updates page on the NCFE website.
2. Click ‘Deliver this qualification’ and complete the online request form.
3. You’ll be allocated an External Quality Assurer (EQA) to carry out an approval review.
- The review must take place within 20 working days of your application.
- You must be able to support a visit within this timeframe – applications cannot be put on hold.
4. When completing the form, have ready:
- details of key staff
- your national centre number (NCN)
- your UK Provider Reference Number (UKPRN)
- the official name registered with DfE/UKPRN databases.
Please note that if you are part of a multi-academy trust or a college with multiple campuses, each individual school or campus must apply for and gain separate approval to deliver the T Level. Being part of a trust or college group does not automatically extend the T Level approval across all sites. See our approval support page for more information.
The full criteria can be found in the T Level section of our approvals page.
- If you are not currently delivering T Levels, you will need an approval review before starting in September.
- If you are already delivering T Levels and want to add another T Level, submit a new approval request via ourwebsite.
- Please be aware that for the Dental Nursing Occupational Specialism within the Health T Level, the following statement has been issued by the Department for Education:
“Please be aware that DfE are currently reviewing the viability of the Dental Nursing Occupational Specialism, of which one of the outcomes is that it could be withdrawn. DfE will provide an update in due course.”
- We must provide a decision within 20 working days of your application (excluding bank holidays but including school holidays).
- If you need an approval review but don’t arrange it within the deadline, your application may be rejected.
- Rejected providers can reapply before the window closes and will have another 20 working days for the review to be completed.
Yes. All providers require a T Level specific approval review. However, your AMR report will be shared with the EQA to avoid duplication of work recently completed.
No. There is no approval fee for T Levels.
All T Level fees are published on our mandatory policies and fees page. Current fees are listed in the 2025-26 fees document.
Once approved for a qualification, you are approved to deliver any occupational specialism within it.
Yes. If you had approval for Generation 1 T Level Education & Early Years 603/5829/4, you will receive automatic approval for Generation 2.