Last updated: August 2011
The questions and answers below are designed to explain the LSIS Accounts scheme further, and clarify any queries about how it works. They are based on feedback and queries that LSIS has received since the scheme began in 2010, and explain the changes that have come into effect from 1 September 2011.
If you have any outstanding queries not covered by the questions and answers provided in this section please contact us or phone 02476 627 953.
In the FAQs below, references to "Accounts" relate to LSIS Accounts only. References to "the Agency" relate to the Skills Funding Agency.
General information about LSIS Accounts between September 2011 and August 2012
Why is LSIS running the LSIS Account scheme again?
How does the LSIS Account scheme work?
What is the process, in a nutshell?
To what or whom is the LSIS Account attached?
Are there any 'catches' to the scheme?
Eligibility criteria for an LSIS Account
What are the eligibility criteria for an LSIS Account?
Why are the eligibility criteria based on a provider delivering SFA funded provision?
What information is used to identify organisations that are eligible for LSIS Accounts?
Can subcontracted organisations apply for an LSIS Account in their own right?
What if my organisation held a direct contract with the Agency before Minimum Contract Levels came into effect, but will be operating as a subcontractor from September onwards?
What if my organisation will not be delivering any Agency funded provision over 2011 - 2012 (or is on a 'wind-down' contract) but had an Account before August 2011?
What if my organisation's contractual status with the Agency changes over the course of the 2011 - 2012 academic year?
What if my organisation delivers post-19 provision in more than one organisation, such as in an offender learning institution?
Why is my organisation receiving less credit to spend than last year?
If my organisation is not eligible for an LSIS Account, are LSIS services still available to us?
Managing your LSIS Account credit
How do I find out how much credit my organisation has available?
Why do we need an LSIS Account number?
At what level should the nominated LSIS Account holder be at?
How can I find out who my organisation's LSIS Account holder is?
Can an organisation change its named LSIS Account holder?
Applying for an LSIS Account
How does my organisation apply for an LSIS Account?
I need some support in applying for an LSIS Account, can LSIS help?
Using LSIS Account credit
What is payable by LSIS Account?
What is not payable by LSIS Account?
Why are some services (partly) payable by LSIS Account and some not?
How do I find out if an event is payable by LSIS Account?
How do I use our LSIS Account to pay for an LSIS event?
Can I use my credit with the LSIS online event enrolment system?
Do I have to use my organisation's LSIS Account to book an event/programme?
Is LSIS Account credit real money/funding, or transferrable?
Who can use the credit in our organisation's LSIS Account?
How long is the credit available for?
What happens if we use up all our credit?
Can my organisation carry credit over from a previous allocation round?
Are 'top-ups' available for LSIS Accounts?
Can organisations pool or transfer their credit to other providers?
Additional information
What influence does LSIS have over my provider's LSIS Account?
How does my organisation feed back to LSIS on the LSIS Accounts scheme?
What if I want to cancel a booking made from my organisation's LSIS Account?
General information about LSIS Accounts
1. Why is LSIS running the LSIS Accounts scheme again?
After continued success and positive feedback, LSIS is pleased to be able to continue the scheme and demonstrate its commitment to the enhancement of learning and development in the Further Education and Skills sector, being a valued subsidy system in such a time of sector-wide resource constraints.
2. How does the LSIS Accounts scheme work?
An LSIS Account gives eligible providers a set amount of virtual credit that can be used to subsidise the costs of many of our improvement services focused on post-19 provision. Each time you use your Account credit to pay for an LSIS event or service (quoting your LSIS Account number), the cost is deducted from your Account, and your balance is adjusted accordingly. The credit in the Account is finite and available for a fixed period only from 1 September 2011 to 31 August 2012.
Once all the allocation has been used the facility will have been exhausted.
3. What is the process, in a nutshell?
If your organisation does not have an Account, you will need to apply for one first (see section on ‘Applying for an LSIS Account’ and ‘Eligibility criteria’). Once your Account is activated, to spend credit against our services you will need to quote your organisation’s 6-digit LSIS Account number during the booking process. The Account will then be debited by the appropriate amount once the booking has been processed, provided there is sufficient available credit in the Account.
The LSIS Account number is held by the nominated LSIS Account holder in your organization.
4. To what or whom is the LSIS Account attached?
An LSIS Account is attached to the ‘parent’ organisation (or head office / main site) and not to ‘satellite’ or ‘sub’ sites. It is not possible for one organisation to have multiple Accounts. LSIS Accounts are not allocated to individuals or staff, although there are designated Account holders within any given organisation to manage the use of the Account.
5. Are there any 'catches' to the scheme?
No. There are parameters on how LSIS Accounts can be used and specific eligibility criteria for being granted an Account but these are clearly communicated below. Apart from this, an organisation with an allocation of credit is able to use it to subsidise those events and programmes as identified in the 'Using your LSIS Account' section of this page. The organisation is not required to pay back any credit, and the scheme should be viewed as a finite subsidy to contribute to the cost of our support services.
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Eligibility criteria for an LSIS Account
6. What are the eligibility criteria for an LSIS Account?
From 1 September, the LSIS Accounts scheme is available to all providers in the further education and skills sector who are contracted to deliver Skills Funding Agency (SFA) funded post-19 provision.
7. Why is the eligibility criteria based on a provider delivering SFA funded provision?
Since April 2011, LSIS has been receiving its funding from the Skills Funding Agency and the aim is to align the scheme with those funded providers. The scheme is unlike our funding opportunities and grants - not having specific outcome requirements or a 'tendering / bidding' process - and consequently the eligibility is delimited by Agency funding allocations.
8. What information is used to identify organisations that are eligible for LSIS Accounts?
Allocation of LSIS Accounts remains at the discretion of LSIS but we use publically available data from a number of sources when assessing eligibility for LSIS Accounts:
Should you wish to clarify your status please do advise us (and any of the organisations listed above) to amend records, or for further information on allocations, please get in touch with our LSIS Accounts team.
9. Can subcontracted organisations apply for an LSIS Account in their own right?
Yes. In fact, the application process is geared towards subcontracted providers, working on a ‘self declaration of lead provider’ principle. It is worth noting that the LSIS Accounts are different to some of our funding applications in this respect, which very often need to be submitted through a lead provider.
The rationale for opening the application process up to subcontractors is to avoid these providers having to apply through, or use the credit of, their lead provider / direct contract holder.
10. What if my organisation held a direct contract with the Agency before Minimum Contract Levels came into effect, but will be operating as a subcontractor from September onwards?
If your organization had an activated LSIS Account immediately before September you will be automatically allocated credit and will not need to re-apply.
If your organization is new to the scheme you are invited to apply for an Account.
11. What if my organisation will not be delivering any Agency funded provision over 2011 - 2012 (or is on a 'wind down' contract) but had an Account before August 2011?
Unfortunately, the LSIS Account facility will be removed from your organisation. Should your organisation's circumstances change again, please contact LSIS to discuss next steps and the possibility of re-instating an Account.
12. What if my organisation's contractual status with the Agency changes over the course of the 2011 - 2012 academic year ?
We are aware that funding status changes as the Agency’s contracting activity continues over the year. Please contact us to discuss any developments or changes and we will be happy to resolve any issues relating to LSIS Account eligibility. If you are a new subcontractor, it is likely you will be asked to apply and declare your lead provider; if you are a new direct contract holder, you may well be asked to provide evidence of such.
13. What if our organisation delivers post-19 provision in more than one organisation, such as in an offender learning institution?
LSIS is aware that some providers hold contracts to deliver post-19 training in other organisations besides their own. It is important to recognise that the function of LSIS Accounts is to support delivery where it is occurring; an organisation may not hold more than one LSIS Account, but the institution where the delivery is taking place may apply for their own. The presiding factor for Account allocation is the location of provision, rather than who is delivering it.
It is at the discretion of involved parties to decide on who the Account holder should be for that institution. But as stated above, the LSIS Account for any institution is to be used for the provision being delivered at that site, and LSIS reserves the right to withdraw any allocation if deemed to be being misused.
Allocation of LSIS Accounts remains at the discretion of LSIS. However, should you wish to clarify your status, please do advise us and any of the organisations listed above where applicable.
14. Why is my organisation receiving less credit to spend than last year?
LSIS has tried to ensure that the scheme continues against a backdrop of large scale cuts and funding pressures. Although we have less available resource to commit, we have endeavored to ensure that the overall allocation has been appropriately administered to providers. We reserve the right to make discretionary decisions on Account allocations.
15. If my organisation is not eligible for an LSIS Account, are LSIS services still available to us?
Yes - most definitely. Having an LSIS Account is not a requirement to take advantage of LSIS’s services. We are committed to working with all institutions that would benefit from our support, and providers are given the option to pay the contribution fee by credit/debit card during the booking process. Any bookings over £500 can also be paid for with a sales invoice if that is more convenient and the booking is at least 7 days ahead of the event date.
It is worth noting that the majority of our services have a contribution charge against them and are not priced at full cost recovery rates.
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Managing your LSIS Account credit
16. How do I find out how much credit my organisation has available?
Along with initial notification of credit allocation, the LSIS Account holder will be able to view remaining credit whilst logged in to the online event booking system. Available credit will also be shown at the point of payment for any booking.
17. Why do we need an LSIS Account number?
An LSIS Account number is a 6-digit identifier, unique to your organisation. Every time an individual in your organisation wishes to use the credit to subsidise a fee attached to one of our events or services, they will be asked to quote this number at the time of booking.
The number acts as a security protocol allowing individuals to access their Account whilst making the provider itself responsible for how it is managed, and ultimately, in control of how the credit is used.
When an Account is initially activated, the LSIS Account holder will be notified of the LSIS Account number and they will have sole discretion as to how the number is administered within the organisation.
LSIS accepts no responsibility for how an organisation manages its LSIS Account number.
18. At what level should the nominated LSIS Account be at?
The LSIS Account holder is the key person designated in an organisation to administer the LSIS Account. They should be in a position to manage the virtual credit facility on behalf of the organisation and to ensure that it is not open to misuse. Typically, LSIS Account holders work in HR, Quality or CPD directorates and are often senior managers, budget holders and those responsible for planning. LSIS accepts no responsibility for how an Account is managed within any given provider.
19. How can I find out who my organisation's LSIS Account holder is?
If you are booking an event through our online events enrolment system, you will be able to see who the registered Account holder is for your organisation, and therefore contact them to retrieve the Account number. If there are no contact details for your LSIS Account holder, it is likely that there is no activated LSIS Account for that organisation. Please also note FAQ 28 below.
Alternatively, please contact us directly to find out who the Account holder is.
20. Can an organistion change its named LSIS Account holder?
Yes. If your organisation should need to change the Account holder for any reason, such as a change of staff or responsibilities, then please use the contact us form on our website, and select ‘more information on LSIS Accounts’ as the subject of your enquiry.
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Applying for an LSIS Account
21. How does our organisation apply for an LSIS Account?
Organisations that have not been granted, or notified of, an active LSIS Account for 1 September 2011 – 31 August 2012 can apply for one through our online LSIS Account activation form linked from the LSIS Accounts information page.
You will need to know certain details about your organisation and provided you have these to hand (as outlined below) the process should only take 5-10 minutes.
To apply, you will need to know/declare:
- the name and contact details of your organisation: this will need to be the ‘parent’/ HQ of the organisation and not a ‘sub-site’ or ‘satellite’ location);
- your organisation’s postcode again, for the main site;
- a nominated LSIS Account holder: a named individual from your organisation with a business email address – see FAQ on LSIS Account holder for more information;
- your organisation’s contractual status with the Skills Funding Agency this information relates to whether you are a direct contract holder or operating under sub-contractual arrangements. Please refer to the Skills Funding Agency website for further information;
- (if subcontracted) the name of your direct/lead provider
- which Agency funded programme you are delivering please refer to the Skills Funding Agency website for further information; and
- your organisation’s UKPRN (UK provider reference number) please visit the UK Register of Learning Providers website for further information and to retrieve your organisation’s UKPRN
Upon submission, we aim to review and process your application as quickly as possible. Your nominated Account holder will be sent your organisation’s LSIS Account number and the allocation to spend from 1 September 2011 – 31 August 2012.
22. I need some support in applying for an LSIS Account, can LSIS help?
We hope that the Eligibility criteria for LSIS Accounts section above makes the application process and any information you might need clear. If you have any problems with the process please contact us via the contact us link, or telephone us on 02476 627 953.
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Using LSIS Account credit
23. What is payable by LSIS Account?
You are able to use the credit in your organisation's LSIS Account to cover the delivery costs (sometimes referred to as the 'Event fee') of many of our services including:
- conferences, workshops and events typically charged at a standard rate of £150 per day and £75 per half day event;
- development programmes and courses;
- 'subscriptions' to programmes that provide packages of support;
- 'in-house' (on your premises) versions of LSIS workshops and events charged at £1,000 per day.
24. What is not payable by LSIS Account?
Some (components of) events/services cannot be subsidised through the LSIS Account scheme and as such are not payable by LSIS Account. These include:
- accreditation costs associated with qualifications;
- coaching packages;
- tailored support designed by your organisation;
- catering, accommodation, additional venue and logistics costs beyond the 'Event fee' (see FAQ 23).
25. Why are some services (partly) payable by LSIS Account and some not?
Many of our core improvement services, driven by sector-wide initiatives and often ‘priority driven’, are within scope for subsidy by LSIS Accounts. However, for bespoke work and coaching, where development and delivery is unique and based on provider request – possibly even in response to a tender - LSIS does not permit the use of LSIS Accounts.
Furthermore, we are not able to offset third parties' costs, such as those of awarding bodies and hotels, with LSIS Account credit. This may mean that some events become partly payable by LSIS Account. For example, one of our 2-day conferences might permit the 2 delivery days to be covered by LSIS Account, but and overnight stay, evening meal or gala dinner would have to be charged as a monetary payment.
26. How do I find out if an event is payable by LSIS Account?
The guiding principle on what is and what isn't payable by LSIS Account is stated above, but you will be given the option to pay by LSIS Account at the 'payment stage' when using the events booking system.
27. How do I use my LSIS Account to pay for an LSIS event?
You can use your Account to book the majority of our shorter events through our online system (see question below). Provided that exclusions are not in place, you will also be able to use your credit to pay for other LSIS services not bookable through the event system. In all instances you will need to provide your LSIS Account number and all payments are subject to available credit in the Account.
28. Can I use my credit with the LSIS online event enrolment system?
Yes. You will need to:
- be logged in and 'attached to' an eligible organisation. Please note that when first registering on the event system (distinct from an eligible organisation), it is essential that you are connected with an eligible organisation. During this initial set up, please use our postcode finder to search for your provider's main site address and do not use a personal address. If you experience problems with finding your organisation, please contact us.
- know your organisation's LSIS Account number - if you do not know your Account number you will be able to see who the Account holder is for your organisation and then contact them. LSIS will not be able to discolse the Account number if you are not the Account holder.
29. Do I have to use my organisation's LSIS Account to book an event/programme?
No. there is the option to make payments by alternative means and this will be made clear during the booking process. If you wish to use a credit/debit card, you will need these details to hand whilst making the booking. For any transactions over £500, a sales invoice can be raised. There is the option to make part payments from LSIS Account, sales invoice and/or credit/debit card.
30. Is LSIS Account credit real money/funding, or transferrable?
No. The credit in the Account is virtual. It does not represent a fund from which real cash can be withdrawn, nor can the Account have real money deposited into it to increase a balance. In essence, an LSIS Account provides a subsidy mechanism for providers to engage in our services.
LSIS accounts are also different to funding opportunities in grants in other ways, in terms of eligibility and how subcontractors can apply (see eligibility section).
31. Who can use the credit in our organisation's LSIS Account?
Anyone within the organisation who is in possession of the LSIS Account number.
32. How long is the credit available for?
From September 2011, the allocation is available to spend until 31 August 2012 on the condition that LSIS's overall funding from the Agency is not extensively cut from April 2012. We reserve the right to review and amend Account allocations should any cuts occur and affect the viability of the scheme.
33. What happens if I use up all my credit?
Once your credit is exhausted you will need to find alternative methods to pay for our services. If you have a small amount of credit remaining you are able to part pay for a service.
34. Can my organisation carry credit over from a previous allocation round?
No. To date, we have allowed bookings to be made for events occurring after the expiration date, provided the enrolment and transaction is made within the allocation period. Any unused credit at the end of an allocation period is lost and unrecoverable.
35. Are 'top-ups' available for LSIS Accounts?
No. The allocation received is a set amount and cannot be increased. Once the credit has been used providers will need to cover costs through other means. You are able to combine ‘real’ cash payments with LSIS Account payments.
36. Can organisations pool or transfer their credit to other providers?
No. it is not possible to transfer your organisation’s allocation to another Account, nor is it possible for providers to pool all their credit into one Account. However, if providers wish to act as a group/consortium and book an ‘in-house’ version of a support programme/event, the cost can be spread between the accounts of those providers in attendance. The term ‘in-house version of support’ relates to any service that is run as an open programme/event to be delivered specifically for an organisation(s) at a preferred location and time. This classification is to be distinguished from bespoke consultancy support, for which the option above to spread costs between providers’ LSIS accounts does not apply.
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Additional information
37. What influence does LSIS have over my provider's LSIS Account?
The scheme remains entirely at the discretion of LSIS, and whilst we would hope that the scheme is not misused by parties in the sector or that any Account is attached to appropriate organisations, LSIS reserves the right to withdraw a provider’s Account if deemed to be an appropriate course of action.
38. How does my organisation feed back to LSIS on the LSIS Accounts scheme?
Ideally, get in touch through the contact us page, selecting ‘I need more information on LSIS Accounts’ from the drop down in the ‘subject’ field. We monitor this inbox constantly, but you can always ring us on 024 7662 7953. We welcome any feedback on the scheme.
39. What if I want to cancel a booking made from my organisation's LSIS Account?
Please contact our LSIS Accounts team directly, even if your booking was made through the online enrolment system. Please inform us as soon as you become aware of the need to cancel as our cancellation policy applies.
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