Funding & ILR
This is Journey's funding-management overview: forecasts, evidence and versioned DfE rule controls, with ILR build and data-quality checks to support provider review before official submission.
Funding-sensitive figures are calculated server-side against versioned DfE rule packs, selected by date. The controls help providers apply the relevant academic-year pack and retain evidence for review; Journey does not determine claim acceptance.
Build an ILR export from the live learner record, check required fields and funding-rule consistency before export, and retain Journey workflow records. External XSD/FIS conformance and official submission remain controlled downstream steps.
Significant application actions are recorded against the person who acted. Generated funding figures retain their supporting evidence pack, helping providers prepare a traceable history for review.
Journey connects implemented funding and ILR controls to the live learner record and supporting evidence. Providers remain responsible for official submissions and acceptance.
Source check: 31 August 2026. Review funding-rule references by 31 October 2026 or sooner if the official guidance changes.
When funding is reconciled in spreadsheets, the figure you claim and the evidence behind it live in different places — and they drift. Journey computes every funding-sensitive figure server-side from the live learner record, so the number in Journey's funding controls and ILR build workflow are derived from the same implemented record and supporting evidence. The client can request a state transition but never supplies the resulting figure.
Off-the-job hours, key dates and decisions are captured as part of delivery and feed directly into funding compliance, with significant application actions recorded against the person who acted. These records can support a provider's own funding-review and evidence-preparation process; they do not determine an audit or inspection outcome.
Journey holds the apprenticeship funding rules as packs versioned by academic year, selected by each apprentice's start date through a single source of truth. It carries the 2024/25, 2025/26 and published 2026/27 version 3 packs. The 2026/27 pack covers apprenticeship starts from 1 August 2026 to 31 July 2027, alongside the historic packs rather than in place of them.
Journey is independent software built around published funding rules. Its date-based pack selection and checks help providers organise evidence and review their records; they do not certify every funding-rule clause, make a funding decision or guarantee funding or inspection outcomes.
For the monthly-return workflow, see our apprenticeship ILR software page. For date-selected rule controls, see DfE apprenticeship funding rules software.
Evidence-linked and accountable by design
Tenant-scoped access controls are designed to keep each provider's records separate on reads and writes.
Significant application state changes are recorded against the person who made them, supporting a traceable history.
Journey applies supported, versioned DfE funding-rule packs selected from the apprentice's start date, including 2026/27 version 3, to support provider review.
After provider, DPIA and release approval, Journey Advanced offers authorised drafts, K/S suggestions and fixed Director Insight views for human review. It does not make regulated decisions or change the source record.
Tenant isolation, access controls, audit records and governed operations are designed into the platform.
Export options are available under the applicable terms, and employer relationships remain with the provider.
Journey is independent software and is not DfE or Ofsted approved. It does not guarantee funding or inspection outcomes.