Preparing your final ILR return (R14)

What is the deadline for final returns

The deadline to submit your final ILR and EAS return for 2024 to 2025 (R14) is Thursday 23 October 2025.

2024 to 2025 ILR data cannot be amended following the close of the R14 data collection.

We will be unable to reconcile earnings for inaccurate ILR data/data mismatches after R14 (hard close).

Preparing your final ILR return

We recommend finalising your data in preparation for the R13 ILR and EAS data return close on Friday 12 September 2025, this will allow one final return for any changes.

The data you submit is important. It is used for (and not limited to) payments, funding allocations, quality monitoring and achievement rates.

To help you prepare for R14 we have produced a number of articles for commonly asked questions.

We will make training providers aware of any significant delays to processing times through our community message board. 

ILR issues

On Programme Payments (OPPs)

Queries about monthly on programme payments (OPPs) changing throughout the academic year are commonly in relation to changes to planned end date.

Change of employer 

We have a help article on how to record a change of employer, as we know this can be difficult in some circumstances. 

We also have an article on calculating the TNP value after a change of employer as this can affect payment.

ILR data errors 

We have information on ILR records that cross the 2024 to 25 and 2025 to 26 funding years.

Data locks (DLOCKs)

DLOCKs (data mismatches) occur when the data in your ILR does not match the records held by the employer on the Apprenticeship Service. The following list provides and explanation as to which information does not match.

• Dlock_01: no matching UKPRN found
• Dlock_02: no matching ULN number
• Dlock_03: no matching standard code found
• Dlock_04: no matching framework code
• Dlock_05: no matching programme type code
• Dlock_06: no matching pathway
• Dlock_07: no matching negotiated price
• Dlock_08: multiple matching records found
• Dlock_09: no matching start date   
• Dlock_10: employer has stopped the record
• Dlock_11: the employer is not a levy payer
• Dlock_12: employer has paused the record 

Further guidance on the most common data mismatches:

Dlock_07 occurs when the information in your ILR submission does not match the information held on the apprenticeship service. A common occurrence is where the original TNP1 value has been overwritten in the ILR data and a TNP2 has been added.

Although the price value is the same, the original records no longer reflect what was previously returned to us.

In the instance of both Dlock_10 and Dlock_12, please review if these errors are preventing any outstanding payments being made. If there are no outstanding payments, no action is required.

Alternatively, the guidance provides further information on how to address these issues.

Funding Rules Monitoring (FRM)

FRM reports can be generated if data recorded does not meet funding rules criteria. FRM reports need to be checked to clarify data has been recorded correctly.

Some outstanding FRM reports can result in a recovery if not reviewed before the R14 (hard close) deadline.

You can view the FRM dashboard to see any outstanding FRM reports that have generated (you must filter and work from the most recent collection period).

Further details on accessing and reviewing FRM reports can be found at Financial Assurance: Monitoring post-16 funding for 2024 to 2025.

The Customer Help Centre is updated regularly with additional help for clearing the most common FRM reports. 

Qualification Achievement Rates (QARs)

QARs are based on provider ILR returns, with QAR business rules applied. More detailed information is available at Introduction to Qualification Achievement Rates (QARs).

In Year data is released at provider level (only visible to that provider) after R10 and R12. This is for providers to check and highlight any data they may need to correct in their ILR.

Providers are unable to correct their ILR data after R14 (hard close).

After the final academic year ILR return (R14) ‘provisional’ QAR data is released, again at provider level. This is for providers to feedback on any DfE calculations before final QAR data is published.

This is usually released in January of the following calendar year. For 2024 to 2025 QARs, they will be released in January 2026.

Once all checks have been completed, final QAR data is published around March. These are referred to as NARTs (National Achievement Rates Tables) as they include all provider data in various tables, for public view.

Please review your QAR Dashboard in the lead up to the final 2024 to 2025 ILR data return (R14).

Payments

There may be a change in monthly on programme payments and completion payments where there has been a change of employer due to how the new price records have been recorded.

Any completion elements earned in the 2024 to 2025 academic year that have still not been paid may require action prior to R14 (hard close).

The completion element may have been withheld for a learner who is employer by a Small Employer.

We have published an Customer Help Centre article to explain how to use the Small employer indicator (SEM) in your ILR data.

We will add payments and/or recoveries at R13 and R14 to the payments from R02 and R03 ILR returns respectively as per paragraph 273 of the Apprenticeship technical funding guide.

Find a Learning Aim

The last day to submit a request for a new higher education learning aim for the 2024 to 2025 is Friday 12 September 2025 

Any submissions made after this date will not be available for data validation by R14 (23 October 2025).

Further information can be found on the Higher education learning aim request due date webpage.

Learner Entry Tool

During the ILR dual returns period, please ensure you are exporting and uploading ILR data using the correct Learner Entry Tool.

The version you use will determine the collection year (<Year>) and file name (ILR-LLLLLLLL-YYYY-yyyymmdd-hhmmss-NN.XML) that are generated during the export process. If these fields are incorrect, the ILR file will fail data validation.

The updated version can be found at the ILR Learner entry tool  page on Submit Learner Data.

Need support?

You can talk to our community for peer to peer support.

We will publish further R14 related content periodically at DfE update.

If you have a specific query about that is not covered by this information or the guidance, please contact us using the Customer Help Portal.