Small Employer Evidence

Hi Christine, In our Contract for Service we ask employers to add how many employees they have in their business. In our recent ESFA Audit, this was satisfactory evidence for our Auditor as it was signed and completed by a Business Leader

I've always used a separate declaration that is completed prior to each apprentice's start date. Ultimately, though, it depends on your documentation setup. In some instances using the contract may work, as long as an update is gathered ahead of each apprentice start, otherwise you run the risk that the number of employees changes and future claims for the SME funding are therefore not accurate/eligible. You've also got the MFAD to consider now, this would need to be done on a rolling basis taking into account any new starts to ensure the client's MFAD amount is accurate.

We have a small employer waiver form that asks them to declare the number of employees. We leave this in their hands to complete.