Regulatory advice 14: Guidance for providers for the Annual Financial Return
This regulatory advice sets out guidance about the information that a provider is required to submit as part of its financial monitoring returns to the OfS.
The returns apply to providers that are registered with the OfS in either the Approved or Approved (fee cap) category of the OfS Register. However, where a provider is a further education college or a sixth form college under the primary regulation of the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA), it is not required to submit this financial data to the OfS. For such providers, the OfS works closely with the ESFA to ensure that it is able to undertake appropriate monitoring of financial viability and sustainability.
Non-interactive copies of the workbook templates can be downloaded for reference (please note that providers should not submit this document, as we will provide bespoke, pre-populated versions for providers to download, complete and submit).
- Ref:
- OfS 2022.30
- Date:
- 9 June 2022
Annual Financial Return 2022
Annual Financial Return 2021
Previous versions
The Interim Financial Data Collection required providers to give summary information relating to the year ended in 2020 and forecast information about their expected financial performance and position relating to the year ended in 2021. This enabled the OfS to maintain an assessment of financial viability of providers as they continued to manage the implications of COVID-19.
Regulatory advice 14: Guidance for providers for the Annual Financial Return 2020
This regulatory advice sets out guidance about the information that a provider is required to submit as part of this financial return to the OfS.
Guidance on completing the Annual Financial Return 2020 workbook
Technical guidance for completing the OfS financial return 2020 workbook
Annex A: Annual Financial Return 2020 additional guidance
Annex B: Glossary of Annual Financial Return 2020 workbook accounting terms
Annex C: Sample template – Annual Financial Return 2020 workbook
Annex D: Sample template – Annual Financial Return 2020 commentary
Appendix 1: Annual Financial Return 2020 submission process guidance
Appendix 2: Comparison of AFR20 and AFR19 workbooks
- Regulatory advice 14: Guidance for providers for the annual financial return
This regulatory advice sets out guidance about the information that a provider is required to submit as part of its annual financial return to the OfS.
Supplementary documents
- Model template - OfS annual financial return workbook
A non-interactive sample copy of the workbook template. Some of the content of this template will not apply to some providers. - Model template - Commentary for financial tables
A template for the completion of commentary to support the OfS financial return workbook. - Annual financial return workbook: Guidance
Technical guidance for completing the OfS financial return workbook - Annex A: Additional guidance
Further guidance on the completion of Table 5 and additional information regarding HESA cost centres - Annex B: Glossary of financial workbook accounting terms
A glossary describing some of the accounting terms used in the financial workbook - Appendix 1: Submitting the annual financial return
Guidance on the submission of your annual financial return - Appendix 2: Validation error checks in annual financial return workbook
Guidance on possible validation errors within the financial return workbook - Appendix 3: Validation warning checks in annual financial return workbook
Guidance on possible validation warnings within the financial return workbook
Last updated 09 June 2022 + show all updates
09 June 2022 - Guidance added for the 2022 financial return.
18 February 2022 - Minor updates to the following documents: Guidance on completing the AFR workbook; Appendix 1 AFR 2021 submission process guidance; Appendix 2 Comparison of AFR21 and AFR20 workbooks; Annex C Sample template - Annual Financial Return 2021 workbook.
30 September 2021 - Added FAQs on reporting access and participation expenditure
27 September 2021 - Updated and replaced the following documents: Guidance on completing the AFR workbook; Appendix 1 AFR 2021 submission process guidance.
11 August 2021 - Annual update of information for providers on submitting the Annual Financial Return (2021)
09 September 2020 - Latest guidance and documents added for the financial monitoring return
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