Business Cycle

The Business Cycle is the annual process through which the LSC finalises education and training funding priorities and secures provision for young people, adults and employers. It integrates government targets and priorities; labour market information with schools, colleges and providers; and performance information from previous years. These are then used to inform the direction of travel for future years’ funding priorities.

This annual process of planning, commissioning and reviewing performance enables the LSC to use competitive tendering and structured dialogue and negotiation with local authorities/schools, colleges and providers to secure quality provision through contracts and financial agreements. It is the core mechanism through which the LSC will manage the introduction of Government reform policies to secure an FE System delivering world-class skills.