Introduction
This article explains how to set up and deliver an Apprenticeship Unit in Bud, covering programme build, enrolment, delivery, and the ILR. By following these instructions, you can deliver an Apprenticeship Unit in Bud using the platform as it works today.
This article reflects the Apprenticeship Unit funding rules for August 2026 to July 2027 (version 2, published 2 September 2026) and the Apprenticeship Unit technical funding guide for August 2026.
Bud's Position
As a new initiative, Apprenticeship Units require additional clarity before we can make informed, long-term platform decisions.
We're also aware that other new initiatives (e.g. Foundation Apprenticeships) have had a slow start with very little uptake since launching. Since Apprenticeship Units will be limited to selected providers, we will:
- Monitor adoption and usage closely
- Consider further developments based on customer demand
If you plan to deliver Apprenticeship Units, please inform your Customer Success Manager.
We will continue to monitor developments before committing to major platform changes. This ensures that we remain focused on our key roadmap priorities for 2026, including:
- Flexible Learning
- Expanded integrations, including AI-enhanced workflows
- Change automation workflows
- Enhanced reporting
- A strategic move toward a new enrolment workflow, agnostic to funding type
How to deliver Apprenticeship Units in Bud
The steps below outline how providers can deliver Apprenticeship Units in Bud using the system as it works today.
Programme Management
Create a new 'Apprenticeship Standard' programme for each Apprenticeship Unit.
You will be able to select the Apprenticeship Unit from the list of standards and this will pull through all of the criteria for the Apprenticeship Unit, just like any other Apprenticeship programme.
If you don't intend to deliver Maths and/or English, you can disable the Initial Assessment configuration at this stage.
We recommend that you add two activities with the activity type = Milestone. This will help you to track when funding should be claimed. Please note the funding claim is not automed and further information is in the Individualised Learner Record (ILR) section below.
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We also recommend that you add at least one Assessment to track the final skills test the learner must take before completing their unit.
Enterprise customers will be able to use the custom Flexible Enrolment Questions feature to add Apprenticeship Unit specific questions to the enrolment process for that programme. This will help ensure that eligiblity requirements are met, where they differ from the Apprenticeship eligiblity requirements.
Complete the Apprenticeship Standard programme build as normal.
Enrolment
We recommend using the Apprenticeship enrolment process as it will enable several key requirements for Apprenticeship Units.
When creating the application, please select the either the 'Restart' or 'Transfer' options. This is to ensure that there are no 8-month minimum validation rules applied that will prevent you from completing the application.
If you have added Flexible Enrolment Questions to your programme, they will be displayed in the enrolment process, enabling you to capture Apprenticeship Unit specific information.
Important Notes
Some elements of the standard Apprenticeship enrolment process are not required for Apprenticeship Units. For example:
- Apprenticeship Agreement: not required
→ Select ‘signatures obtained offline’ to bypass this step
Other elements of the enrolment process will not completely align with the funding rules for Apprenticeship Units. For example, the funding & employer co-investment information differs between Apprenticeships and Apprenticeship Units. Bud's proceess aligns with the Apprenticeship funding rules and where the outcome differs for an Apprenticeship Unit, we recommend an offline funding document.
Delivery
You can use Bud to track the learner's progress with their Apprenticeship Unit. All of the regular functionality available for Training Providers and Learners in the learner management will be available for use.
To track delivery hours, we recommend that you use the Off-the-Job Hours log on activities and select 'No' to the question 'Does this count towards Off the Job Hours?' This will help ensure that delivery hours are recorded and identify when Milestone 1 funding can be claimed.
All learners must complete a skills test to assess whether they have acquired the skills and knowledge of the unit before completion. Use Assessments in the learning plan to track and record the outcomes of assessments.
Individualised Learner Record (ILR)
After enrolment, Bud will generate an ILR as normal. However, this will be based on Apprenticeship Standards and for Apprenticeship Units you must make the following manual updates:
For learners starting on or after 1 August 2026
- Update the Learning Aim Reference of the component aim (Z00) to the appropriate ZSC reference, recorded as Aim Type 3 (component learning aim within a programme).
- Remove the Restart Indicator from both aims.
- Change the Funding Model to 39 (Growth and Skills Short Course Offer) on both aims.
- Change the Programme Type to 34 (Growth and Skills Offer Apprenticeship Units) on both aims.
- Add Learning Delivery Monitoring (LDM) code 403, the Apprenticeship Unit identifier, which marks the aim as part of an Apprenticeship Unit to both aims.
- Remove TNP1/2 from the programme aim.
Milestone Payments
Funding is paid across two milestones and be claimed by manually updating your learner's ILR.
Milestone 1 (30% of the funding rate)
Milestone 1 is payable once the learner has been onboarded and has received 30% of the planned delivery hours.
To claim Milestone 1 in Bud:
- Add LDM code 404 to both aims once onboarding is complete and 30% of the planned delivery hours have been delivered.
Leave LDM code 404 in place for the remainder of the programme. Removing it reverses the milestone 1 payment.
Milestone 2 (the remaining 70% of the funding rate)
Milestone 2 is payable once the learner has received 100% of the planned delivery hours and achieved a successful outcome.
Once you have evidence that the learner has completed, manually update both aims in the ILR with:
- Completion Status 2 - completed
- Outcome Status 1 - achieved
Completion
As gateway and EPA are not required for Units, we recommend using the 'Complete learner' workflow on the Overview page.
Additional Reading
We strongly recommend that you follow all government guidance about eligibility, ILR, and evidence requirements. Futher information can found below: