Franchising and the Funding Methodology in the FE Sector

Outward Collaborative Provision, or 'franchising', has been a growth area in further education (FE) provision in England, yet has received little scholarly interest. This article draws on national and college-level evidence to discuss the development of such provision within the sector. We describe the incentives for providers and clients, present information on the scale of such operations, and consider issues of quality and access. The uneven and volatile nature of 'franchised' work are noted, as is the significant difference between 'franchising' practised in FE as against that in business. Nevertheless, such provision is a predictable and plausibly defensible outcome from increased reliance on markets in education. We argue that such developments in the sector are best understood using the principles of the market.