AQW 51070/22-27 Written question to the Minister for the Economy
To ask the Minister for the Economy to detail the total loss of funding for further education, between 2021-22 and 2026-27, broken down by (i) institution; and (ii) financial year.
Asked by Kate Nicholl MLA on 7 September 2026
- Answered
- Written
- Tabled
- 7 September 2026
- Answer due by
- 22 September 2026
- Answered
- 15 September 20268 days after tabling
- Department
- Department for the Economy
- Priority question
- No
Answer
There has been no total loss of resource budget funding for Further Education (FE) between 2021-22 and 2026-27. The total net resource budget funding provided by my Department for the six FE colleges increased from £213.5m in 2021-22 to £245.9m in 2025/26.
Capital funding provided to FE colleges from 2021-22 to 2025-26 has been provided based on each college’s annually identified need and allocated in line with available capital funding within my Department in each financial year.
In the absence of an Executive agreed budget for 2026/27, funding has not been confirmed for FE and FE colleges have been provided with a total contingency allocation of £227.9m for resource and £8.6m for capital.
The tables below provide detail of resource and capital funding allocations by (i) institution and (ii) financial years, where funding has been agreed.
| Resource Budget - Overall Net Funding Provided | |||||
| FE College | 2021-22£'000 | 2022-23£'000 | 2023-24£'000 | 2024-25£'000 | 2025-26£'000 |
| BMC | 50,171 | 50,713 | 57,735 | 51,615 | 54,592 |
| NRC | 29,404 | 30,320 | 32,783 | 32,401 | 34,052 |
| NWRC | 30,417 | 31,189 | 34,729 | 33,074 | 34,338 |
| SERC | 41,916 | 43,100 | 46,732 | 46,645 | 48,667 |
| SRC | 31,305 | 33,870 | 34,278 | 36,074 | 37,952 |
| SWC | 30,281 | 31,749 | 35,238 | 34,801 | 36,260 |
| Total | 213,494 | 220,941 | 241,495 | 234,610 | 245,861 |
| Capital investment | |||||
| FE College | 2021-22£'000 | 2022-23£'000 | 2023-24£'000 | 2024-25£'000 | 2025-26£'000 |
| BMC | 2,200 | 1,500 | 1,700 | 1,500 | 3,000 |
| NRC | 9,900 | 27,200 | 36,300 | 23,700 | 7,200 |
| NWRC | 1,400 | 1,900 | 2,300 | 1,300 | 600 |
| SERC | 2,300 | 2,500 | 1,400 | 1,500 | 700 |
| SRC | 3,000 | 1,900 | 1,600 | 1,900 | 1,800 |
| SWC | 1,800 | 1,600 | 1,100 | 1,100 | 500 |
| Total | 20,600 | 36,600 | 44,400 | 31,100 | 13,800 |