Reference Guide: ILR Submission Dates 2025 - 2026

Never miss an ILR deadline. Bookmark Bud’s reference guide for all 2025–2026 Individualised Learner Record (ILR) submission dates – including R14 Hard Close. | 2 minute read.

Each year, data and compliance teams juggle two priorities at once: closing off the previous year’s ILR data while keeping pace with the new academic year’s submissions. It’s a demanding period, especially in September and October, when both R13 and R14 are due.

In the run-up to the R14 deadline, training providers are given these two extra months to finalise the previous year’s data and make sure everything is correct. That means that while you’re finalising last year’s data and reconciling learner statuses, you’re also enrolling and recording new learners for the current year.

Without clear planning, these competing priorities can quickly pile up – but with the right visibility, tools and timekeeping, it’s entirely manageable.

Below you’ll find the full list of ILR return dates for the 2025/26 and 2026/27 academic years, followed by a quick summary of what’s changed in this year’s funding rules and what that means for your submissions.

ILR Return Dates 2025 - 2026

What's changed for ILR submissions in 2025-26?

The 2025 apprenticeship funding rules (effective from 1 August 2025) bring several updates designed to improve flexibility and align funding more closely with delivery. Some of these have direct implications for how you prepare and submit ILR data – particularly during hard close.

OTJT Changes

Every apprenticeship standard now has a published minimum off-the-job training hour figure. This means that providers will need to make sure their ILR reflects the correct figure for each learner; any discrepancies will cause issues during hard close.

English and Maths Functional Skills

For apprentices aged 19 and above, English and Maths are no longer a compulsory part of their programme. Although this change offers more flexibility for learners, providers must check that the correct aims are recorded in the ILR to avoid funding and compliance errors. 

Minimum duration lowered to 8 months

Apprenticeships starting from August 2025 onwards can now be as short as 8 months. This change has big implications for ILR recording, particularly around start and end dates. Providers will need to be extra careful when reconciling learner timelines for shorter apprenticeship programmes. 

Employer Co-investment

The full co-investment amount must be collected and recorded in the ILR by the final submission for the academic year in which the apprentice completes. If this isn’t done in time, providers risk having funding clawed back.

Plan ahead for success

Keeping on top of the ILR calendar is more than an administrative task – it’s a key part of maintaining funding assurance and data quality throughout the year.

By embedding small, consistent data checks into each return period, you’ll avoid last-minute pressure when hard close arrives in October.

If you’re already planning ahead for R14, we’ve created a number of resources designed to help you stay organised, compliant and calm:

• Download the Hard Close Survival Guide – your complete step-by-step roadmap for R01–R14, packed with practical checklists, expert insights and provider examples.
• Explore the Hard Close Content Hub – a central library of articles, deadlines and tools to help you manage every stage of your ILR submissions.