01
Centre Approval Support
Guiding organisations through every stage of becoming an approved centre for a UK awarding body — from application to launch.
Middle East & Beyond
Federation of
Awarding Organisations
A Gateway to UK Qualifications, Quality Assurance and Workforce Development
Supporting training providers, colleges, employers and government organisations with access to recognised UK awarding organisations, centre approval, quality assurance and workforce development solutions across the Middle East and beyond.
Not an awarding body. Not a regulator. A federation and gateway.
6+
UK Awarding Partners
50+
Countries Reached
300+
Approved Centres
25+
Industry Sectors
What FAO Does
A Gateway and Support Partner
FAO is not an awarding body and not a regulator. We are a federation and gateway organisation — providing the coordination, expertise and access that training providers, employers and government organisations need to work with UK awarding bodies.
02
Qualification Access
A single gateway to multiple regulated UK awarding bodies — one relationship, multiple qualification pathways across 25+ sectors.
03
Quality Assurance
Supporting centres with IQA systems, policies, compliance documentation and readiness for external quality assurance review.
04
Workforce Development
Helping employers and government agencies build qualification-led workforce programmes aligned to real sector needs.
Become an Approved Centre
Your Route to UK Qualification Delivery
FAO guides organisations through every stage of becoming an approved centre for a UK awarding body — from initial qualification selection through to centre approval, quality assurance readiness and programme launch.
Start the Approval Process- 01
Initial Discussion
Understanding your organisation, sector and qualification objectives before recommending the right awarding body partner.
- 02
Qualification Selection & Matching
Identifying the most appropriate regulated qualifications and matching your organisation to the right UK awarding body.
- 03
Application Preparation
Supporting you through the centre application process, documentation requirements and submission.
- 04
QA Readiness & Launch
Preparing your centre for quality assurance review, then supporting launch and ongoing compliance.
Awarding Partner Network
UK Awarding Bodies You Can Access Through FAO
FAO gives your organisation a single gateway to a portfolio of regulated UK awarding bodies. Each partner covers a specialist sector — your organisation accesses the right one through one relationship with FAO.
Engineering & Technology
EAL
Specialist awarding body for engineering, manufacturing and technical sectors. Ofqual-regulated qualifications with global recognition.
Service Industries & Wellness
VTCT
World-class awarding organisation for hair, beauty, wellness and fitness — the global standard for professional services training.
Multi-Sector Qualifications
Innovate Awarding
UK government-recognised awarding organisation delivering employer-led, regulated qualifications across multiple sectors.
Public Safety & Justice
SFJ Awards
Market-leading qualifications for justice, fire & rescue and community safety — trusted by frontline services globally.
Science & Technical
SIAS
End-Point Assessment and technical qualifications for science and industrial roles. Rigorous, sector-specific standards.
Single Gateway
One relationship, multiple qualification pathways.
New · UK Degree Pathway
Start here. Graduate British.
Two years at a locally approved centre, followed by a final-year top-up at a UK partner university.
2
Years at home
+1
Year in the UK
=
Honours degree
Who FAO Supports
Built for Organisations, Not Individuals
FAO is a B2B gateway. We work with organisations that want to access, deliver or strengthen UK-recognised qualifications and workforce development programmes.
Training Centres
Private training institutes seeking awarding body approval to deliver regulated UK qualifications.
Colleges & Universities
Further and higher education institutions expanding their regulated qualification portfolio.
Employers & Corporate Academies
Organisations building internal workforce development programmes aligned to UK-regulated standards.
Government Training Bodies
National and regional workforce agencies strengthening skills systems through internationally recognised qualifications.
Workforce Development Agencies
Organisations managing large-scale upskilling programmes who need a single gateway to multiple UK awarding bodies.
Professional Institutes
Sector bodies and associations integrating UK-regulated credentials into their membership pathways.
UK Awarding Organisations
UK-based awarding bodies seeking a trusted gateway to international markets in the Middle East and beyond.
Quality Assurance Partners
QA bodies and professional certification organisations working within the FAO federation ecosystem.
Quality Assurance
We Help You Get — and Stay — Compliant
Awarding body approval requires more than a completed application. FAO works with centres to build the internal quality assurance systems, policies and documentation that regulators and awarding bodies require.
Explore QA Support- Internal quality assurance readiness
- Centre policies and procedures development
- Assessment and verification systems
- Compliance documentation preparation
- External quality assurance (EQA) preparation
- Continuous improvement support
Centre Readiness
Centre Approval Readiness
Preparing the documentation, systems and processes required to achieve and maintain awarding body approval.
Internal QA
Internal Quality Assurance
Building IQA roles, sampling strategies and records management so quality assurance is operational from day one.
Compliance
Compliance Documentation
Policies, procedures, assessment records and improvement plans — a complete compliance documentation portfolio.
EQA Prep
EQA Preparation
Preparing centres for external quality assurance visits, including mock reviews and document readiness checks.
Improvement
Continuous Improvement
Embedding a culture of continuous improvement that goes beyond minimum compliance to strengthen delivery standards.
Middle East & Beyond
Strong Regional Expertise, International Reach
FAO works with organisations across the Middle East and beyond, supporting access to UK qualifications, quality assurance and workforce development solutions in international markets. Our regional knowledge — of regulatory environments, labour markets and sector demands — means we can guide organisations that international or UK-only providers cannot.
50+
Countries Reached
From the Gulf to Central Asia, FAO-supported centres operate across a wide range of international markets.
25+
Industry Sectors
Engineering, healthcare, hospitality, public safety, science, leadership, service industries and more.
300+
Active Partnerships
Training centres, employers, colleges and government bodies working with FAO-supported awarding programmes.
Ready to work with FAO?
Whether you want to become an approved centre, access a specific UK qualification or discuss a workforce development programme — speak to our team.