Innovate Awarding Limited (Innovate) has been fined £185,000 by Ofqual after the regulator found serious failings in its oversight of a centre delivering a business administration qualification.
The action reflects Ofqual’s commitment to protecting the integrity of qualifications and holding awarding organisations to account when they fail to manage fraud risks. Ofqual found that weaknesses in Innovate’s controls at a centre delivering its Level 3 Diploma in Business Administration increased the risk of qualification fraud. Its investigation found substantial weaknesses in how Innovate approved and monitored the centre as well as shortcomings in its response when concerns emerged. As a result, the centre was able to register learners and claim certificates without sufficient scrutiny.
When concerns were identified, Innovate did not fully investigate or initially consider whether learners who had already received certificates had genuinely earned the qualification.
Of the 858 learners awarded this qualification by Innovate between January 2021 and December 2024, 851 were registered through the centre in question.
Ofqual found that Innovate:
- approved the centre without carrying out enough checks
- allowed the centre to claim certificates against its own rules
- failed to identify unusual registration and certification activity
- did not properly investigate serious concerns about learner evidence
- failed to consider the impact on affected learners until prompted by Ofqual
- did not promptly withdraw certificates awarded to learners who had not properly achieved the qualification
- failed to keep accurate records and data
Further checks carried out by Innovate in March 2025 raised serious problems with learner evidence.
Innovate only widened its investigation after engagement with Ofqual. It completed the withdrawal of wrongly awarded certificates in August 2026, more than 2 years after concerns first emerged. In total, of the 851 certificates issued to learners registered at the centre, 847 have been revoked.
Innovate admitted breaching several of Ofqual’s rules, namely: A5.1 (by way of A5.2), A6.1, A6.2, A8.1, A8.2, A8.3, B4, C1, C2, G8.1(b), H2 and H5.3(b). It failed to meet the safeguards designed to protect qualification standards and meant certificates remained in place despite doubts about whether some learners had properly earned them.
Amanda Swann, Executive Director for Delivery at Ofqual, said:
The value of qualifications depends on public confidence that they are awarded fairly and earned legitimately. Awarding organisations play a vital role in maintaining that confidence through effective oversight, robust controls, and prompt action when concerns arise.
Innovate Awarding failed to respond effectively to serious concerns raised about qualifications delivered through one of its centres. Weak controls increased the risk of qualification fraud and allowed certificates to remain in place despite doubts about whether some learners had genuinely met the qualification’s requirements. These are significant failings that undermine trust in qualifications and warrant a substantial financial penalty.
Innovate has accepted the failings, co-operated with the investigation and taken steps to strengthen its controls.
As part of the settlement, Innovate will pay a £185,000 fine and contribute £15,000 towards Ofqual’s investigation and enforcement costs. It has provided Ofqual with a formal plan to address the issues identified and agreed to 12 months of monitoring to ensure it complies with requirements.
Notes to Editors
Ofqual has today published the Notice of Monetary Penalty issued to Innovate.
The level 3 diploma in business administration is an occupational qualification designed to build competence and administrative skills in workplace settings, although Innovate no longer offer this qualification.
For media enquiries, contact Ofqual’s press office at media@ofqual.gov.uk or call 0300 303 3014