ACE - Ashton Consultancy for Education Avis 

Rich's expertise is invaluable! I had the privilege of working with Rich and receiving his support from December 2025 to February 2026 and in just that short time he was able to train me on everything I needed to know about the ILR submissions, including pre-export checks such as FRM's and PDSATs, clearing errors, understanding how to read the reports and create monthly financial summaries. He provided me with useful resources and step by step guides which have become my bible!

Rich is so kind and supportive and no question is silly or too small. He responds promptly to all queries and is generous with his time.

I'm looking forward to working with Rich again in the future and if you need any support with compliance in the further education industry, Rich is your man!

Rich has been a consistently valuable partner in supporting our business. His ability to translate complex funding, compliance, and apprenticeship requirements into clear, workable solutions has had a significant positive impact on our operations.
Beyond his technical expertise, Rich adds real strategic value, helping us strengthen our processes, improve decision-making, and build confidence in areas that would otherwise be challenging to navigate. His support has genuinely enhanced our capability as an organisation.

Rich has been exceptional in his consultancy support to us, consistently bringing clarity and confidence to complex situations. The depth of knowledge he brings, particularly around apprenticeships, DfE requirements, and funding compliance, is truly invaluable. His guidance has been both practical and strategic, and his support has gone beyond consultancy into genuine mentorship, making a significant positive impact on our work and decision-making.

Amazing Ace
Rich’s support and guidance has been incredible, helping us traverse complex issues, tighten up all our processes which in turn has ensured accurate data returns and payments . Can’t recommend enough. Excellent speedy service and always friendly

Excellent support and expertise
ACE Consulting supported us throughout our apprenticeship onboarding and compliance journey, making the process straightforward and stress-free. Rich is extremely knowledgeable, professional, and always quick to respond to any questions. We would highly recommend ACE Consulting for their expertise and outstanding service

A big thank you to Rich from ACE (Ashton Consultancy for Education) for taking the time to hold a really insightful Q&A session with me around all things DAS (Digital Apprenticeship Service).

Rich has a wealth of knowledge in this space, and it was incredibly useful to pick his brain and deepen my understanding of how the system works and where it can best support our processes.

I really appreciate your time, Rich – your expertise has made a genuine difference. 👏

#Apprenticeships #DAS #ProfessionalDevelopment #ThankYou #LearningAndDevelopment #WorkplaceLearning

They communicate really well and always available to help.

Rich has been a fab support and has a wealth of knowledge when it comes anything Apprenticeship Data or ESFA requirements. Invaluable service :)

In the world of complex of Government funding, Rich manages to provide simple explanation processes and compliant systems to navigate this complex world.

His approach is both strategic and process led providing services beyond what we could undertake in-house.

I have worked with Rich Ashton across several different companies for over 15-years in his roles of finance, data, funding rules and compliance assurance within FE and apprenticeships.

We continue to work together through ACE on a consultancy basis and i cannot recommend him enough for all things - funding, data and compliance in the world of FE finance and funding rules.

**Personal Review of ACE Services**

Having worked with ACE, I can confidently say Rich is a key partner to your business, who I am pleased to recommend.

Their responsiveness is impressive; they deliver results quickly, which is crucial when time is of the essence.

The accuracy of their information provided is outstanding, which can be relied upon and up to date.

What truly sets ACE apart is their fair pricing. They provide high-quality assistance without having a hefty price tag which you would expect to pay for expert knowledge.

Overall, I highly recommend ACE for anyone seeking fast, accurate, and professional support.