(Photo: Freelance Education Framework)
The Freelance Education Framework (FEF), a new national standard designed to support freelance career pathways, officially launched in June 2026.
The concept of the framework was developed by Freelancer Club in collaboration with various educational bodies and professional organisations, in response to the growing popularity of freelance careers among people entering the workforce.
The Freelance Education Framework gives educational institutions a tool to assess and recognise students’ freelance activities and achievements, while helping to embed freelancing within curricula, careers services and wider institutional strategies.
Following a soft launch on April 29, 2026, the framework was officially launched at a national event in Birmingham on June 30, 2026.
Matt Dowling, CEO of Freelancer Club and Chair of the Freelance Education Think Tank, said: “The way we build careers has changed considerably, but education hasn’t kept pace. We’ve become very good at preparing students to get a job, but far less consistent at preparing them to create their own work.
“For far too long, freelancing has been treated as something on the fringes of graduate employment, or something students simply work out for themselves. Yet in many industries, particularly the creative industries, it is an established and important way of working.
“The framework isn’t about encouraging every student to become a freelancer. It’s about making sure that those who do choose that path aren’t disadvantaged because their education never prepared them for it.”
The framework includes a three-level accreditation system, allowing educational institutions to evaluate their existing provision and track their progress over time.
Now officially launched, the FEF represents a step towards wider recognition of freelancing as a viable career path for modern graduates.
Educational institutions and educators interested in incorporating freelancing into their teaching and careers support can download the Freelance Education Framework and explore how it could be used within their organisation.