Apprenticeship grants

You can apply for grants for individuals on approved apprenticeships for:

Intermediate and advanced apprenticeships

• Levels 2 (intermediate) and 3 (advanced) apprenticeship frameworks, lasting 2 years or more in England and Wales.
• Levels 2 and above of the new apprenticeship standards in England, lasting 1 year or more.
• Scottish Modern Apprenticeships at SCQF Levels 5 and 6 lasting between 1 and 4 years.
• Scottish Technical Apprenticeships at SCQF Levels 6, 7 & 8 lasting between 1 & 2 years

Higher apprenticeships:

• Levels 4 (higher) and above higher apprenticeship frameworks and standards in England and Wales, lasting between 1 and 6 years.
• Scottish Professional Apprenticeships at SCQF Levels 9 & 11 lasting between 1 & 2 years. 
• Graduate Level Apprenticeships at SCQF Levels 8 & 10, lasting between 1 and 6 years

Different apprenticeship courses are available in England, Wales and Scotland

See which courses are eligible for grant in England and Wales

See which courses are eligible for grant in Scotland

You are eligible apply for grants if you

• are levy-registered with CITB
• are up to date with your Levy Returns
• meet the Grants Scheme terms and conditions
• meet the specific requirements for these grants.

These grants support directly employed staff on the payroll. Apprenticeship grants are not available for subcontractors. 

You must also be using approved training and apprenticeship providers. Please refer to the appropriate apprenticeship frameworks below for details.

What you must do

You must:

• Offer the full work experience required by the apprenticeship or associated VQ in compliance wtih the relevant Apprenticeship funding rules in English, Scotalnd or Wales.
• Equip your apprentice with appropriate tools and personal protective equipment.
• Give your apprentice access to the support and guidance needed.
• Pay your apprentice an appropriate wage, agreed by both of you.
• Inform us immediately if your apprentice leaves the training programme or your employment.

For further information about paying your apprentice, you can:

• Read about the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage.
• Consult the current National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates.
• Check the Building and Allied Trades Joint Council (BATJIC) rule agreement on wages.
• In Scotland check the wage rates set by SBATC/SPADAC.  
• Contact your federation.

We may reduce, withhold or reclaim grants if we are not satisfied that adequate training has been or is being provided. We will take action to recover overpayments if you fail to inform us promptly about changes in your apprentice’s circumstances.

Which courses are eligible?

For all the apprenticeship courses this grant supports see the relevant pages for England and Wales or Scotland.

You must also use an approved apprenticeship provider that:

• is on the Register of Apprenticeship Training Providers in England
• has a direct contract with SDS and current approval with an appropriate awarding body, such as the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) in Scotland
• has a direct contract with the Welsh Government in Wales.

If you do not see an apprenticeship in the current list of those eligible for grant, you can complete the online form to suggest it for consideration.

You can claim if you’re levy-registered with CITB and up to date with your levy returns. You also need to meet our general Grants Scheme terms and conditions.

Intermediate and advanced level apprenticeships

CITB apprenticeships

If we are your apprenticeship provider, your dedicated Apprenticeship Officer will help you complete your application paperwork correctly. As long as we receive the correct paperwork within 20 weeks of the start of the apprenticeship, we will begin making your grant payments, backdated to this start date.

Your attendance grant will be paid automatically every 13 weeks.

Other apprenticeship providers

If we are not your apprenticeship provider, you’ll need to complete an application form for Level 2 and 3 apprenticeships (SCQF Levels 5, 6 and 7).

1. If you employ aapprentices who started training before 1 April 2019, download and save the 2018-2019 Apprenticeship grant YNET form (Excel 84KB) or PDF (91KB) and ensure you complete all sections.
2. If you employ apprentices who start training after 1 April 2019, download and save the 2019-2020 Apprenticeship grant application form (Excel 198KB) and ensure you complete all sections.

Please note: Use Chrome or Firefox to download the form. We recommend that you do not use Internet Explorer as you may have problems downloading this.

You must provide supporting evidence from your college or training provider with your application. The evidence must show:

• The full NVQ course title, including the subcategory, if applicable (for example, NVQ Level 2 Wood Occupations – Site Carpentry)
• The full title of the apprenticeship framework or standard
• The name of the apprentice
• The college start date

Acceptable supporting evidence includes an apprenticeship agreement from the college or training provider or all the required information on headed paper from the college or included in an email from the college or training provider (an email address ending .ac.uk). Evidence directly from an employer, certificates or unit credit reports are not acceptable evidence. 

Send your complete application form and supporting evidence to customer.servicesYNET@citb.co.uk.

As long as we receive the correct paperwork within 20 weeks of the start of the apprenticeship, we will begin making your grant payments, backdated to this start date.

We will send you an application form every 13 weeks to confirm that your apprentice is still in training and employment. You must make the confirmation within 3 months of the application form issue date to continue to receive payments.

Higher apprenticeships

1. For a higher apprenticeship at Level 4 and above (SCQF Levels 8 and above) which started before 1 April 2019, download, save and complete the 2018-2019 Higher apprenticeship application form (Excel 81KB), and ensure you complete all sections.
2. For higher apprenticeships which start from 1 April 2019 onwards, download and save the 2019-2020 Apprenticeship claim form (Excel 198KB) and ensure you complete all sections.

Please note: Use Chrome or Firefox to download the form. We recommend that you do not use Internet Explorer as you may have problems downloading this.

You must provide supporting evidence from your college or training provider with your application. The evidence must show:

• The full title of the higher apprenticeship framework or standard
• The name of the higher apprentice
• The college start date

Acceptable supporting evidence includes an apprenticeship agreement from the college or training provider or all the required information on headed paper from the college or included in an email from the college or training provider (an email address ending .ac.uk). Evidence directly from an employer, certificates or unit credit reports are not acceptable evidence. 

Send your complete application form and supporting evidence to customer.servicesYNET@citb.co.uk.

Late submissions at all levels

If you don't submit your paperwork within 20 weeks of the start date of the apprenticeship, we won't backdate payments to the start date of the apprenticeship. We only make attendance grant payments backdated to the date on which we receive your paperwork.

Achievement grants at all levels

You should receive an application form for achievement grants, which are available when your apprentice successfully completes an intermediate, advanced or higher apprenticeship framework or EPA.

You should confirm the application within 3 months of its issue to receive the achievement grant.

If you don’t receive an application form within 1 month of the achievement date, complete the correct form below.

• For achievements awarded between 1 April 2019 and 31 March 2019, download the apprenticeship achievement grant application form (Excel, 809KB)
• For achievements awarded from 1 April 2019 onwards download the apprenticeship achievement grant application form (excel 634KB)
• Save and complete the apprenticeship achievement section of the form
• You should submit your application form to grant.claimforms@citb.co.uk with a copy of the achievement certificate before the deadline of 30 June 2020

If your apprentice completes the framework or EPA early, we will pay any remaining attendance grant which falls within the same Grants Scheme year as the achievement date.

Second apprenticeships at all levels

You may apply for grant for up to two apprenticeships per level per apprentice, if:

• the apprentice takes on a second apprenticeship in a different occupation or trade, or
• the apprentice progresses to another level within the same occupation or trade.

Other grants

While you receive an apprenticeship grant you can’t apply for any other grants for the same apprentice, except for short course achievements and plant qualifications which are necessary, appropriate and not included within the apprenticeship.

You must meet the cost of other additional training.

Grant rates depend on the apprenticeship type and the duration of the course. 

Rates are fixed for the duration of the apprenticeship as given in the Grants Scheme year the apprenticeship starts, even if they change in later Grants Scheme years.

Programmes under the new apprenticeship standards may vary in length, so attendance grants are prorated based on their duration.

New apprenticeship rates for all levels 

From 1 April 2019 new apprentices at all levels will be entitled to the grant rates detailed below:

Only apprentices starting their apprenticeship with their provider after 1 April 2019 will be eligible for the newly increased payment rates.

The achievement grant of £3,500 will be paid to all apprentices who have achieved their apprenticeships after 1 April 2019, even if they started before 1 April 2019.

See Apprenticeships for England and Wales for the apprenticeships this grant will support.

See Apprenticeships for Scotland for the apprenticeships this grant will support.

If you do not see an apprenticeship in the current list of those eligible for grant, you can complete an online form to suggest it for consideration.

Payment of grants

You will be eligible for attendance grants once your apprentice has completed 13 weeks of continuous contracted employment.

For information on how we pay Apprenticeship grants, please refer to How to apply to claim a grant above.

Change of employers

If an apprentice changes employers during their apprenticeship, attendance and achievement grants will be paid pro-rata according to the proportion of the total training package completed with each employer.

Registrations before 1 April apprenticeship rates

Intermediate and Advanced level apprenticeships (Level 2 and 3 and SCQF Level 5 and 6)

We will continue to make payments at the appropriate rate for the remainder of the programme for apprentices who started their training and registered for grant support before the start of the 2018/2019 Grants Scheme year (1 April 2019).

The same applies to apprentices who:

• qualified for Enhanced Apprenticeship Support (formerly known as Supplementary Payment), and
• started training and registered for grant support before 1 April 2019.

The new achievement grant of £3500 will be paid to all apprentices who have achieved their apprenticeships after 1 April 2019, even if they started before 1 April 2019.

Higher apprenticeships (England and Wales Level 4 and above, SCQF Levels 8 and above)

We will continue to make payments at the appropriate rate for the remainder of the programme for higher apprentices who started their training and registered for grant support before the start of the 2019/2020 Grants Scheme year (1 April 2019). 

The payment rate before the 1 April 2019 for each year of attendance on a higher apprenticeship is £1,125. 

The payment rate for all apprentices who have achieved a higher apprentice framework achievement or EPA before the 1 April 2019 is £3,125.

The same applies to apprentices who:

• qualified for Enhanced Apprenticeship Support (formerly known as Supplementary Payment), and
• started training and registered for grant support before 1 April 2019.

The new achievement grant of £3500 will be paid to all apprentices who have achieved their apprenticeships after 1 April 2019, even if they started before 1 April 2019.

Approved training for intermediate and advanced apprenticeships (England and Wales Level 2 and 3, SCQF Levels 5 and 6)

Your apprentice must have spent at least 35 days each academic year off the job, on an approved construction-related diploma or vocational qualification (VQ) course that’s an integral part of an apprenticeship programme. 

Where your programme requires less than 35 days please contact us at customer.servicesynet@citb.co.uk with the programme and college details prior to submitting your application form.

Payment rules for Level 2 and 3 apprenticeships in England and Wales 

In England, apprentices who have registered for and completed a Level 2 apprenticeship framework may progress to Level 3. In such cases, you may apply separately for the third year attendance (£2,500) and the advanced framework achievement (£3,500) for a total of £6,000.

Payment rules for SCQF Levels 5 and 6 in Scotland

In Scotland, apprenticeship frameworks at SCQF Level 6 and above may take more than 3 years, but no further attendance grants are payable after the third year.

Approved training for higher apprenticeships Levels 4 and above in England and Wales and SCQF Levels 7 to 11 in Scotland

Your apprentice must be on an appropriate construction-related course, approved by:

• Institute for Apprenticeships in England
• Skills Development Scotland (SDS) in Scotland 
• Specification of Apprenticeship Standards for Wales (SASW) in Wales)

Approved apprenticeship providers 

You must use an approved apprenticeship provider that:

• is on the Register of Apprenticeship Training Providers in England
• has a direct contract with SDS and current approval with an appropriate awarding body, such as the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) in Scotland
• has a direct contract with the Welsh Government in Wales.