Grants, Funding and Support

Employers with an annual pay bill over £3m have been paying a 0.5% Levy into their digital apprenticeship service account since May 2017.

The government tops up the funds by 10% and employers use the money to fund apprenticeship training and assessment for new recruits or their existing workforce. Unused funds expire after 24 months.

You control the use of your levy and with considered spend, your business will benefit from a qualified workforce and staff with practical skills suited to your business. Using our experience, we help maximise your funds, and importantly, use them before they expire. We have worked with numerous businesses to support their growth and development through effective use of their Apprenticeship Levy; your funds and our guidance will help improve productivity through a capable and motivated workforce.

Need help with unspent funds?

Your unspent Apprenticeship Levy contributions are about to be returned to central government and you will be unable to spend your money to benefit your business.

Extra flexibilities

From May 2018, Levy paying employers can transfer up to 10% of their levy pot to other employers. This could be to employers in your supply chain, regional partners, to our Apprenticeship Training Agency (ATA) to support flexible employment options or to other employers in your industry.

Levy transfers are all completed through your digital apprenticeship service account and can only be spent on apprenticeship standards.

Apprenticeship Funding (co-investment)

Non-Levy payers fund their apprenticeship training and development through a co-investment model.

Once we have agreed the apprenticeship cost we will invoice you for 10% – you will only ever pay 10% of the funding value and government funding pays the rest.

If you are a levy-paying employer and you use all your levy funds – you can continue to train other people using the same co-investment system.

If you are a micro business (employing less than 50 people) you do not have to make any contributions to the cost of an apprenticeship if your apprentice is aged between 16 and 18 years old or aged between 19 and 24 and on an education, health and care plan or has been in the care of the local authority.