Funding Eligibility

Funding is available for individuals aged 16 and over, provided they have not previously achieved the same or a similar qualification and do not already possess all the skills, knowledge, and behaviours outlined within the apprenticeship standard.

Levy Paying Employers

If your organisation has a UK annual pay bill of £3 million or more, you will be contributing to the Apprenticeship Levy. These funds can be accessed through your organisation’s Apprenticeship Service account, which is managed by a designated internal administrator.

Once your available Levy funds have been fully utilised, your organisation will automatically transition to the Employer Co-Investment model, which is outlined below.

**Policy update: For new starts from 1 August 2026, if a levy payer has insufficient funds in their AS account, the employer co-investment rate will be 25%.

Non-Levy Paying Employers

If your organisation has a UK annual pay bill below £3 million, you are eligible for government-supported apprenticeship funding. 

Apprentices aged 16–21: The programme is fully funded by the government.

Apprentices aged 22–24 with an Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan or who have been in local authority care: The programme is fully funded by the government.

All other apprentices: The government will fund 95% of the training costs. Employers are required to contribute the remaining 5%. 

**Policy update: For new starts from 1 August 2026, where an employer does not pay the apprenticeship levy, the government will fund all the apprenticeship training and assessment costs (up to the funding band maximum) for those apprentices aged between 16 and 24 years old (or 15 years of age if the apprentice’s 16th birthday is between the last Friday of June and 31 August) at the start of their apprenticeship training.

In addition, you may also be entitled to a government-backed incentive payment. Click the link below to find out more: