Funding an apprenticeship

How are apprenticeships funded?

Funding varies for each apprenticeship based on the duration of the programme and the rates set by the government.

Levy payers

You can fund an apprenticeship by using the Apprenticeship Levy if your company is a Levy payer.

Non Levy payers

You can get 95% of the programme paid for by the government if your company is a non, or marginal, Levy payer.

What is the Apprenticeship Levy?

The apprenticeship levy is a form of taxation designed to help companies offer more apprenticeships. It was introduced to benefit businesses by boosting essential training and developing apprenticeship programmes.

It applies to businesses with a payroll over £3million
It’s to be used to fund apprenticeship training
The levy charge is 0.5% of a businesses total payroll
Both public and private employers pay the Levy
The Levy is collected monthly via PAYE

What can Levy funds be spent on?

Levy funds can only be used towards the cost of apprenticeship training and End-Point Assessment with an approved training provider. It can't be used towards an apprentice's wages or wider training programme.

How can my organisation spend them?

Levy funds collected by HMRC are found in your Digital Apprenticeship Service (DAS) account. Employers can direct the funds held in these accounts to approved training providers, like Kaplan, to pay for their apprenticeship training

Levy funds expire after 24 months, and return to the government, so it’s important to spend them on apprenticeship training sooner rather than later.

What happens if the cost of training isn’t covered by Levy funds?

If you don't pay the Levy, or your funds don't cover the full cost of the apprenticeship, you pay 5% of the training costs, and the government will cover the remaining 95%.