CITB Funding: Levy and Grants

Q: How do I apply for a CITB Grant

Short Course Grants All CITB registered employers can apply directly for a grant whether or not they are paying a levy. If you purchase your short course through Goldcross Training, a registered CITB approved training organisation (ATO), all you will need to do is provide us with your CITB number on making your booking and we will notify the CITB once the course has been successfully completed so that the funds (grant) you are entitled to can be automatically paid to you. If you are using a training provider who is not a CITB Approved Training Organisation (ATO) you will need to make your grant application via the CITB online system here . Short qualification grants To claim a ‘short qualification’ grant that covers training, such as construction supervision/management NVQs or NEBOSH Health and Safety Management for Construction (UK), you must download, complete and submit the relevant documentation to the CITB ( grant.claimforms@citb.co.uk ) within 52 weeks of the achievement date. Bulk claims for multiple employees are also provided for. Goldcross Training can help and will assist you with your claim should you require us to.

The CITB levy and grant system provides access to high quality accredited training across the construction industry. Providing support to the industry in this way helps to ensure that minimum standards are met across the construction sector from large and small employers alike, leading to improvements in safety, efficiency and productivity.

Additionally, the CITB identifies ‘skills shortages’ across the construction industry and assists in promoting the necessary training to employers in an effort to ensure they are provided for.

CITB Levy

The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) are required to raise a levy assessment on all employers operating in the construction industry, as specified in the Industrial Training Act 1982. The levy assessment process will apply to your organisation if the primary focus of your business is within the construction industry and when your construction activities take up more than 50% of your total employee’s time – this includes subcontractors.

If the above applies to your organisation, then you will need to register with CITB and complete an ‘annual Levy Return’ so they can carry out the Levy assessment.

For small businesses there are exemptions and reductions with regard to payment of the levy, based on your total wage bill, which are updated annually and further details regarding these can be found here. You will still need to complete a ‘Levy Return’ however, even if you don’t need to pay a Levy, as it is a statutory requirement.

CITB Grants

The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) operate a ‘Skills and Training Fund’ to help employers within the construction industry attract talent and support ongoing skills development requirements. The fund pays for accredited training courses that meet all the required standards across a broad range of categories and specifications.

Who Can Apply

Any employer registered with the CITB can apply for a grant, whether or not they pay a levy, providing that their ‘levy returns’ are up to date.

What Grants are Available

The CITB provide a range of grants to the benefit of all employers, the most common utilised by our customers/delegates being the:

1.) Short Courses: Employers can apply for grants for the achievement of short courses which last from 3 hours to 29 days and which are focused on teaching core construction skills. Factors impacting the size of these grants include: duration, intensity, and practical content. Refresher training is payable at half the value of the full course grant. At the time of writing (2024) the following CITB SSP courses attract the following grants:

As can be seen the grant is significant and is worth approximately 50% of the course cost (sometimes more), based on our CITB SSP course prices.

2.) Short Qualification Grant: This grant enables employers to apply for between £300 and £1,500 for the achievement of qualifications at Level 2 and above, that take less than 12 months to complete. These qualifications include our:

Our Construction Supervision NVQ’s start at £850 (Grant claimable up to £1250) and our Construction Management NVQ’s start at £1199 (Grant claimable up to £1500). Hence if you submit your ‘levy return’ as required: you, your employees and or subcontractors may well be able to undertake these whilst being fully funded by the CITB (subject to grant application/allocation).

3.) Into Work Grant: This grant enables employers to apply for £500 for an individual’s completion of the work experience element of a further education course and an additional £1000 once you have subsequently employed the same individual directly for a period of three months.

There are additional grants available for apprenticeships and long courses the details of which can be viewed here. Importantly employers should understand that the majority of CITB grants are not only available to employees but also: business owners and partners, and all subcontractors, providing they are on the payroll.

How Do You Get Your Grant

You must be registered with the CITB and up to date with your ‘levy returns’. Once you have registered with the CITB simply supply us with your CITB number at the time of making your booking and as an approved CITB training organisation (ATO), Goldcross will notify CITB upon successful course completion. Any funds you are eligible for then can be automatically paid to you by CITB.

We highly recommend that you sign up to CITB online to manage and submit you grant submissions.

CITB Grant FAQ

How do I apply for a CITB Grant

Short Course Grants All CITB registered employers can apply directly for a grant whether or not they are paying a levy. If you purchase your short course through Goldcross Training, a registered CITB approved training organisation (ATO), all you will need to do is provide us with your CITB number on making your booking and we will notify the CITB once the course has been successfully completed so that the funds (grant) you are entitled to can be automatically paid to you. If you are using a training provider who is not a CITB Approved Training Organisation (ATO) you will need to make your grant application via the CITB online system here. Short qualification grants To claim a ‘short qualification’ grant that covers training, such as construction supervision/management NVQs or NEBOSH Health and Safety Management for Construction (UK), you must download, complete and submit the relevant documentation to the CITB (grant.claimforms@citb.co.uk) within 52 weeks of the achievement date. Bulk claims for multiple employees are also provided for. Goldcross Training can help and will assist you with your claim should you require us to.

What are the benefits of the CITB Levy & Grant system

The commercial benefits of the CITB Levy system are significant, particularly for small employers who may not even pay a levy at all. The availability of grants to cover some (or even cover the total) cost of your training needs, not only helps to meet the cost of your training supporting you financially but also helps support organisations efficiency and employee skills base, enhancing your overall productivity.

For those taking short courses such as CITB SSP: HAS, SSSTS, SMSTS and the respective refreshers, these grants can cover in the region of 50% of the course costs.

For those taking NVQs, the grants have increased to £1,250 for Supervisor NVQs and £1,500 for Manager NVQs.

What CITB Grants are available

The CITB currently offers grants in the following categories:

Apprenticeships
Long qualifications
Short qualifications
Into Work grant
Advanced Craft (Scotland only)
Short courses

The most common grants utilised by our customers and delegates are ‘short courses’ and ‘short qualifications’. Full details of the grants available can be found on the CITB website.

Who has to submit a CITB ‘levy return’?

The levy assessment process will apply to your organisation if the primary focus of your business is within the construction industry and when your construction activities take up more than 50% of your total employee’s time – this includes subcontractors.

Who is entitled to a CITB Grant

All employers registered with CITB can apply for a grant, regardless of size or whether they pay a levy to CITB. They must however have registered with CITB and be up to date with their levy returns.

Notably CITB grants are not only available to employees but also, business owners/partners, and all subcontractors, providing they are on the payroll.

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