CITB Announces Significant Changes to Grants and Funding
Key changes you need to know:
- Short-course training will no longer be funded through the standard Grants Scheme. Instead, support for many short courses must now be accessed via CITB’s regional Employer Networks (ENs). Find out more about ENs here - https://www.citb.co.uk/levy-grants-and-funding/grants-and-funding/employer-networks/
- EN funding will match only 50% of eligible course costs (with some health & safety courses supported at 30% of market rate).
- For longer qualifications (e.g., NVQs), CITB is removing “attendance grants” and instead offering a fixed achievement grant of £600 per completed qualification.
- Funding support for Level 7 qualifications will be withdrawn. This does not impact Level 7 Apprenticeships, or Scottish Advanced Craft Certifications which are SCQF Level 7 (equivalent to QCF Level 5.)
- We have been reassured by the CITB that funding for new entrants and apprentices will be unaffected.
What this means for your company:
- Short, “quick-courses” (e.g., refresher training) may now cost more, or require matching funding via ENs.
- For NVQs or other longer training programmes, grant support remains—but is simplified and capped.
- Those planning to fund higher-level (Level 7) qualifications will need to reconsider or budget privately, as funding is no longer available.
It’s a good time to review your 2026 training plans: prioritise essential courses, check if your region has an active Employer Network, and plan for potential cost contributions.
If you have any questions or need help interpreting how this might affect your training schedule or levy allocations, NFRC is here to assist—please get in touch.
Further details on the changes announcement can be found here: https://www.citb.co.uk/levy-grants-and-funding/grants-and-funding/funding-changes-information/