APPRENTICESHIP & LEVY FUNDING

Payment	Age Eligibility	Employer Type
£1,000 payment for hiring apprentices	16–18 (19–24 with EHCP or care leavers)	All employers
NEW £2,000 foundation apprenticeship incentive	16–21 (22–24 with EHCP, care leavers, or prison leavers)	All employers
NEW £2,000 SME hiring incentive *Note:* Apprentice must start apprenticeship training after 1 October 26	16–24	Non-levy (have an annual pay bill of less than £3 million)
NEW £3,000 Universal Credit hiring incentive (paid directly by DWP)	18–24 (must have been on UC 6+ months)	All employers

No National Insurance payments for apprentices under 25 years old.

Hire a 16-24-year-old apprentice & receive the £2,000 SME incentive, plus £1,000 extra if the apprentice is aged 16-18 and criteria are met.

Levy-Paying Employers	Non-levy/SME Employers
Under 25: Once levy funds have been exhausted, employers are not required to pay co-investment towards training and assessment costs.	16-24: Government funds 100% of apprenticeship training and assessment costs, up to the funding band maximum, meaning no employer contribution.
25 and over: Once levy funds have been exhausted, employers contribute 25%, with Government funding the remaining 75%.	25 and over: Employers contribute 5%, with Government funding the remaining 95%.

Let’s Talk.

Our team will be happy to talk you through how to make the most of Government funding.