Funding Support for Skills and Training

1.0 CITB Skills and Training Fund 

The CITB Skills and Training Fund can be used to support the delivery of a number of activities, including:

• A wide range of skills and training activity;
• Innovation, management and leadership initiatives;
• Business sustainability and improvement interventions.

This fund is split between:

• Funding for Small and Micro Sized Businesses
• Funding for Medium Sized Business

Eligibility 

• Businesses applying for the fund must be CITB registered. 
• Funding is available twice every 12 months, however only one live project at any one time. 
• Any previously funded project must have been signed off as complete before any new funding application can be made. 
• Eligibility for either the small and micro business fund or for the medium business fund is based on the number of directly employed staff. 

CITB registered members can also access, grant support for the following: 

• Short duration courses (tiered based on course costs/duration) 

Short course grants are paid for the successful completion of courses which align to approved construction-related standards. Determined by the content and duration of the course, grants are paid at the following rates: 

Tier 1 – £60 

Tier 2 – £140 

Tier 3 – £240 

The BWF course finder lists the funding rate and application code where applicable for each course.  

 Special rates for plant training and testing apply following the CITB’s plant grant review. Rates vary according to standard trained and the level of experience of the learner: 

 Tier 1 – Novice £550  Experienced £250 

Tier 2 –  Novice £630  Experienced £300 

Tier 3 –  Novice £880  Experienced £470 

For more details on short course grants go to: Short course grants – CITB  

• Qualification achievement 

Short qualification grants are available for the achievement of short qualifications taking less than a year to complete and focus on key construction skills needed across the industry including: 

• NVQ’s at level 2 and above and SCQF at level 5 and above 

• National Examination Board in Occupational Health and Safety (NEBOSH) national certificate in construction Health and Safety 
• Plant-related vocational qualification achievements 

The standard rate for funding is £600, however certain qualifications may be awarded higher levels of funding according to industry need: 

• Short period (e.g. NVQ/SVQ) achievement £600 
• For specific qualifications in supervision – £1,250 
• For specific qualifications in management £1,500 

 Longer period (e.g. HNC/HND) attendance £1,125 / achievement £1,875 

The application window for grants is 52 weeks from completion of the course, applications made after 52 weeks may not receive funding. 

If you are CITB registered, grant support is also available for the achievement of an apprenticeship: 

For a 2-year apprenticeship 

• 1st year attendance grant – £2,500 

• 2nd year attendance grant – £2,500 

• Achievement grant – £3,500 

Applications for apprenticeships grants must be received by the CITB within 52 weeks of the apprentice starting, applications made after 52 weeks may not receive funding.  

In addition to the apprenticeship grant other grants may also apply including: 

• Travel Grant 

Paid for travel to college or training provider (does not include payment to from place of employment). 

Paid for travel by public transport, use of private transport only covered if other forms of transport is not available or if private transport is proven to be cheaper. 

• Accommodation Grant 

Available where travel to and from the college or training provider is more than 90 minutes from the apprentice’s home address, by car or by public transport.