CITB Grants: Free Money for Training That Most Firms Miss

‍‌‌‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‍SiteKiln gives you plain-English information, not legal advice. If you need advice specific to your situation, talk to your CITB adviser or accountant.

CITB take money off most construction employers through the Levy, then hand some of it back if you jump through the right hoops. Your job is to stop leaving that money on the table.

1. Levy in one sentence -- are you even in the game?

• CITB is funded by a Levy on construction payroll and CIS spend; that pot pays for grants and funding.
• Latest proposals for 2026-29 keep the Levy rates at around 0.35% of PAYE and 1.25% of net CIS.
• Small employers under £150k total payroll + CIS are exempt; £150k-£499,999 get a 50% reduction.
• If you don't pay Levy, you can't claim CITB grants -- so first check whether your business is "in scope" and registered.

2. What's changed from January 2026 (and what hasn't)

From 8 January 2026, CITB have ripped up parts of the old scheme and simplified it.

What's changed

• NVQ achievement grants -- all eligible non-apprentice NVQs now pay a flat £600 when completed, no extra for higher levels.
• Attendance grants for long qualifications (L2-L6) are scrapped for new starts from 8 Jan 2026 -- only an achievement grant at the end.
• Management & supervisory NVQs (Gold/Black card routes) that used to pay £1,250-£1,500 now also drop to £600 for completions claimed from 1 Jan 2026.
• Short course grants for most stuff (including SMSTS/SSSTS) have moved out of the Grants Scheme into the Employer Network / Skills & Training model with 50% match funding (30% for H&S courses).

What's not affected (still funded)

• All Level 2+ construction apprenticeships -- apprenticeship grants continue.
• Plant operations and scaffolding short courses -- still under the Grants Scheme.
• Some other specialist courses -- check CITB's eligible list.

Bottom line: they've protected apprenticeships and card-linked skills, and squeezed everything else.

3. The main pots of money you can tap

A. NVQ grants -- £600 per head

For any eligible construction NVQ L2-L6 (not apprenticeships):

• Old rates: up to £1,500 for higher-level NVQs if completed and claimed by 31 Dec 2025.
• New rate: from 1 Jan 2026, every eligible NVQ pays a flat £600 when achieved.

What to do:

• Use NVQs to move people from labourer to trade (L2) and from trade to supervisor/manager (L3-L6).
• Make sure someone in the office is actually claiming the grant once certificates land -- there are deadlines (typically 52 weeks from achievement).

B. Apprenticeship grants -- still there

CITB have kept apprenticeship grants broadly as is:

• Separate from the £600 NVQ grant.
• Paid in instalments as the apprentice hits certain stages (start, year 1, year 2, completion).
• Applies to approved construction apprenticeships only.

If you're taking on young people, this is often the biggest chunk of money you'll see back from CITB each year.

C. Employer Network / Skills & Training Fund -- part-funded courses

For most short courses (including SMSTS/SSSTS and lots of "one-off" training), grants as-such are being replaced by match funding under Employer Networks and Skills & Training Fund.

Key points:

• You work with your local CITB adviser and Employer Network to identify needed training.
• For eligible construction training, CITB generally covers up to 50% of the cost.
• For health & safety courses (SMSTS, SSSTS, TWC etc.), they'll fund at 30% of the average market rate after Jan 2026 -- e.g. SMSTS support dropping from ~£240/£378 down to around £115.
• There's an annual cap per employer and per region -- once the pot's empty for the year, that's it.

Translation: you need to plan your training year, talk to your CITB adviser early, and grab your share before the fund is drained.

4. How to actually claim without going mad

Step 1 -- Work out if you're Levy-registered

• Check if CITB have you on their books and whether you've got a Levy number.
• If your payroll + CIS is under £150k, you're exempt from paying the Levy but may still be able to access some support -- check with CITB.

Step 2 -- Pencil a training plan, not random courses

Look at the next 12-24 months and decide:

• Who needs an NVQ (L2-L6)?
• Who's going on SMSTS/SSSTS/plant/scaffold?
• Are you taking on any apprentices?

Then talk to your CITB adviser / network about what's fundable and what isn't.

Step 3 -- For NVQs

1. Register staff on eligible NVQs that match their job roles.
2. Keep a list of: name, course, start date, provider, target end date.
3. When they achieve, submit the grant claim through CITB's online system within the claim window (typically up to 52 weeks).

You'll get £600 per person per NVQ from 2026 onward.

Step 4 -- For apprentices

1. Make sure the apprenticeship route and provider are on CITB's approved list.
2. Register the apprentice with CITB, then diarise the grant milestones (start, year ends, completion).
3. Claim each instalment on time.

Step 5 -- For short courses (SMSTS, SSSTS, H&S, etc.)

• Via Employer Network / Skills & Training Fund, agree which courses you're doing and get funding approved before booking where required.
• Remember: CITB now only pays a percentage (up to 50%, or 30% for H&S), not the whole course fee.

5. Common mistakes

• Ignoring CITB because "it's just another tax" -- if you're paying the Levy and not claiming, you're literally funding your competitors' training.
• Leaving NVQs until the last minute -- from 2026 it's flat £600, so the game now is about volume and planning; get as many people as possible onto the right NVQs and bank that money.
• Not registering training properly -- if the course or provider isn't CITB-approved, or you miss the claim window, you won't get paid.
• Assuming short-course funding works like it used to -- a lot of firms will get a shock when SMSTS/SSSTS funding drops to 30% via Employer Networks instead of a chunky grant; you need to budget for the rest.
• Not talking to a CITB adviser -- the scheme is fiddly; having an adviser or Employer Network lead in your corner is usually the difference between getting funded and missing out.

6. Who to contact

• CITB -- Levy and Grants -- check if you're in scope, register, and claim: citb.co.uk/levy-and-grants (free)
• CITB -- Grants Scheme eligible courses -- full list of what's still grant-fundable: citb.co.uk/courses-and-qualifications/citb-grants (free)
• CITB -- Employer Networks and Skills & Training Fund -- how match funding works in your region: citb.co.uk/about-citb/what-we-do/employer-networks (free)
• CITB adviser / regional team -- contact your local adviser for planning help: citb.co.uk/about-citb/contact-us (free)
• Your accountant -- to check Levy liability and make sure you're claiming everything you can.

7. Sources

• Industrial Training Act 1982 -- legal basis for the CITB Levy. legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1982/10
• CITB Consensus process and Levy proposals 2026-29 -- latest rates and thresholds: citb.co.uk
• CITB Grants Scheme changes from 8 January 2026 -- what's changed and what's still funded: citb.co.uk
• CITB -- Short qualification and short course funding changes -- transition from grants to Employer Network model: citb.co.uk

8. Related guides on this site

• 10.1 Apprenticeship rights and pay
• 10.2 Getting overseas qualifications recognised in the UK
• 10.3 Moving from labourer to skilled trade -- realistic routes
• S22 NVQs, SVQs and the qualification ladder explained
• S24 CITB grants -- free money for training that most people don't claim
• 8.10 Taking on your first employee -- legal checklist

How this site is funded →

Spotted something wrong or out of date? Email us at hello@kilnguides.co.uk.

In crisis? Samaritans 116 123 · Mental health support

How this site is funded →