CITB NI: How It Differs From CITB GB

‍‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‍# CITB NI, how it differs from CITB GB

CITB NI is its own training board with its own levy, grants and card culture, it's not just a Belfast branch of CITB GB. If you're working in or out of Northern Ireland, you need to know who you pay, what you can claim, and whether your card gets you through the gate.

Quick rule of thumb: CITB NI and CITB GB are different training boards with different levies and grants, and NI has its own CSR card: your CSCS from GB shows competence, but on NI sites the local combo of CITB NI + CSR is what really speaks their language.

1. CITB NI vs CITB GB, two different beasts

CITB GB covers Great Britain only (England, Scotland, Wales) and is funded by its own industrial training levy.

CITB NI is a separate non-departmental public body under the Department for the Economy in Northern Ireland, created under the Industrial Training (Northern Ireland) Order 1984 and funded through a Northern Ireland-only levy.

Key structural differences:

• CITB NI's levy is set via a separate NI levy order each year (most recently for the 61st levy period, 1 Sept 2025–31 Aug 2026).
• CITB NI can only support training for Northern Ireland employers doing construction work in NI · it cannot support NI employers working in GB.
• CITB GB's levy and grants cover GB employers and GB work only.

So you've effectively got two training boards and two levy systems separated at the Irish Sea.

Tip for NI-based firms Just because you're paying CITB NI doesn't mean you're in the CITB GB scheme, they're separate. You need to deal with each if you work in both territories.

2. Levy, NI rate vs GB rate

CITB NI levy

The Industrial Training Levy (Construction Industry) Order (Northern Ireland) 2025 gives effect to the 61st levy period (1 Sept 2025–31 Aug 2026).

• Levy rate is 0.55% of "relevant earnings" and has stayed the same as the previous period.
• The levy applies to employers in the construction industry with a wage bill over £80,000. Those below that are exempt, but can still get grant funding.
• Levy is assessed by CITB NI and payable in two instalments, with a right of appeal to an industrial tribunal.

CITB GB levy

For CITB GB, current and proposed levy rates stay at:

• 0.35% of PAYE payroll.
• 1.25% of net CIS payments to subbies.
• Employers under £150,000 total wage bill pay no levy. Those between £150k–£499,999 get a 50% reduction ("Small Business Levy Reduction").

Side by side

Tip for NI-based firms In NI, the wage threshold is lower (£80k), the rate is a straight 0.55%, and there's no partial reduction, but even exempt firms can still claim grants.

3. CITB NI grants and how to access them

CITB NI uses most of its levy income for training grants.

Grant system (three tiers)

• Tier 1 · direct grants to employers for training they arrange themselves (for example, apprenticeships, NVQs, short courses).
• Tiers 2 and 3 · "Training in Partnership" grants for training that's hard to get, strategically important or not commercially available · delivered with groups of employers or industry bodies.

Key points:

• You must be a Northern Ireland construction employer, but you don't have to be a levy payer · employers under the £80k wage bill who are exempt from levy can still get grants.
• Grants can cover: off-the-job training, plant tickets, health and safety, upskilling, and apprentice training · details change each year via CITB NI publication.
• CITB NI's legislative remit means it can only support training for NI employers doing NI construction work · if your NI firm sends lads to GB, you won't get CITB GB grant for that either unless you also register with CITB GB.

Application process in practice

1. Register with CITB NI as a construction employer.
2. Complete annual levy return · report your wage bill and relevant earnings. If you're under £80k, you'll be exempt but still "on the books".
3. Pay levy if due · at 0.55% of relevant earnings, usually in two instalments after assessment.
4. Claim grants through CITB NI's forms/online system, with evidence of training completion.

Tip for NI firms Even if you're under the levy threshold, make sure you register with CITB NI and claim Tier 1 grants, you're leaving free money behind if you don't.

4. Training programmes, NI-specific offers

CITB NI's job is to encourage training in the NI construction industry, and it runs or funds a mix of programmes:

• Apprenticeship support · top-up grants and partnership projects to keep plumbing, electrical, bricklaying, joinery and civil engineering apprenticeships moving.
• Training in Partnership · sector-wide courses on hard-to-get or strategic skills (for example, specialist plant, low-carbon skills, digital construction) delivered with employer groups.
• Research and development · NI-specific skills research, feeding into tailored training programmes and funding.

Because CITB NI doesn't fund GB training, its catalogue and partnerships are tuned to Northern Ireland's needs, rural delivery, cross-border issues, and the local qualifications mix.

CITB GB, by contrast, funds a huge GB-wide menu and is moving a lot of its short-course funding into Employer Networks from 2026.

Tip for NI-based trades When you see CITB courses online, always check whether they're funded by CITB NI or CITB GB, you may be eligible for one but not the other.

5. CSR vs CSCS, cards and site access

Northern Ireland has its own card scheme: the Construction Skills Register (CSR), run by CEF NI.

• CSR provides skills cards widely used on NI sites as proof of training and health & safety awareness.
• CEF states that CSR is affiliated to CSCS and is accepted as equivalent to CSCS in Great Britain.
• CSR's health & safety training is also recognised as equivalent to the FAS Safe Pass card in the Republic of Ireland.

What that means in practice:

• NI sites often expect a CSR card as the default, though some will accept CSCS (especially GB contractors working in NI).
• CSR → GB: a valid CSR card is generally accepted on GB sites as equivalent to CSCS, because of the affiliation.
• CSCS → NI: some NI contractors accept CSCS; others insist on CSR because they know its content and local backing. At minimum you'll need recognised health & safety training and site induction.

Tip for GB-based trades in NI Don't assume your CSCS is enough, ask the main contractor if they expect CSR. If they do, factor in the cost and time to get a CSR card.

6. How NI employers register and interact with CITB NI

For an NI-based employer, the basic steps:

1. Register as an employer in the NI construction industry · CITB NI identifies firms via its own registration and levy return system.
2. Complete the annual levy return · report your wage bill and relevant earnings. If you're under £80k, you're exempt but still registered for grants.
3. Pay levy if due · at 0.55% of relevant earnings, usually in two instalments after assessment.
4. Apply for grants · use CITB NI's Tier 1 (direct employer grants) and Tier 2/3 (partnership training) schemes to cover apprenticeship and skills training costs.

Because current legislation says CITB NI can only support training for NI employers working in NI, you can't get CITB NI grant for sending crews to GB, and CITB GB won't usually pay grants to a purely NI employer unless you're also registered in GB.

Tip for NI firms who work both sides of the water Talk to both boards, CITB NI for NI work, CITB GB for GB work, and be clear which jobs and staff you're claiming grants for under each. Don't double-dip.

What to do next

• If you're NI-based, check your wage bill and register with CITB NI · even if you're under £80k and exempt from levy · then ask their team what Tier 1 grants you can claim this year.
• If you're GB-based and planning NI work, talk to the main contractor about CSR vs CSCS expectations, and if needed, book the CSR health & safety training and card before you mobilise.
• If you work both NI and GB, speak to both CITB NI and CITB GB about how to stay on the right side of each levy and make the most of grants without overlap.

Sources

• Industrial Training (Northern Ireland) Order 1984 · legislation.gov.uk/nisi/1984/1159/contents · establishes CITB NI, levy powers, exemptions and appeals.
• Industrial Training Levy (Construction Industry) Order (Northern Ireland) 2025 · 61st levy period, 0.55% levy, two-instalment structure.
• CITB GB levy rates and exemptions · 0.35% PAYE, 1.25% net CIS, small employer reductions.
• CEF NI guidance on the Construction Skills Register (CSR) · affiliation to CSCS, equivalence to Safe Pass in the Republic.
• Health and Safety at Work (Northern Ireland) Order 1978 · legislation.gov.uk/nisi/1978/1039/contents · general H&S duty in NI.

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