To apply for a CITB grant for short courses, you need to be registered with CITB and meet their general Grants Scheme terms and conditions.
New plant training standards and grants are being introduced by CITB on July 31st. The new standards will introduce standardised plant training and testing requirements across the construction industry.
The first set of new standards has been developed in collaboration with industry working groups made up of employers, providers, and federations. These new standards represent a real change in the way that plant training and testing are delivered, streamlining the system and making grants more accessible.
Tier 1
New Novice Rate: £550
New Experienced Rate: £250
Tier 2
New Novice Rate: £630
New Experienced Rate: £300
Tier 3
New Novice Rate: £880
New Experienced Rate: £470
As of July 31, 2023, CITB will introduce the updated grant rates for both experienced and novice plant training and tests. Currently, three smaller grants are available for practical tests, theory tests, and short-course training, which employers can apply for in different ways. Under the new changes, a single grant will be available for all CITB-registered employers.
The amount that you can claim is dependent on the course; longer courses will be applicable for a larger grant, and the grants are split into tiers with set amounts.
As of April 1, 2023, CITB has doubled the grant rates for short course tiers 1 to 3. To help support the rising costs of training, you can now receive:
The grant for each course is only once per candidate per lifetime, unless the course has a refresher scheme.
Courses for renewal
Renewing entails taking the entire course again. You can apply for a grant each time you need to renew a standard that calls for training to be completed within the pertinent time frame as described in the standard specifics.
Within the allotted term, you may only apply for a grant once for renewal training.
Refresher courses
Compared to the initial training course, refresher courses update knowledge and understanding more quickly.
Refresher training grants are 50% of the grants awarded for the initial, full-length course.
Only fully defined and implemented training standards that clearly state a refresher is necessary are supported by us for refresher courses.
Due to the plant standard updates for the categories that have the new plant training standards, if you are seeking just the theory and practical tests for these categories with no training, then they are no longer grant eligible.
This means they also cannot be funded in a CITB Skills and Training Fund application or through the CITB Employer Networks funding.
As an employer, no; however, some grants are once in a lifetime, so you need to ensure this type of grant hasn’t been claimed for an individual before, even by previous employers.
Historically, there was a cap on short course (short duration) based on your annual levy return amount, but this has been removed for now.
The best way to check this is on their construction training register, but be mindful that where there are differences in NI number of DOB, not everything shows.
Our individual product pages will advise where grant are available and the value—on the menu heading head to training and the relevant course types for details.
You can also use the CITB short course grant search.
Alternatively, ask our helpful team and we will be happy to advise.
You are eligible for this if you're a CITB-registered employer and up to date with your Levy Returns. As well as fulfilling the CITB's general Grants Scheme policy and specific requirements for this grant. Subject to your allocated Cap allowance.
An employer can apply for grants in respect of construction industry-related training undertaken by:
provided they are working at the time of the training for the employer making the application and that CITB grant support has not already been received for the particular training/qualification.
When you book through us, we will call the CITB grant team on your behalf at the 4-week point to confirm the grants have been paid to you.
