Short course grants
Grants for plant training and testing have changed from 31 July 2023. Information on the plant review and the introduction of new plant standards can be found here.
We pay grants for the completion of short courses focused on skills which are seen as core to the needs of the construction industry.
On this page:
- Overview
- Who can apply for this grant?
- Which courses are covered for grant?
- How can courses be delivered?
- How much is it?
- Plant grant rates
- How many applications are allowed?
- How to apply
- Have you sent us your bank details?
Overview
We pay grants for the achievement of approved short courses, which last from 3 hours to 29 days and are focused on the core construction skills needed across the industry.
Short course grants are paid for the successful completion of courses which align to approved construction-related standards, or to approved standard titles where the standards are undergoing development.
Who can apply for this grant?
You can apply if you’re a CITB Registered employer and up to date with your Levy Returns, as well as adhering to the Grants Scheme policy and specific requirements for this grant.
You can apply for this grant for all directly employed staff on the payroll, business owners and partners, and all subcontractors.
Which courses are covered for grant
We pay grants for courses that align to approved industry agreed standards.
You can see a full list of short course standards. Each standard displays how much grant we pay if applicable.
How can courses be delivered?
Approved courses are provided by CITB Approved Training Organisations (ATOs) who will be listed in the Construction Training Directory.
Courses can be delivered in a number of ways and the industry-accepted methods of delivery are defined within the published course standard, including:
- classroom, where the course is the full duration
- e-learning, where the course is at least 50% of the published duration*
- a blend of classroom and e-learning, where the course is at least 75% of the published duration in the standard
For example, where a published standard defines the duration as 1 day, a classroom-based course must be a full day to align to the standard, whilst an e-learning course must be at least half a day (3 hours) to align to the standard.
*E-learning is not an acceptable form of training for courses when a standard is in development. It is only acceptable when the full standard has been developed and e-learning is stated as a delivery method that may be used.
How much is it?
We pay grants for short courses at the following rates, determined by the duration and content of the course:
| Grant | Achievement date on or after 1 April 2023 |
|---|---|
| Tier 1 | £60 |
| Tier 2 | £140 |
| Tier 3 | £240 |
We only pay grant once for each individual per course, unless a standard specifies a renewal or refresher is required.
Grant for courses where the standard is in development are only paid once per individual per lifetime as the requirement for a renewal or refresher has not yet been determined.
Renewal courses
Renewals involve the repetition of a full course.
If the standard requires training to be renewed after a specified time, you can apply grant each time you renew the standard, if it’s completed within the relevant time period defined in the standard details.
You can only apply for grant once for renewal training within the required time period.
Refresher courses
Refresher courses update knowledge and understanding over a shorter period than the original training course.
The grant available for refresher training is 50% of the grant for the original full-length course.
We only support refresher courses where a full training standard has been developed and is in place and specifies a refresher is required.
Plant grant rates
New standards
Following the plant grant review, the grants available for plant training and testing vary depending on whether the type of plant machinery is covered by the new plant standards that were introduced from 31 July 2023.
To date there are 8 new plant standards. The details of these and the ongoing plant standards development can be found on the plant review page here.
Grants rates are set out below and vary depending on the level of training and the type of machinery:
| Plant Grant | Novice | Experienced |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | £550 | £250 |
| Tier 2 | £630 | £300 |
| Tier 3 | £880 | £470 |
There is no entitlement to this grant if grant has previously been paid for an individual completing a CPCS Practical test in the same category. Grant is payable for an individual for the Novice or Experienced version of a standard and not both.
CPCS Technical Tests
We pay grant for passing the theory and practical elements of CPCS technical tests only. This grant is available for all theory and practical tests listed on the short course standards page. For achievements from 31 July 2023, transition arrangements have been introduced for the eight plant categories listed in the new standards section. Details of the transition arrangements are below.
| Plant Test Grant | CPCS Theory Test | CPCS Practical Test |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | £60 | £190 |
| Tier 2 | £60 | £240 |
| Tier 3 | £60 | £410 |
We only pay grant for CPCS tests once per lifetime for each individual. This grant is not available for renewal/refresher tests, on site assessments, shortened tests or transition assessments.
Transition period
You can apply for grant for the completion of CPCS technical tests for plant categories included in the new standards for achievements between 31 July 2023 and 30 September 2023. The test must have been completed as a standalone test and not as part of the new standard.
You can apply for grant for these tests by completing this application form (Excel, 101KB) and sending to grant.product@citb.co.uk. The application must be submitted within 52 weeks of the achievement date.
There is no entitlement to this grant where a test has been completed as part of the new standards.
Plant training courses
We pay grant for the completion of plant related short courses. Grant is available for all plant training course titles listed on the short course standards page. For achievements from 31 July 2023, transition arrangements have been introduced for the eight plant categories listed in the new standards section. Details of the transition arrangements are below.
Grant rates for plant training courses are listed in the how much is it section above.
Transition period
You can apply for grant for the completion of training courses for plant categories included in the new standards for achievements between 31 July 2023 and 30 September 2023. The training must have been completed as a standalone course and not as part of the new standard.
You can apply through the employer online portal, for more information on how to apply click here. The achievements must be submitted within 52 weeks of the achievement date to be eligible for grant.
There is no entitlement to this grant where a training course has been completed as part of the new standards.
How many applications are allowed?
If you are a newly registered employer, you have a cap of 35 short course achievement grants until we receive your first Levy Return.
For achievements from 1 April 2023 there is no cap on short course grants once you have submitted the latest Levy Return.
How to apply
If you used an Approved Training Organisation (ATO)
You should make your application through the ATO in the Construction Training Directory, supplying them with the relevant details of the person attending the course and your 7-digit CITB registration number.
When an individual has completed the course, the provider will update the Construction Training Register and you should automatically receive the grant payment.
Please contact our Customer Services team on 0344 994 4455 if your payment is not received within one month of completing the course.
If you used a different training provider
If your training provider has not yet completed the CITB ATO approval process, you must apply for grant through CITB Online within 52 weeks of completing the course.
You can submit either individual or bulk grant applications by using the online portal.
Have you sent us your bank details?
Grants are paid by bank transfer. If we do not hold your current bank details, please complete and submit the secure online Bacs Direct Credit Authorisation Form to receive grant payments