CITB Levy and Grants

What is a CITB grant?

Employers registered with the CITB and up to date with their levy payments can apply for grants. Grants are awarded upon completion of any accredited CITB approved training courses that meet all the required standards across a broad range of categories and specifications. As an Approved Training Organisation (ATO) Citrus Training will automatically claim your grant on your behalf. 

Why does it exist?

The grant provides access to education and encourages high-quality, accredited training specifically for the construction industry. By supporting the industry in this way, the workforce has the same standard of training across the sector, which improves safety, efficiency and productivity across all categories. But more than just funding, CITB actively look at gaps in the industry’s training and how to rectify skills shortages, promoting training to employers to get their workforce at the level they need to be.

Is it a legal requirement?

Yes - under the Industrial Training Act 1982, CITB will raise a levy assessment on all employers in the construction industry. This applies to you if your business’ primary or majority focus is in the construction industry and when construction activities take up more than half of your total employees’ time (including subcontractors). If this applies to your business, you need to register with CITB and complete an annual Levy Return so they can carry out a Levy assessment. For businesses paying less than £80k annually in wages or payments of your PAYE employees and CIS-registered operatives, you won’t need to pay the Levy.

How does it work?

All employers in the construction industry are subject to assessment to Levy and must complete and send a Levy Return under the Industrial Training Act 1982. This is so that they can assess how much levy you are required to pay. You can do this online or by post, but you must first register with CITB before Citrus Training can draw any funding for you.

How much does it cost?

Levy rates for 2021 - 2023 Levy Assessments, under the 2022 Levy Order are confirmed as:

• 0.35% on payroll staff (including furlough payments made under the HMRC Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme)
• 1.25% on CIS subcontractors for who you make CIS deductions (Net paid CIS)

If your total wage bill (payroll and Net CIS) is between £120,000 and £399,999 your organisation will receive a 50% reduction on your levy. This is called the 'Small Business Levy Reduction'.

What are the benefits?

The commercial benefits are significant. Claiming a grant for your training needs, not only helps to pay for your training but leads to ultimately more efficient and productive colleagues.

All Citrus Training courses have been mapped to relevant and available ATO training standards. This means you can be confident that you or your delegates are receiving industry recognised training of the highest level.

From April 2023 the CITB doubled the grant rates for short courses. CITB registered businesses can now claim:

• Grant Tier 1: £60
• Grant Tier 2: £140
• Grant Tier 3: £240

Please get in touch for more information on specific course grants.

For those taking NVQs, the grants have increased to £1,250 for Supervisor NVQs and £1,500 for Manager NVQs.

The application process

For more information on how to apply for Levy payments click here. Once you have registered with the CITB, supply us with your CITB number and Citrus Training, as an ATO, will notify CITB upon successful course completion so that the funds you are eligible for can be automatically paid to you.