The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) and the Department for Education (DfE) have published a new policy for apprenticeship funding in England which will take effect for new starts from 1st November 2021. It updates the policy that has been in place since 1st August 2021.
The new policy includes changes to:
- Reservations for apprenticeship funding. From 1st November 2021, the reservation period for employers who do not pay the Apprenticeship Levy will be reduced from six months to three months. Any reservations made before 1st November 2021 will not be affected. You can access further details on how to reserve funding here
- From February 2022, if you are a sending employer with existing transfer commitments then you will also be able to receive transferred funds, to take on new apprenticeship starts.
- The availability of the incentive payment for hiring a new apprentice has been further extended to 31st January 2022. Employers will be able to apply for a payment of £3,000 for apprentices with an employment start date between 1st October 2021 and 31st January 2022.