CITB has announced a number of grant changes, which came into force on 8 January 2026.
Key bullet points from these changes:
- Any support for short duration courses now goes through the Employer Network (EN) only and so its crucial that the employer gives around 10 days’ notice when they request training through the EN to give the advisor time to check eligibility of the course and provider as well as the booking team to arrange things. There are only two exceptions to this and they are scaffolding and plant operations. These two sectors are grant eligible only and so not supported by the EN. The EN will also only support 50% of course costs compared to the 70% as it was last year. The exception to this discount is H&S in construction including SSP courses. These are supported to the amounts within the attached PDF.
- Level 7 qualifications (NVQs etc) are no longer supported by CITB
- Attendance grants for long qualifications removed however achievement grants are still available and they are now paid at £600
- Large employers (250+ employees) will not be supported for any training via EN funding after 31 March 2026 however a new large employer fund will launch on 1st April 2026. (Details to be announced soon)
- First Aid is no longer supported by CITB however mental health first aid is.
Key reason for these changes:
- Number of employers supported has increased by 36% since 2021
- Levy rates have not increased in this period
- Current demand for financial support will exceed Levy income
- Changes ensure long term sustainability and focus support where it has greatest impact
- CITB remains committed to supporting construction training.