Apprenticeship hiring payment (up to £2,000)
Department for Education
Worth
Up to £2,000
Deadline
Rolling - no fixed deadline
Type of funding
Grant
Where
England
What it is
Up to £2,000 for each new apprentice aged 16–24, paid through the training provider in two £1,000 instalments, plus fully funded training for this age group — for employers in England that don't pay the apprenticeship levy, on apprenticeships starting from 1 October 2026.
Checked 31 Oct 2026 on GOV.UK: employers in England that do not pay the apprenticeship levy can now get a hiring payment of up to £2,000 for a new apprentice aged 16 to 24 whose apprenticeship starts on or after 1 October 2026. It is paid through the training provider in two £1,000 instalments, at 90 days and one year, and training is fully funded for this age group.
Official sourceWho can apply
A summary of the main rules, not the full list. Department for Education decides who is eligible, so read their guidance before you apply. The free scan checks these against your own business.
- Hiring or training an apprentice
- Apprentice aged 16–24
- Business based in England
- Employer does not pay the apprenticeship levy (most employers with under 250 staff)
How to apply, in brief
Employer manages everything through their apprenticeship service account; the 2026-27 funding rules are now published (Version 1, 15 June 2026) and the £2,000 payment is administered through the apprenticeship service.
- 1Check you and the hire qualify
- 2Set up your apprenticeship service account
- 3Choose a standard and a training provider
- 4Recruit and time the start date
- 5Reserve funding and approve the training plan
- 6Receive the £2,000 hiring payment
How long a decision takes: Milestone-based, not competitive — the first of two instalments becomes payable once the apprentice completes their first 90 days
The full guide, with what to do at each step, the official link for it and a draft to work from, is part of the £19.95 report.
Common questions
- Is Apprenticeship hiring payment (up to £2,000) open for applications?
- Yes. It is open for applications, with no fixed deadline.
- How much is Apprenticeship hiring payment (up to £2,000) worth?
- Up to £2,000. It is a grant, and the funder decides what each applicant receives.
- Who runs Apprenticeship hiring payment (up to £2,000), and where is it available?
- Department for Education runs it. It is available in England.
- How do I apply for Apprenticeship hiring payment (up to £2,000)?
- Employer manages everything through their apprenticeship service account; the 2026-27 funding rules are now published (Version 1, 15 June 2026) and the £2,000 payment is administered through the apprenticeship service.
Does your business qualify?
Eligibility rules are where schemes get fiddly. Gov Owed checks your business against Apprenticeship hiring payment (up to £2,000) — and every other UK scheme we track — in about two minutes, free. The £19.95 report then explains exactly why you qualify, drafts your answers and walks you through the real application step by step.
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Related schemes
Help to Grow: Management Course
Dept for Business & Trade / Small Business Charter
The King's Trust — Development Awards
The King's Trust
The King's Trust Enterprise Programme
The King's Trust
Apprenticeship training funding for employers who do not pay the apprenticeship levy (England)
Department for Work and Pensions (publishes the 2026 to 2027 apprenticeship funding rules); employer agreements are with the Department for Education
Information, not financial advice; eligibility is decided by the funder. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Schemes change — confirm details on the official page before applying.