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Incentive payments for hiring young apprentices and foundation apprenticeships

Employers in England can receive several payments for taking on young apprentices, on top of fully funded training for apprentices under 25. This page sets out who qualifies, how much is paid and when.

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Answers are written by a language model solely from this base's documents, with numbered sources. They can be wrong and aren't legal, medical or financial advice: check the sources before any important decision.

Payments for young apprentices

All employers can receive £1,000 for an apprentice aged 16 to 18, or under 25 with an education, health and care (EHC) plan or who is a care leaver. It is paid in 2 equal instalments, at day 90 and one year after the start (or day 242 if the apprenticeship is under 12 months), claimed by the provider and passed on to the employer.

From 1 October 2026, non-levy employers can receive a £2,000 hiring payment for a new employee aged 16 to 24, paid in 2 equal instalments at day 90 and day 365 (or day 242 if the apprenticeship is under 12 months), with the earliest payment from January 2027.

A £3,000 Youth Jobs Grant is paid directly by the Department for Work and Pensions for apprentices aged 18 to 24 who have been unemployed and on Universal Credit for 6 months or more: £1,800 after 6 weeks and £1,200 after 18 weeks. Employers can claim more than one of these payments.

Foundation apprenticeships

Foundation apprenticeships are Level 2 jobs with training for people aged 16 to 21, or under 25 with an EHC plan, care leavers, prisoners or prison leavers. They have a minimum duration of 8 months and at least 187 hours of off-the-job learning.

They are available in construction and the built environment, digital, engineering and manufacturing, health and social care, catering and hospitality, and retail service, supply and administration. Training and assessment are fully funded for levy and non-levy employers.

A £2,000 incentive is paid in 3 equal instalments: at day 90, day 242 and when the apprentice progresses onto their next apprenticeship.

How payments reach the employer

The £1,000 additional payment, the foundation apprenticeship incentive and the non-levy hiring payment are claimed by the training provider and then passed on to the employer. The Youth Jobs Grant is different: it is paid directly to employers by the Department for Work and Pensions.

For apprentices aged 16 to 24, providers must not request any employer contribution towards training and assessment up to the funding band maximum, nor towards English and maths provision, learning support or additional payments.

Frequently asked questions

Do we pay employer National Insurance for apprentices under 25?

No employer National Insurance contributions are due on eligible earnings for apprentices under 25. HMRC guidance gives the details.

Is there support paid to the apprentice directly?

A £3,000 bursary is available to eligible care leavers and young people in care under 25 starting an apprenticeship. A bursary of up to £4,500 is targeted at households receiving Universal Credit.

Do foundation apprentices aged 19 or over have to study English and maths?

No. Apprentices aged 19 and over are not required to study English and maths at Level 1 or Level 2 unless their employer requires it or they choose to improve their skills.

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Claude Code, Cursor and other clients
Claude Code
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{
  "mcpServers": {
    "kopik-uk-apprenticeships-england-employer-guide": {
      "url": "https://kopik.io/api/mcp?base=uk-apprenticeships-england-employer-guide",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer kpk_…"
      }
    }
  }
}

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curl
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