Find out how to register to access funds to pay for apprenticeship training

The Apprenticeship Service (previously known as the Digital Apprenticeship Service or DAS), originally gave Levy-paying employers the ability to digitally access and manage their apprenticeship training. It was designed to give employers more choice and control, with the ability to make more informed choices.

It is expected that all employers will use the Apprenticeship Service for their apprenticeship management. All employers can use the service to tailor apprenticeship training to meet their business needs, filling skills gaps and boosting productivity. With training provider agreement employers can set permissions to allow training providers to undertake some actions on their behalf.

The service allows you to:

  • Access and manage funding
  • Receive transfers of apprenticeship funding
  • Search for apprenticeships and training providers
  • Choose an approved training provider
  • Give feedback on apprenticeship training
  • Apply for the employer incentives

 

Guidance for SMEs

There are a series of steps you would need to go through to start your apprentices via the Apprenticeship Service.

Account Set-Up

To set up your account, you will need your business details (e.g. email, address and Companies House number - if you have one), and your Government Gateway login for your organisation. If you don't have a Government Gateway login, you can use your accounts office reference number and your PAYE scheme reference number. You will create your account, add a PAYE scheme and accept the employer agreement.

It is advised that more than one person at your organisation has access to the service account so that it can continue to be managed if a particular individual is on holiday or off sick.

Reserve Funding

To set up an apprenticeship and reserve funding, you will need to know which apprenticeship standard is going to be completed and the start month. You are able to amend these details prior to the apprentice starting.

The funds are available from the start month you entered and during the following two months. The funds will expire in the third month if they have not been used.

More information can be found on the government website:

 

Use Funding

To stop the apprenticeship funding from expiring, you need to add the details of the individual apprentice, including their name and date of birth. You will confirm these details, as well as the training and assessment costs, which would have been agreed between you and your training provider.

This will change the status of your reserved funding from active to used. Currently SMEs cannot have more than ten active/used funding requests at any one time.

Apply for Incentives

After you have funding requests which are marked as used, you can apply for incentive payments for these individuals. You'll need your registered address, Companies House number (if you have one), a remittance email address, bank details and your finance lead's contact details.

You can read more about the employer incentives here.

 

Have any questions?
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  • Littleton Street West
  • Walsall
  • WS2 8ES
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