Apprenticeship Grants for Employers

of apprentices aged 16 to 24

Training Provider Claim Process

This Apprenticeship Grant for Employers of apprentices aged 16 to 24 (AGE 16 - 24) claim process should be read in conjunction with the Employer Agreement and the Training Provider Agreement.

Apprentice eligibility:

The Grant can be claimed for 16 to 18 year olds who who are not in employment and are seeking an Apprenticeship vacancy.

It can also be claimed for 19 to 24 year olds who are enrolling on an Advanced Apprenticeship (Level 3) opportunity and :

  • are unemployed and have been claiming Job Seekers Allowance for six months or more, or
  • have completed a Pre-Employment Training Programme

The Apprentice should be resident in one of the following geographical areas: Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Surrey, Sussex, Kent, Medway or ThamesValley.

Candidates will need to have been recruited and in work before of 31 October 2010.

Note: Unemployed graduates are not eligible.

Employer eligibility:

Small and medium sized employers in the private and the third sectors employing no more than 250 full time equivalent staff in one of the following categories:

  • SME offering apprenticeships for the first time
  • SME returning to recruiting an apprentice after a lapse of twelve months or more
  • SME already employing apprentices but will commit to employing more 16-24 year olds than they otherwise would.

The employer should be based in one of the following geographical areas: Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Surrey, Sussex, Kent, Medway or ThamesValley.

The Apprenticeship with an eligible employer must start before 31st October 2010.

How to claim the Grant

To receive the Grant the provider must first sign the Training Provider Agreementfrom Aspire Learning and Development Limited (Aspire). All paperwork related to this project can be found on the Aspire website

The following process should be followed:

  • The AGE 16-24process will be managed by Aspire.
  • The training provider is required to complete and return the Training Provider Agreement in advance of negotiating any grants with employers.
  • Once the completed Training Provider Agreement has been received, the training provider can draw up AGE 16 to 24agreements with eligible employers and support then to recruit young people to the vacancy. All new opportunities should be posted on the ‘Apprenticeship Vacancies Online system’ with the following words preceding the Apprenticeship Vacancy title: ESF funded opportunity.
  • Once a candidate is accepted by the employer, and a contract of employment is signed, the provider should complete:

a) the AGE 16-24 Employer Agreement

b)ILR (to be processed by the provider for training funds)

c)ESF Short Record (to be processed by Aspire to claim Grant funds)

  • On completion of the ILR, Special Project Code 116 must be entered into ILR Field A46 against the Programme Aim (Framework Aim); this is to ensure the National Apprenticeship Service and Aspire can identify the apprentice, employer and training provider that have utilised the AGE 16-24 grant.
  • The ESF Short Record is required to trigger ESF payment of the employer grant from ESF funds. In order to do this the provider must complete and return this form to Aspire, ensuring that the Apprentice signs it. A Quick guide is provided on the Aspire website to support with completion of this document.
  • The completed, original ESF Short Record and original AGE 16-24 Employer Agreement should be forwarded along with an invoice for £1,000to Aspire Learning and Development, PO Box 561, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO5 1ZJ. Our preferred method of making payments is BACs so please include BACs details with your invoices.
  • Payment will then be made by Aspire to the Provider within 5 days of receipt of funds from the Skills Funding Agency /ESF.
  • The training provider will pay the first stage £1,000 AGE payment to the employer within five days of receipt of the funds from Aspire.
  • After the Apprentice has been in learning for 12 weeks the training provider should forward to Aspire, at the address above, a completed employer declaration and attendance record for the 12 weeks and a further invoice for £500.
  • The Training Provider will pay the second stage payment of £500 when the apprentice has been in employment with the employer for12 weeks from the apprentice start date.

Recovery of funds from the training provider and employer

Should the apprentice leave or be dismissed the training provider will recover a proportion of the Grant from the employer at the following levels:

  • If the apprentice leaves between weeks one and eight the training provider will normally recover £500.
  • If the apprentice leaves or is dismissed before week 12 the employer will not receive the second payment of £500.
  • If the employer terminates the apprentice’s contact or if the apprentice resigns between weeks 13 and 22 the employer will refund the training provider all of second payment of £500.
  • If another unemployed 16 to24 year old is recruited as an apprentice within four weeks of either of the two points described above, the training provider will not recover any element of the grant.
  • The training provider must have processes in place to identify and report funds recovered. Funds must be held and Aspirewill advise how these funds should be repaid to the European Social Fund (ESF).

AGE 16 to 24Training Provider Process Aspire Learning and Development Ltd.

and Claim Form V3 amended 14.05.10Page 117/11/2018

Apprenticeship Grants for Employers of apprentices aged 16 to 24

Training Provider Claim Process

Provider Claim Check List

Process / Check / Evidence Requirement / Additional Guidance
Provider signs and returns to Aspire at Aspire Learning and Development, PO Box 561, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO5 1ZJthe Training Provider Agreement to offer AGE 16-24 grants / Aspire toacknowledge receipt of this form prior to providers offering grants to employers / Signed copy of the Training Provider Agreement
Identification of eligible employers and obtain signed ‘Employer Agreement’. Retain copies and send originals to Aspire Learning and Development,
PO Box 561,
Portsmouth,
Hants PO5 1ZJ. / Has the employer confirmed that he meets the criteria described above and in the Employer Agreement? Must be SME, in SE region who would not otherwise recruit an Apprentice.
Does the employer have a vacancy to start on or before 31 October 2010? / Training provider gains employer commitment and completes the ‘Employer Agreement’(including the State Aid Declaration)which is signed by provider and employer.
Copies retained by employer, training provider and Aspire / Aspire will provide weekly updates of take up of the grants to ensure all providers know when the 1025 have been exhausted.
Training provider progresses the vacancy using AV system and contacts key partners (Connexions, e2e providers) to engage potential candidates. / Potential candidates must be resident in the south east region and
16 – 18 year olds
who are not in employment and are seeking an Apprenticeship vacancy
19 – 24 year olds
Unemployed adults aged 19 -24 who:
  • have been claiming Job Seekers Allowance for six months or more and are seeking an advanced apprenticeship vacancy, or
  • are seeking an advanced apprenticeship vacancy following a Pre-Employment Training Programme.
/ As standard procedure, the training provider checks the eligibilityof the individual, (age and status day before signing up for Apprenticeship).
AGE 16 to 24 payments will be recovered if candidates are proved to be ineligible.
The Vacancy Title on the AV system should be preceded with the words: ESF funded opportunity / Age of apprentice must be under age 25 on the day of starting the Apprenticeship.
Ensure candidate is eligible.
Progress candidates to start the Apprenticeship. / Ensure that the ILR and ESF short record states that the individual started on or before 31 October 2010. / ILR and ESF Short Record states start date before 31 October 2010. / Any claims where the young person commences the Apprenticeship programme after 31stOctober 2010 will be rejected.
Complete ESF Short Record, ILR and provider invoice for £1000. ESF SR, Employer Agreement and invoice should be sent to :
Aspire Learning and Development,
PO Box 561,
Portsmouth,
Hants PO5 1ZJ / All details are completed fully. The ESF Short Record should be completed with reference to the ‘Quick Reference Guide’ / Training provider to retain copy of all evidence forwarded to Aspire.
Aspire require the original ESF Short Record and original copy of the Employer Agreement (including state aid form) and the provider invoice for £1000 to include BACs details. / Grant payments are outside the scope of VAT
Aspirewill check accuracy of evidence submitted and acknowledge receipt. As soon as the ESF grant is received the invoice will be paid. / All form details are completed
Check payment is received from Aspire into your provider account and pay employer as per AGE 16 to 24 process / Ensure payment to provider account is correct and make first stage payment of£1,000 to the employer within five days. / The training provider must have a process in place to identify AGE 16 to 24 payments to their account, and ensure the first stage payment is made within 5 days following payment by Aspire. / Ensure prompt payment to employer for staged payments.
When the apprentice has been in learning for 12 weeks the Employer and apprentice should be asked to sign the ’12 Week Declaration’ and attach attendance records covering the 12 weeks. / Provider has a process of identifying the 12 week stage and collecting the evidence required to release the second stage AGE 16 to 24 payment / Completed ’12 Week Declaration’ and appropriate attendance records
The Training Provider should forward to Aspire, at the address above, the original copy of the 12 Week Declaration and copies of the attendance records covering this period together with an invoice for the remaining £500. / The 12 week declaration and attendance records are complete and accurate. / Training provider to retain copy of all evidence forwarded to Aspire. 12 week Declaration, attendance records and invoice for £500 to include BACs details. / Grant payments are outside the scope of VAT
Aspirewill check accuracy of evidence submitted and acknowledge receipt. As soon as the ESF grant is received the invoice will be paid. / All form details are completed
Check payment is received from Aspire into your provider account and pay employer as per AGE 16 to 24 process / Ensure payment to provider account is correct and make second stage payment of £500 to the employer within five days. / The training provider must have a process in place to identify AGE 16 to 24 payments to their account, and ensure the second stage payment is made within 5 days following payment by Aspire. / Ensure prompt payment to employer for staged payments.
Should the apprentice leave or be dismissed, the training provider will recover a proportion of the Grant from the employer via an invoice at the levels set out in the above guidance note (Page 3) / The training provider must have a process in place to identify and report funds recovered.
Funds must be held and Aspire will advise how these funds should be repaid to ESF / Aspire to report values of recovered funds and details of decisions to redeploy or to recover the funds from the training provider
Training provider informs Aspire contact of funds to be recovered, or Aspire identify through evidence checks that funds need to be recovered. / Funds must be held and Aspire will advise how these funds should be repaid to ESF.

AGE 16 to 24

Training Provider Process

and Claim FormPage 117/11/2018