Funding Support for Skills and Training

To continue to support skills, training and development, the BWF WIT (Wood Industry Training) Forum continues to work with relevant funding partners to provide access to funding support for eligible BWF members to train and upskill their workforce.

1.0 CITB Skills and Training Fund

The CITB Skills and Training Fund can be used to support the delivery of a number of activities, including:

A wide range of skills and training activity;
Innovation, management and leadership initiatives;
Business sustainability and improvement interventions.

This fund is split between:

Funding for Small and Micro Sized Businesses
Funding for Medium Sized Business

Eligible BWF members can apply to this fund once every 12 months.

1.1 Funding for Small and Micro Sized Businesses

BWF members are eligible to apply for small and micro sized business funding if they meet the following criteria:

You are a CITB-registered employer; AND
You have less than 100 directly employed staff on the payroll, AND
Any previous project paid for by the CITB Skills and Training Fund has been signed off as complete.

CITB-registered employers can apply for funding related to how many direct employees they have:

Employers with 1 to 49 directly employed staff can receive up to £5,000;
Employers with 50 to 74 directly employed staff can receive up to £7,500;
Employers with 75 to 99 directly employed staff can receive up to £10,000.

1.2 Funding for Medium Sized Businesses

BWF members are eligible to apply for medium sized business funding if they meet the following criteria:

You are a CITB-registered employer; AND
You have between 100 and 250 directly employed staff on the payroll; AND
Any previous project paid for by the CITB Skills and Training Fund has been signed off as complete.

CITB-registered employers can apply for funding related to how many direct employees they have:

Employers with between 100 and 149 directly employed staff can receive up to £15,000;
Employers with between 150 and 199 directly employed staff can receive up to £20,000;
Employers with between 200 and 250 directly employed staff can receive up to £25,000.

2.0 Grants for Short Duration Courses and Qualifications

If you are CITB registered, grant support is available for the achievement of the following:

Short duration courses (tiered based on course costs/duration)
Tier 1 – £60
Tier 2 – £140
Tier 3 – £240
Qualification achievement
Short period (e.g. NVQ/SVQ) achievement £600

For specific qualifications in supervision – £1,250

For specific qualifications in Management £1,500

Longer period (e.g. HNC/HND) attendance £1,125 / achievement £1,875

The application window for grants is 52 weeks from completion of the course, applications made after 52 weeks may not receive funding.

3.0 Grants for Apprenticeships

If you are CITB registered, grant support is also available for the achievement of an apprenticeship:

For a 2-year Apprenticeship:

1st year attendance grant – £2,500;
2nd year attendance grant – £2,500;
Achievement grant £3,500.

Applications for apprenticeships grants must be received by the CITB within 52 weeks of the apprentice starting, applications made after 52 weeks may not receive funding.