South Ribble Skills & Training Grants

Skills Grants (Training)

This grant can assist businesses to access funding for employees to gain a vocational qualification or licence.

Training / Retraining: This category is to assist businesses to train new recruits or to train existing staff to fill skills gaps. This includes staff being trained on a recognised training course (a training course leading to a nationally recognised qualification or certificate from an accredited training organisation or professional body).

1 Eligibility
2 Applicant
3 Business
4 Info
5 Bank Details
6 Uploads
7 Declaration

The grant application must be approved by the Council before any training commences.

The training should commence after the Council issues written approval. Training courses must be completed no later than 28^th February 2025.

The training grant cannot be used to fund apprenticeships, Skills Bootcamps or any other training which is available through DWP funded initiatives or adult education provision.

The Training grant cannot be used to fund training that has already started or has already been completed.

The training grant payment will be paid following the submission of a paid invoice and receipt, these will need to be supplied before 28^th February 2025.

Who is eligible

Employees must be over the age of 18 and be a permanent employee of the business with a contract of employment.

Recipients of the training grants must be contracted to work a minimum of 25 hours per week.

The employee must be receiving, as a minimum, the Real Living Wage.

One training grant is available per employee.

Up to 10 employees can be trained within one business.

Training course must be completed by 28^th February 2025.

Employees must have the right to work within the UK.

Training must be delivered by an accredited training organisation or professional body.

These grants are open to businesses based and operating in South Ribble.

Businesses must be active and trading as usual. Businesses that are dormant, in liquidation, dissolved, or subject to a striking-off notice are not eligible.

Applications will be processed on a first-come, first -served basis. We reserve the right to amend the schemes at any time.

Businesses that have already received support that equals or exceeds the maximum Subsidy Allowance limits are excluded.

Grant applications must be submitted through the official website form.

South Ribble Borough Council cannot fund retrospective expenditure for training that has already started or has already been completed.

We would encourage applicants to use local suppliers.

Grants (for approved applications) will only be paid on receipt of a paid invoice and receipt for the approved, eligible training.

Training courses must be completed no later than 28^th February 2025. All paid invoices and receipts must be submitted by 28^th February 2025.

Grant Amounts

Categories	Grant Amounts
Training/Retraining (unfunded training)	Up to £1,250 per employee being trained

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All personal information supplied by you will be processed by South Ribble Borough Council in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018. We will be sharing the data we collect with HMRC, Delivery Partners and NFI for Anti Fraud exercises. For more information on how we will use this data please go to https://www.southribble.gov.uk/privacypolicy

Before you begin

Applicants must be able to provide the information below:

Your business rates reference number to show that the business occupies a hereditament on the business rating list list – or council tax reference number if the business is home based
That the applicant is the person who according to the billing authority’s records is the business ratepayer in respect of the hereditament
A recent mainland UK bank statement for the business bank account, showing the account number, sort code, name and address of the account holder and evidence of recent transactions / trading activity.
Companies House registration number (if registered), Charity Registration Number (if registered) plus proof that the business is registered to pay tax (proof of registration with HMRC) and has employees (the business owner if a sole trader) or prepares accounts
Proof that the people being trained are employees of the business
Details of the proposed training course including cost and the qualification it will deliver
Information to show how the training will meet skills needs of the business
Proof of course completion and a paid invoice and receipt will be required at grant payment stage.
If more than one person requires training - please complete a separate website application form for each person (maximum 10 people per organisation).

Fraud

The Council will not accept deliberate manipulation of the scheme.

Any applicant caught falsifying their records or information to gain grant money may face prosecution and any funding awarded will be subject to claw back, as may any grants paid in error.

Agree *

I agree

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Business Information

Business Name *

The number of employees is *

(number of employees included on payroll for the premises in receipt of the grant)

Unique identifier *

Please specify in the text box below *

Please choose the sector your business trades in (as per Office of National Statistics (ONS) classification code) * The main service can be determined by assessing which category constitutes 50% or more of the overall business income.

Please list the services, trades or business products your business provides *

Business Rates Reference Number *

This is a 9 Digit reference starting with 7NNNNNNNN. You can find this on your Business rates bill.

Business Website

Business social media links

Companies House Number (if registered with Companies House)

Company Type (Sole Trader, Partnership, Private Limited Company, Public Limited Company, Cooperative or other (please describe) *

VAT registration number (if applicable) - as registered with HMRC

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Information Upload

Any additional information can be emailed to businessgrants@southribble.gov.uk
File upload sizes are restricted to 5MB per file.

Bank statements *

Bank statement to verify the account. Must be a UK mainland based bank account, dated within the last 3 months, and show the sort code, account number, name and address of the account holder and evidence of recent transactions. Screenshots cannot be accepted *

Business Registration *

Proof that the business is registered with HMRC to pay tax, has employees (the business owner if a sole trader) or prepares accounts *

Confirmation that you are the property owner *

If not the property owner

Please upload written confirmation from the landlord that you have permission to install the equipment specified in your application. E.g. an email from your landlord or extract from your lease.

Employees

Proof that the people being trained are employees of the business (contract of employment or a recent payslip)

Proposed training course

Details of the proposed training course including the cost and the qualification it will deliver (NB: a separate application is required for each person being trained)

Please enter any further details of your proposed training courses

Information to show how the training will meet skills needs of the business

Are you a Real Living Wage employer?

Recipient of the training grant is contracted to work a minimum of 25 hours per week?

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Application Declaration

Any business caught falsifying their records to gain grant money will face prosecution and any funding issued will be subject to claw back.

We will collect and use the information you supply in this form for the purposes of processing your application. We will not share this information with anyone else unless the law allows us to do so. Further information in respect of how we handle your personal information is available in our Privacy Notice. https://www.southribble.gov.uk/privacypolicy

I confirm that the information I have provided is correct, that my business meets all the eligibility criteria for the grant scheme, that the applicant is the ratepayer for the hereditament, that I have not submitted any other application for this scheme, that the business is trading as usual, that the equipment has not already been purchased, that the business has not received funding from other bodies for the same items, and that the business is not dormant, in liquidation, dissolved, or subject to a striking-off notice *

Confirmation to above *

It is the business's responsibility to ensure it does not exceed subsidy limits.

The council would like to keep you informed about local business news, business support, development opportunities and business events, which are run by the council or our partners.

We will always treat your personal details with the utmost care and will never sell your information to external companies for marketing purposes. Please see our privacy policy https://www.southribble.gov.uk/privacypolicy.

If you would like South Ribble Borough Council's Investment & Skills Team to hold your personal data and keep you up to date with business events, support and news, please opt in by signing up below.

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