Apply to the APAR as an apprenticeship training provider
Source: gov.uk (2025-12-04)

How to apply to join the apprenticeship provider and assessment register (APAR) to receive government funding to train apprentices.

Applying to join the apprenticeship provider and assessment register (APAR)

The apprenticeship provider and assessment register (APAR) (https://download.apprenticeships.education.gov.uk/apar) is a record of organisations that are eligible to receive government funding to train apprentices

Once your organisation is on the APAR, it will be eligible to receive government funding to train apprentices.

Being on the APAR does not mean your organisation is recommended by the Department for Education (DfE), so it cannot use its branding.

By applying to join the APAR, your organisation is agreeing to:
- provide a quality apprenticeship as described by Skills England (https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/skills-england)
- the conditions of acceptance for the APAR (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apprenticeship-provider-and-assessment-register-conditions-of-acceptance)
Join the APAR as an apprenticeship training provider

You can join the APAR as a training provider if you can show you are either:
- an employer that pays the levy and wants to train your own workforce or apprentices (an employer-provider)
- a provider nominated by an employer that has shown evidence of a gap in the apprenticeship provision offer
- a provider in an area we want to grow or where we identify a capacity issue (you’ll apply directly or request an invitation to apply to join, depending on your level of regulation)
Your organisation will not join the APAR until it has completed all post application tasks.

Employers looking for training for apprentices

If you are an employer, you can search for training for your apprentices using the find apprenticeship training service (https://www.gov.uk/employers-find-apprenticeship-training).

If you cannot find a training provider that meets your needs, you can either:
- nominate a provider to join the register (application route 1: gaps in provision)
- apply to join yourself if you are a levy-paying employer (application route 2: join the register as an employer-provider)
Application route 1: gaps in provision

This route is for employers to nominate a main or supporting provider. You can use this route if you have searched using the find apprenticeship training service (https://www.gov.uk/employers-find-apprenticeship-training) and:
- there is no training available for the skill you need
- the provider is unable to deliver the training (for example, it may not be available in the location or delivery mode you need)
You need to register your interest using the find apprenticeship training service (https://www.gov.uk/employers-find-apprenticeship-training) to advertise your training needs and alert registered providers. You should only do this once you are sure there’s a gap in provision.

You need to keep this alert live for one calendar month to allow training providers time to respond.

If you have not been able to find a training provider after a month, you’ll need to provide DfE with evidence of:
- any communication with training providers who’ve declared interest
- all contact you have made with training providers currently advertising for the specific apprenticeship standard
- reasons why all interested and listed training providers are not suitable
Once you have completed these steps, you can nominate a preferred training provider. Training providers must have 12 months active trading history before being nominated for entry to APAR. You should complete the Employer-provider business case form (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69319df50cf0b7e681ff4276/Employer-provider_business_case_form.docx) (MS Word Document, 414 KB) and send your completed form to xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx).

If your application is successful, we’ll contact your preferred training provider with details of how to apply to join the register.

Training providers have 30 calendar days to apply from the date they receive our invitation.

We expect the business case to contain true and accurate information. Once the training provider has access to the APAR, we expect both parties to comply with the arrangements outlined in the business case. Specifically, training delivery must only cover the identified gap standard and any other standards within the same Skills England occupational route for the nominating employer. This restriction will remain in effect until the Department’s account manager agrees to your expansion into a different Skills England occupational route or sector.

Growing capacity

You do not need to show a gap in provision if:
- DfE knows about the gap
- DfE wants to grow capacity to support specific sectors, employers or the wider economy (including Office for Students (OfS) registered providers and initial teacher training providers)
If you’re an eligible training provider, you can use the Request an invitation to apply to the APAR form (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6888e11d048fff613a4d5b13/request-to-be-invited-to-join-the-apprenticeship-provider-and-assessment-register-apar-itt-credited-provider.docx) (MS Word Document, 424 KB) without showing a gap in provision. This is because you cover areas where we want to expand apprenticeship provision.

If you’re an OfS-registered provider with degree-awarding powers, you can use the Request to join the APAR directly form (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6888e239048fff613a4d5b15/request-to-join-the-apprenticeship-provider-and-assessment-register-apar-ofs-registered-provider.docx) (MS Word Document, 425 KB). You should submit the form via email to xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx).

Application route 2: join the register as an employer-provider

You can apply to join the register as an employer-provider if you are:
- an employer that pays the levy
- considering training your own workforce or apprentices
You can apply to join the register as either:
- an employer-provider
- a main provider
- a supporting provider
As you plan, you should to think about:
- the skills your apprentices need in the long term
- whether you can financially sustain the apprenticeship training
To apply to join the APAR as an employer-provider, you should complete the Levy paying employer-provider form (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/684abb67efd2a4de6296ff20/Levy_paying_employer_provider_form_June_2025.docx) (MS Word Document, 417 KB).

Submitting the form does not guarantee you’ll be accepted on to the register. Success at this stage gives you the opportunity to submit a formal application.

Choosing an application route

Employer-providers can choose between any of the 3 routes.

Main provider route

Your organisation will provide training to apprentices for other organisations. While doing this, you can also:
- train your own employees
- train employees of connected companies or charities
- act as a subcontractor for other main and employer-providers
Employer-provider route

Your organisation will provide training to your own employees. While doing this, you can also train:
- employees of connected companies or charities
- act as a subcontractor for other employers or main providers
To be an employer-provider, your organisation must be a levy-paying employer.

Supporting provider route

Applicants to the supporting provider route must have been actively trading for at least 3 months.

Your organisation will act as a subcontractor for main and employer-providers to train apprentices up to a maximum of £500,000 a year.

If your organisation is new on the register, it will be limited to £100,000 in its first year.

If you intend to claim less than £100,000 in each academic year as a subcontractor for main and employer-providers, you may not need to be listed on APAR. Refer to the Apprenticeship Funding Rules (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apprenticeship-funding-rules) for more details.

Apply to the APAR after being invited

You should read the APAR application guidance (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6888dbc5e1a850d72c409187/apar-application-guidance.pdf) (PDF, 615 KB, 57 pages) before applying to the APAR.

You can then apply using the APAR application service (https://apply.apprenticeships.education.gov.uk/) if you have been invited to:
- apply to the APAR
- reapply to the APAR due to a change in your organisation’s circumstances
An organisation can only apply once in a 12-month period.

Guide for apprenticeship training providers

The provider guide to delivering high-quality apprenticeships (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/provider-guide-to-delivering-high-quality-apprenticeships) gives advice on how to deliver high quality apprenticeships. All apprenticeship training providers should follow it.

Contact

If you have any questions, contact xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx).