Funded training worth up to £19,000. Here's why you pay nothing.
The Growth & Skills Levy funds professional qualifications — Level 3 to Level 5 — at no cost to you and little or no cost to your employer. Six hours a week during working hours. We handle all the paperwork.
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What is the Growth & Skills Levy?
The Growth and Skills Levy is a UK government scheme that funds workplace training in England. Every organisation with an annual payroll above £3 million pays 0.5% into a ring-fenced digital account. A £15,000 annual allowance effectively sets the threshold at £3 million. That money can only be spent on approved training programmes. It cannot be withdrawn as cash. If it isn't used within 24 months, it expires.
Most organisations leave it untouched.
iO-Sphere programmes are approved to draw from this account. When you join one, the levy pays for everything — training, coaching, assessment, certification. The training is free to the learner. For most employers, the cost is already paid.
What if my employer doesn't pay the levy?
Smaller organisations — payroll under £3 million — don't pay the levy, but they still get access. The government covers 95% of the programme cost. Your employer pays 5%. On a £13,000 programme, that's £650. On a £19,000 programme, that's £950. No VAT. Some levy-paying organisations can also transfer unused funds to smaller ones — we can help arrange that.
How does the funding actually work?
- 1
Your employer's levy account pays the training cost
Your employer already pays into a digital apprenticeship service account as part of payroll. When you start an iO-Sphere programme, the full cost is drawn from that balance. No new budget needed. No purchase order. No invoice. For smaller organisations without a levy account, the government co-investment covers 95%.
- 2
Your employer provides your time — six hours a week
The only commitment beyond funding is time: six hours a week during working hours. Two hours of live coaching with your cohort. Two hours of self-paced learning. Two hours of coach-supported project work on a real problem inside your organisation. No evenings. No weekends. No career break.
- 3
We handle everything else
iO-Sphere manages DfE registration, digital account access, the training plan, progress reporting, and end-point assessment coordination. Your HR team signs one training agreement. We do the rest. You finish with a nationally recognised Level 3, 4 or 5 qualification that goes on your CV and LinkedIn permanently.
Whether you're the learner or the employer
If you're exploring a programme for yourself
You've seen “fully funded” on one of our programme pages and want to know how that's real. Here's the short version: if your employer pays the levy (payroll above £3 million), the money already exists in their digital account. We draw from it to fund your training. If your employer is smaller, the government covers 95% and your employer pays a small contribution — typically £500–£950. Either way, you pay nothing — not now, not later, not if you leave. The qualification is yours permanently.
The main thing you'll need is your employer's agreement to release six hours of your working week. Most managers say yes immediately once they see it's fully funded and produces real deliverables — not just a certificate. We provide a one-page brief you can share, and our team can join a call to answer their questions directly. No pressure, no pitch.
If you're evaluating this for your team
Your employees can access professionally delivered, nationally recognised qualifications at little or no cost to your organisation.
If your payroll is above £3 million, you're already paying 0.5% into a digital apprenticeship service account. Those funds expire after 24 months if unspent. iO-Sphere programmes draw from that balance directly. Your additional cost is zero.
If your payroll is under £3 million, the government covers 95% of the programme cost. Your contribution is typically £500–£950 per learner. No VAT.
Either way, the only thing you provide beyond funding is six hours a week of the learner's time during working hours. What you get back is a more capable team member with a recognised qualification and a portfolio of work done on real problems inside your organisation.
We handle DfE registration, the training plan, progress reporting, and assessment coordination. Your HR team signs one agreement. That's the full administrative ask.
Programmes funded through the levy
All approved Department for Education standards, delivered by iO-Sphere's practitioner coaches.
AI Transformation
Worth £18,000. You pay £0.
Data & AI Essentials
Worth £13,000. You pay £0.
Data Engineering
Worth £19,000. You pay £0.
Advanced Data & AI
Worth £15,000. You pay £0.
Data & AI Strategy
Worth £10,000. You pay £0.
Data & AI Governance
Worth £10,000. You pay £0.
Common questions about levy-funded training
What is the Growth & Skills Levy?+
The Growth & Skills Levy (formerly the Apprenticeship Levy) is a UK government scheme that funds workplace training in England. Organisations with an annual payroll above £3 million pay 0.5% into a ring-fenced digital account. That money can only be used for approved training programmes — like iO-Sphere's funded qualifications. Unspent funds expire after 24 months.
How much does the learner pay?+
Nothing. £0. The training is free to the learner. The entire cost is covered by the employer's levy account or government co-investment. There is no cost to the individual — not upfront, not deferred, not if they leave their employer. The qualification belongs to them permanently.
How much does the employer pay?+
If you pay the levy (payroll above £3 million): nothing beyond the levy you're already paying. You pay 0.5% of payroll minus a £15,000 annual allowance — that money sits in your digital apprenticeship service account, and programme costs are drawn from it directly. If you don't pay the levy (payroll under £3 million): the government covers 95% of the programme cost. You pay 5% — typically £500–£950 depending on the programme. No VAT.
How much time does it take?+
Six hours per week during working hours. Two hours of live coaching with a small cohort. Two hours of self-paced learning on iO-Sphere's PRISM platform. Two hours of coach-supported project work applied to the learner's actual role. All programmes run for 15 months of guided training plus three months of portfolio-based assessment. No exams.
Who is eligible?+
Any employee aged 19 or over, employed in England under PAYE, with the right to work in the UK and three years of ordinary residency in the UK or EEA (including those with settled or pre-settled status). No degree required. No technical background required. The employee must be in a role where the programme content is relevant to their work.
How do I apply?+
Fill in a short form — it takes about two minutes. We'll then arrange a 15-minute call to check eligibility, answer your questions, and help you choose the right programme. If you need help getting your employer on board, we handle that too.
What qualifications are available through iO-Sphere?+
iO-Sphere delivers six levy-funded programmes, all approved Department for Education standards: • Data & AI Essentials — Level 3, worth £13,000 • AI Transformation — Level 4, worth £18,000 • Advanced Data & AI — Level 4, worth £15,000 • Data & AI Strategy — Level 4, worth £10,000 • Data & AI Governance — Level 4, worth £10,000 • Data Engineering — Level 5, worth £19,000
What do the levels mean?+
Level 3 is equivalent to A-levels. Level 4 is equivalent to the first year of a degree. Level 5 is equivalent to a foundation degree. All are nationally recognised qualifications from the Department for Education — they go on your CV and LinkedIn permanently.
Can I do this alongside a full-time job?+
Yes. Every iO-Sphere programme is designed to fit around a full-time role. The time commitment is six hours per week during working hours — not evenings, not weekends. Two hours of live coaching, two hours of self-paced learning, two hours of coach-supported project work. No career break required.
Can a levy-paying organisation transfer funds to a smaller one?+
Yes. Levy-paying organisations can transfer up to 50% of their annual levy funds to other organisations — including smaller employers who don't pay the levy themselves. This means a large employer can fund training at a supplier, partner, or smaller organisation in their network. iO-Sphere can help arrange levy transfers.
What does iO-Sphere handle?+
Everything administrative. DfE registration, digital apprenticeship service account setup or access, training plan creation, progress tracking, and end-point assessment coordination. Your HR team signs one training agreement. iO-Sphere manages the rest.
Do unspent levy funds expire?+
Yes. Funds in the digital apprenticeship service account expire 24 months after they enter the account. They cannot be reclaimed as cash. The only way to use them is on approved training.
What if the employer says no?+
Most employers say yes once they see the training is fully funded, requires only six hours a week, and produces real work output. iO-Sphere provides a one-page brief you can share with your manager, and our team can join a call to answer questions directly. No pressure, no pitch.
Is this the same as an apprenticeship?+
Yes — these are structured workplace training programmes formally classified as apprenticeships under the UK apprenticeship system. That's what makes them eligible for levy funding. They're designed for working professionals aged 19 and over, delivered around a full-time role, with no career break required. The word "apprenticeship" here means "levy-funded workplace qualification," not the traditional trades-based model.
Check your eligibility — it takes two minutes
Whether your employer pays the levy or qualifies for government co-investment, there's likely a funded route. The first step is the same: a quick conversation to check eligibility and answer your questions.