If you’re a levy-paying employer, you’ll already know that a portion of your payroll goes into the Apprenticeship Levy each month. These funds are set aside specifically to support apprenticeship training, a great way to develop talent within your business.

However, many levy-paying employers are unaware that unused apprenticeship levy funds expire after two years. Apprenticeship levy transfer gives businesses the opportunity to put surplus funds to good use by supporting apprenticeship training in other organisations. Beyond avoiding wasted funds, apprenticeship levy transfer offers significant business benefits and is a powerful opportunity, from strengthening supply chains to investing in local workforce development. 

As an apprenticeship levy transfer donor, this allows you to pass on up to 50% of your unused levy funds to other businesses. Through a simple government process you can ensure that your contributions are still being used for their intended purpose, ie. supporting skills development, even if not within your own organisation.

Why Should You Consider Apprenticeship Levy Transfer?

Levy transfer isn’t just a practical solution for unused funds, it’s a strategic move that can create real impact for your business, your partners, and your wider community.

Strengthen Your Industry and Supply Chain

By sharing your unused levy funds, you can support businesses that may not have the same financial capacity to invest in apprenticeships. This helps build a stronger, more skilled workforce across your sector. In turn, you benefit from a more capable supply chain and a healthier industry overall.

Gifting unspent levy enables you to support apprenticeships in a particular sector.  You may choose a sector that you want to support and futureproof one that may not be your own but plays a vital role within the UK. With lots of sectors facing an impending skills shortage, apprenticeships can help target training where a business needs it the most and train the next generation of employees to gain crucial skills for that industry and become the employers of tomorrow.

The choice is yours: control your investment direction and either align with your own business interests or high-demand sectors such as health or education.

Help small employers 

With some aspects of the overall levy system for smaller employers is being tightened year on year, any gifted funds go directly to benefit individuals. Apprenticeships enable employers to grow their own talent, ensuring that their business develops staff who fit with the company’s ethos, values and practices.  

Gifting some of your unspent levy to smaller employers can make a huge difference. An apprentice could be a future leader, and with apprenticeships standards teaching current industry best practice, you can be sure that the skills they gain through your gift are relevant and compliant. 

Levy transfer donors help bridge national skills gaps in key sectors, ensuring a larger pool of skilled talent for the wider industry and importantly, growing that talent pipeline.

When you support SMEs via Aspiration Training, you invest in companies that lack the training budget in schools, dental surgeries, care homes and more.

Invest in Your Local Community

Levy transfers allow you to play an active role in developing talent locally. By enabling other organisations to take on apprentices, you’re contributing to the growth of a skilled workforce in your area, helping individuals access opportunities and supporting long-term economic development.

Maximise your regional impact, boost the local economy and help local people and businesses thrive.

Make the Most of Your Levy Funds

If you’re not able to use all your levy contributions internally, transferring them ensures they don’t go to waste within the current two-year window (soon to change to one year in August 2026). It’s a flexible way to maximise the value of your investment while still meeting apprenticeship targets and commitments.

Build Meaningful Partnerships

Levy transfer can open the door to stronger relationships with other organisations, including charities and third-sector employers who may have limited training budgets. Supporting these partners not only demonstrates your commitment to social responsibility but can also lead to valuable collaborations and future business opportunities.

Corporate Social Responsibility 

When it comes to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), it’s important to direct your funds in a way that offers both positive impact to society and to the economy.  

Levy gifting can help you form relationships with other organisations, build your reputation as a caring brand and support your CSR agenda. In doing so, you’ll be having a huge social impact by both solving recruitment needs while also investing in apprenticeships and allowing smaller businesses to grow their own talent.

By being a levy donor transfer, you visibly demonstrate a practical, tangible commitment to CSR. 

Turning Unused Levy into Opportunity

Levy transfer is about more than avoiding wasted funds, it’s about creating opportunity. Whether you’re supporting smaller businesses, investing in your community, or strengthening partnerships, transferring your levy can deliver lasting value.

If you’re not using all your apprenticeship levy, it’s worth exploring how a transfer could work for you and how it could make a difference beyond your organisation.

To find out more, get in touch via our contact us page or read about levy transfer here.