What funding is available?
The Level 7 apprenticeship funding cap is currently set at £21,000.
- If you are a levy-paying employer, you will be able to claim back a maximum of £21,000 from your levy funds.
- If you are a non-levy paying employer, the government will pay 95% of the cost of the apprenticeship, so all you will have to contribute is the remaining 5%. This means that the maximum amount available to you from the government is £19,950.
- If you are a non-levy paying employer, with 50 employees or less, and the apprentice you are employing is age 16-21, the government will pay 100% of the cost of the apprenticeship. This means that the maximum amount available to you from the government is £21,000.
Fees that are not covered by the apprenticeship funding must be paid by the employer and not the apprentice.
There are rules on who is eligible and what can and cannot be covered by the apprenticeship funding. All information can be found in the Apprenticeship funding rules.
Eligibility for Level 7 apprenticeship funding
From 1 January 2026, the eligibility for Level 7 apprenticeship funding is changing.-
Apprentices starting up to 31 December 2025
You can access apprenticeship funding for individuals aged 16 and over. There is no upper age restriction and you can offer apprenticeships to new or existing employees. You can offer apprenticeship to non-relevant graduates, non-graduates or school leavers.
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Apprentices starting from 1 January 2026
Apprenticeship funding will only be available for those who fall under one of the following criteria at the start of their apprenticeship:
- Individuals aged 16-21;
- Individuals under 25 who are care leavers; or
- Individuals under 25 who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP)
You can offer apprenticeships to new or existing employees. Apprenticeships can be offered to non-relevant graduates, non-graduates or school leavers.
If an apprentices does not meet this criteria, they may still be eligible for funding for the Level 4 Accounting Technician Apprenticeship.
Apprenticeships funding for our apprenticeships is currently only available for employees working in England.
Your training provider will check the eligibility of your employees for funding.
Fees covered by the apprenticeship funding
The following fees associated with our Level 7 Accountancy Professional Apprenticeship are covered by the apprenticeship funding:
Learning materials
Please check with your tuition provider before purchasing learning materials for apprentices as some providers will include the cost of the ICAEW learning materials in their tuition fees.
| Learning materials (per exam) | £37.00 - £96.00 |
End-point assessment
| Current | ||
| Project Report | £376.00 |
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| Case Study exam | £290.00 |
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Please note, exam re-sits cannot be covered by apprenticeship funding.
Tuition
We work with high-quality tuition providers across the world to deliver tuition for our qualifications. Fees are set by the tuition provider and may vary depending on location, course structure and type.
Fees not covered by the apprenticeship funding
The following fees are not covered by the apprenticeship funding:
Annual student fee
| Current |
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| Annual student registration | £206.00 + VAT |
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Invoices will be issued near the end of the calendar year to the qualified person responsible for training (QPRT) or other nominated individual in your organisation. The invoice will include all students in a training agreement during the year.
On-programme assessment
The on-programme assessment fees relate to the 14 ACA exams:
| Current |
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| Certificate Level (per exam) | £90.00 | |
| Professional Level (per exam) | £125.00 |
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| Advanced Level (per exam) | £215.00 |
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Credit for prior learning
| Current | ||
| Certificate Level (per exam) | £90.00 |
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| Professional Level (per exam) | £125.00 |
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Credit is not available for the Advanced Level exams.
Have a question?
If you need any support or have a question on ICAEW apprenticeships, please contact us.
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