Apprenticeship Employer Grant: €2,000 a year for each apprentice, but not for the craft trades

What it pays

The grant is €2,000 a year for each registered apprentice. It is paid in arrears, in two instalments of €1,000. The claim windows are in May and November.

It runs for the official length of the apprenticeship. If the apprentice takes longer than that to finish, the extra time cannot be claimed.

There is no limit on the number of apprentices you can employ, as long as you can show that you can train them properly.

The grant is taxable. It also counts as State aid under the EU de minimis rule, which caps the total aid one business can receive over three years. The bursary terms put that cap at €300,000.

Which apprenticeships are covered

The grant is for apprenticeships set up since 2016. On these the employer pays the apprentice for the whole apprenticeship, including the time spent training off the job. In May 2026 the National Apprenticeship Office listed more than 50. They include:

• Hospitality and food: commis chef, chef de partie, sous chef, bar manager and butchery
• Hair and retail: hairdressing, retail supervisor and sales
• Finance and property: accounting technician, insurance practitioner, and auctioneering and property services
• Farming and outdoors: farm technician, farm manager, horticulture, arboriculture and sportsturf management
• Transport and logistics: transport operations and commercial driving, logistics associate and supply chain
• Tech and engineering: software development, cybersecurity, computer networking, manufacturing technology, civil engineering technician and wind turbine maintenance
• Construction: scaffolding, geo drilling and advanced quantity surveyor

The full list is on apprenticeship.ie. New apprenticeships launched in 2026 and later include the grant from the start.

Who cannot claim

• Employers of craft apprentices. There are 25 craft apprenticeships, across construction, engineering, motor and electrical trades. They include electrical, plumbing, carpentry and motor mechanics.
• An employer who has made an apprentice redundant in the six months before a claim period.
• An employer without tax clearance when the payment is due.
• The 45 government departments and offices on the National Apprenticeship Office's list.

In general the apprentice must still be working for you when the grant is paid. If you take over an apprentice from another employer, you can only claim what the first employer did not.

You cannot get JobsPlus for an apprentice either. Under the 18-month grant for hiring someone off the Live Register, apprenticeships are not treated as new full-time jobs.

A craft employer may still qualify for the gender bursary below.

The gender-based bursary

This is a separate payment of €2,666. It is for each apprentice from the minority gender on any national apprenticeship where more than 80% of apprentices are one gender. It covers craft trades too.

On the 2026 list, most eligible programmes are more than 80% male, so the bursary is for employing a female apprentice. They include electrical, plumbing, carpentry and joinery, motor mechanics, plastering, painting and decorating, butchery and chef de partie.

On three programmes the minority gender is male: hairdressing, accounting technologist and advanced healthcare assistant practitioner.

It is paid in two instalments of €1,333: one after the apprentice completes 6 months of training and one after 18 months. The apprentice must still be working for you at each payment.

You apply through the Apprenticeship Unit of your local Education and Training Board, which has the form. The list of eligible programmes is reviewed every January.

How to claim, step by step

1. Become an approved apprentice employer. Register your interest on Apprenticeship Online and choose the apprenticeship. A SOLAS Authorised Officer from your Education and Training Board visits to check that you can provide the on-the-job training and a qualified mentor.
2. Hire the apprentice and register them with SOLAS. The law gives you two weeks. The grant terms say an apprentice must be registered within 30 days of starting.
3. When a claim window opens, in May or November, log on to Apprenticeship Online and submit the claim for each apprentice.
4. Have tax clearance in place when the payment is due.
5. For the gender bursary, ask the Apprenticeship Unit of your Education and Training Board for the application form.

What goes wrong

Mistakes in registration can hold up the money. The National Apprenticeship Office warns that inconsistencies in registration or employment details can affect grant eligibility and payment.

The Office can reject a claim that does not meet the terms, and can ask for all the money back if the terms are broken. It can also withdraw, suspend or amend the grant at any time without notice.

Expect monitoring visits from SOLAS Authorised Officers.

A disabled apprentice, or you as their employer, can also apply for funding for assistive equipment and workplace changes.

If the grant does not fit your trade, see the other supports open to pubs, cafes, shops and trades.

Common questions