Apprenticeship Support for Small Businesses FAQs

For the purposes of the fund a small business has been defined as a business with 15 employees or less.

The fund has been created to support the Viking Community Fund’s Strategic Priority of ‘More Younger People wanting to stay/return to Shetland’. For the purposes of the fund, young people have been defined as those up to the age of 25.

No. You can apply for funding before an apprentice has been recruited. Any funding awarded will not be paid until the apprentice has begun their apprenticeship with you. Please keep us updated if you identify your apprentice before the fund closing date or within the few weeks following the closing date.

The fund is aimed at businesses employing an apprentice for the current year funding year and perhaps for the first time (as the funding may help remove the financial barrier of employing one) with financial support available across years 1 to 3 of the apprenticeship.

Due to high demand on the scheme when it launched in 2025, it has been decided that in 2026, we will not be accepting applications from businesses who are applying for support for an apprentice entering the second or third year of their apprenticeship.

It can be used to support a variety of costs associated with employing an apprentice. Such as,

• Contribution towards salary costs
• Equipment for practical elements of the apprenticeship
• Clothing, such as PPE
• Course fees (if not covered by another party) – this may be for additional courses that enhance the apprenticeship offering.
• Travel to college and overnight stays – where the full cost isn’t covered by the training provider
• Your time invested (as a percentage of your total working week)

We ask for a breakdown of costs on the application form.

Businesses awarded funding will be asked how they want to drawdown their total grant award, i.e if you are awarded £15,000 across 3 years you may wish to drawdown £5,000 each year, however, SCBF are open to discussing this with you. Businesses are not permitted to drawdown the full amount in year 1. Payments are made quarterly by bacs throughout the year on return of a quarterly feedback form and copies of your apprentices' payslips.