The Employer Support Fund (ESF) is now available to help employers deliver high-quality T Level industry placements by contributing to the essential costs of hosting a student. The fund runs until 31 March 2026 and aims to make it easier for more businesses – especially small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and organisations in priority sectors – to get involved.

Whether you’re interested in offering a placement for the first time or looking to scale up your involvement, this fund can help you cover key expenses that directly support a student's time in your workplace.

Who is eligible?

The fund is available to:

  • Employers of all sizes hosting T Level industry placements for the Health T Level or placements in the Construction route
  • Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) hosting placements for all other T Levels (An SME is defined as a business with fewer than 250 employees AND less than or equal to £44m in annual turnover or a balance sheet total of less than or equal to £38m.)

Note: Arm’s Length Bodies that offer health placements, such as the NHS Blood and Transplant service, are eligible to claim for funding. All other Arm’s Length Bodies (ALBs) and government departments cannot claim from the ESF.

While many employers will be eligible, funding is not guaranteed. T Level providers are given a set allocation and have discretion over how they use it based on local needs and priorities.

What can the funding cover?

The ESF is intended to cover essential costs only – the items or services that are absolutely necessary to set up or deliver a T Level placement. It is not a full cost recovery fund, but can act as initial support funding to help you get started or expand.

You can claim for costs related to:

  • Administrative costs (e.g. setup and support of industry placements)
  • A physical workspace (e.g. renting or hiring space for in-person support)
  • Mandatory equipment or PPE (e.g. safety boots, hi-vis vests, uniforms, scrubs)
  • Training that is necessary for student safety or participation (e.g. manual handling, infection control, site inductions)
  • ID passes or security checks (e.g. DBS, occupational health clearance)
  • Workstation setup (e.g. desk, chair, laptop)
  • Digital access (e.g. student setup on IT systems)
  • Employer travel to deliver a simulated placement activity at a provider venue
  • Specialist tools or kit required for student involvement (e.g. scientific glassware, clinical training room access)

Examples of eligible claims:

Construction:

  • Purchase of PPE: hard hats, boots, gloves
  • Laptop and toolkits to enable participation in works
  • The cost of CSCS (Construction Skills Certification Scheme) cards

Example: A civil engineering company offers placements on infrastructure sites where students need a basic toolkit and laptop to access digital blueprints. Providing this equipment is essential for meaningful participation and so would be a reasonable use of support funding.

Health:

  • Occupational health screening and DBS checks
  • Mandatory vaccinations
  • Scrubs and ID badges

Example: An NHS Trust requires students to have mandatory vaccinations and PPE. It currently has no budget to cover this cost, which is restricting the Trust’s ability to host placements on the scale they would like. These receipted costs would be eligible for funding.

Other T Levels:

  • Software and licences for IT systems
  • Chemicals and safety equipment for Science students
  • Liability insurance for student participation

Example: A small software development company wants to host Digital students but uses specialist design software that requires additional licences for new users. Purchasing licences to give students full access would be a valid claim.

Learn more here: Employer Support Fund: Helping you host T Level Industry Placements – T Levels and industry placement support for employers