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13 Nov 2026

The UK cycling industry has responded cautiously to new Government guidance on e-bike conversion kits, welcoming the opportunity to contribute but warning that several key concerns have not been...

12 Nov 2026

Wales is investing £4.5 million in cycling tourism ahead of the Tour de France Grand Départ in 2027, with funding supporting cycling hubs, bike hire, trail...

11 Nov 2026

New powers to give local leaders greater control over shared e-bike schemes, including tackling nuisance parking and antisocial behaviour, are among a number of proposed...

10 Nov 2026

Fairer business rates and better support for independent retailers will be the priorities of the new president of ACT parent company Bira.

10 Nov 2026

The ACT and Cytech joined industry experts for a NextGen Mechanics webinar exploring Europe’s bicycle mechanic skills shortage and the work under way to strengthen...

9 Nov 2026

ACT parent company Bira has warned that Scottish shops risk falling further behind unless next month’s Scottish Budget closes the business rates gap with England and Wales.

9 Nov 2026

The ACT, along with parent company Bira, has joined dozens of trade bodies, safety organisations and businesses in calling on the Government to introduce stronger rules to prevent unsafe...

6 Nov 2026

ACT has published guidance for retailers following SRAM’s stop-sale and stop-ride notice affecting certain RockShox ZEB forks.

3 Nov 2026

Independent retailers must keep evolving and innovating to survive and thrive, according to the former president of ACT parent company Bira.
 

29 Oct 2026

The E-Bike Summit will return to London on 26 April 2027, with the E-Bike Positive campaign, co-managed by the Association of Cycle Traders (ACT) and the Bicycle Association (BA), confirmed as a...

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Apprenticeship funding changes and bigger discounts for ACT members

Posted on in Cycles News

With the recent changes to apprenticeship funding, it can now cost even less to take on an apprentice.

Whether you already have a member of staff in your business who wants to enhance their technical knowledge, or you're looking to take on a new member of staff and give them the skills they need to thrive, an Apprenticeship could be the right solution.

There have been significant changes to the way apprenticeship funding works, including the introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy and more support for smaller employers.

Larger employers (with an annual wage bill of over £3 million) are now required to pay 0.5% of their wage bill into a levy to be used towards funding apprenticeships.

Smaller employees, (with an annual wage bill under £3 million), do not have to pay a levy. They also benefit from additional funding, paying just 10% of apprenticeship costs, while the Government pays 90%.

ATG Training, provider of Cytech cycle maintenance apprenticeships, have been able to restructure the price of their apprenticeship programme thanks to the changes in government funding.

Putting an employee through the Intermediate Cycle Maintenance apprenticeship now costs just £500 in employer contributions, with a 20% discount for ACT members, making it just £400.

The Advanced Cycle Maintenance apprenticeship now costs just £995, with a 10% discount for ACT staff, at just £900.

Better still, companies with fewer than 50 employees that take on apprentices aged between 16 and 18 will have 100% of their training costs paid for.

ATG Training offers two apprenticeships for cycle mechanics:

  • Intermediate Cycle Maintenance - for working mechanics who want more training and qualifications under their belts. This includes a Cycle Maintenance Certificate, Cytech technical two training (including wheel building) and qualification, Cycle Maintenance NVQ2 and Keyskills Level 1 or 2.
  • Advanced Cycle Apprenticeship - for those who want more technical know-how after completing the standard apprenticeship. This includes the Diploma of Cycle Maintenance, Cytech technical three training and qualification, Cycle Maintenance NVQ3 and Keyskills at a minimum of Level 2.

To find out more click here, contact ATG Training on info@atg-training.co.uk or call 01296 737 800.

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