Government grant for customs training funding

HMRC has extended the deadline for customs training funding, helping business upskill staff in making customs declarations. Applications are open until 30 June 2021 (or until all funding is allocated).

The funding is open to businesses that are established in or have a branch in the UK when the grant is paid to you, and for those that have not previously failed to meet tax obligations.

To apply for the grants, your business must either complete customs declarations for yourself or someone else (or intend to in the future) and you must import from or export to the EU.

The grant will give you up to 100% of the cost of training for your employees, up to a limit of £1,500 per trainee.

For further information, please click here.

Other grants available if your business completes customs declarations

If your business completes customs declarations, you can apply for three grants to help your business complete customs declarations for recruitment, training and IT improvements.

You can apply to get funding for:

• training that helps your business to complete customs declarations and processes (see above)
• hiring new staff to help your business complete customs declarations
• IT improvements to help your business complete customs declarations more efficiently

Your business must:

• have been established in the UK for at least 12 months before the submission of your application and when the grant is paid
• not have previously failed to meet its tax obligations

In addition, your business must meet one of the descriptions below:

• complete or intend to complete customs declarations on behalf of your clients
• be an importer or exporter and complete or intend to complete declarations internally for your own goods
• be an organisation which recruits, trains and places apprentices in businesses to undertake customs declarations

Please click here for further information and guidance.