Enterprise Oxfordshire is encouraging companies of all sizes to explore its Apprenticeship Levy Support Scheme, which enables large employers to share up to 50 per cent of their unused apprenticeship levy funds to fully cover the cost of apprenticeship training and end-point assessment.
Smaller businesses that do not pay the apprenticeship levy, as well as larger employers who have already used their own levy funds, can benefit from the scheme at no cost.
Helen Brind, director of business and skills at Enterprise Oxfordshire, said: “Our Apprenticeship Levy Support Scheme plays a vital role in ensuring apprenticeship funds stay here in the county – and it is only through the support of committed organisations such as Grundon that these initiatives and opportunities can thrive.
“We’d urge the county’s levy paying businesses to get in touch to find out more about the scheme and how they can support apprenticeships and the talent pipeline here in Oxfordshire.
“We’d also urge the county’s smaller businesses – or even larger organisations who’ve already utilised their own funds – to contact us and see how the initiative can work for them.”
To date, the scheme has secured £6.6 million in levy funds within Oxfordshire, funding 529 apprenticeship starts and generating £15.9 million in social value.
Enterprise Oxfordshire supports both donating and receiving employers throughout the process, from partner matching to completing the levy transfer via the Apprenticeship Service.
The most recent supporter of the scheme is Grundon, a waste management company based in Wallingford, which has pledged £100,000 of its levy funds to back apprenticeships in the county.
Addisen Gregory, future talent lead at Grundon, said: “The business has long recognised the value apprentices bring to business growth, innovation and community development.
“As a major employer with a strong commitment to supporting local talent, Grundon had been exploring meaningful ways to reinvest in its surrounding communities.
“By contributing our levy funds, we hope to give SMEs and other smaller organisations the same benefits we have seen at Grundon: skilled, motivated employees who can grow and thrive, supporting personal, business and community development.”
In 2025, Enterprise Oxfordshire rebranded from the Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (OxLEP) following changes in economic development structures.
These changes resulted in upper-tier local authorities, in this case Oxfordshire County Council, overseeing economic development functions and becoming the organisation’s sole shareholder.
Grundon is also sponsoring the Higher / Degree Apprentice of the Year award at the 10th annual Oxfordshire Apprenticeship Awards, which will take place on May 21, 2026, at the University of Oxford’s new Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities.
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