See the following conditions for tertiary education organisation (TEO) eligibility requirements.

• Condition: Organisation eligibility 
• Condition: Provision of industry training and charging of fees
• Condition: Subcontracting 

Direct funding scheme organisation

See Condition: Eligibility for ITF direct funding scheme for eligibility criteria to access the ITF through the direct funding scheme.

See Condition: Programme eligibility for programme eligibility requirements.

Limit on training above level 4 on the New Zealand Qualifications Framework (NZQF)

You must not spend more than 10% of your Industry Training Fund funding on training at level 5 and above on the NZQF, unless you have prior approval from us.

See Condition: Limit on training above level 4 on the NZQF.

In deciding whether to approve a request for an exemption to the above condition, we consider the:

• educational performance of the industry training organisation’s (ITO’s) current training at level 5 and above
• extent to which the ITO’s higher level training supports participation and achievement of priority learners
• need for new or expanded areas of training
• value of the industry training programmes offered at level 5 and above alongside similar provider-based programmes, and
• total volume of training at level 5 and above across all ITOs.

Limited credit programmes

A limited credit programme is a package of unit standards from a programme that leads to a qualification on the New Zealand Qualifications Framework (NZQF). A limited credit programme should be an entry level training programme that supports employees to enter industry training.

For us to agree to fund a limited credit programme:

• no more than 30% of the programme’s credits can be drawn from elective unit standards in the qualification (or in an NZQA approved programme leading to the qualification), and
• the programme must be no more than 50% of the credit value of the qualification it leads to.

Health and safety and regulatory compliance learning

ITF funding must not be used for:

• health and safety training, or
• regulatory compliance training.

See Condition: Eligible programmes of study and training.

Embedded literacy and numeracy

See the following conditions for programme literacy and numeracy requirements.

• Condition: Eligible programmes of study and training 
• Condition: Literacy and Numeracy for Adults Assessment Tool 

Information about embedding literacy and numeracy into industry training programmes is available on our Improving adult literacy and numeracy webpages.

New Zealand Apprenticeships

A New Zealand Apprenticeship must meet any necessary regulatory requirements for an occupation, and provide an entry point into an occupation. New Zealand Apprenticeships should include a practical component, along with a strong theoretical component to support further learning.

All New Zealand Apprenticeships must be approved by us. See the NZ Apprenticeships Register for all approved apprenticeships.

See Condition: Eligible programmes of study and training.

Delivering training overseas

Learners can access training outside of New Zealand, provided they are employed in that industry in New Zealand.

An industry training organisation (ITO) can be involved in standard setting for, and the delivery of, industry-based training of employees outside of New Zealand provided that:

• no government funding is used for these activities
• these activities are self-funded and fully cost-recovered, and
• these activities do not interfere with the ITO’s obligations and requirements.

See Condition: Learner eligibility for industry trainee and New Zealand Apprenticeship eligibility requirements.

School students may enrol in industry training provided by the school, but the amount of funding paid to both the industry training organisation and school must reflect the amount of time the student spends with each.

Part-time employees who undertake seasonal work are eligible for funded industry training, provided they meet all other eligibility requirements.

Non-New Zealand citizens 

Non-New Zealand citizens who meet the learner eligibility criteria can enrol in industry training and be eligible for funding. They must have a legal right to work in New Zealand for the length of the training programme specified in the training agreement. See Condition: Learner eligibility.
However, we may decline to fund the training agreement of a non-New Zealand citizen if funding it would conflict with the Tertiary Education Strategy and/or any New Zealander who wants to enrol in industry training.

Hours of employment

There is no minimum number of hours of employment for learners. Generally, we expect the hours of employment to align with the number of hours spent in a training programme.

Industry trainees and apprentices can receive TEC-funded support through the Intensive Literacy and Numeracy Fund. We have advised these providers that industry trainees and apprentices are eligible learners.

Funding is limited, so support cannot be guaranteed. Industry training organisations should be familiar with the literacy and numeracy skill threshold and the minimum level of support required. This support may not be suitable for all learners.

Learner eligibility criteria for Workplace Literacy and Numeracy programmes apply. In addition to those criteria, industry trainees must be:

• enrolled in a level 1 or 2 industry training programme, and
• assessed at step 3 or below for reading and/or step 4 or below for numeracy using the Literacy and Numeracy for Adults Assessment Tool.

Industry training organisations will need to fund specialist support from their own revenue for learners enrolled at level 3 and above.