Government-funded heat pump training
The Heat Training Grant cuts the cost of getting heat pump qualified with GTEC. It's funded by the UK Government and run nationally by the Midlands Net Zero Hub. GTEC is an approved provider, so you book with us directly — there's no separate application to fill in and no waiting to claim money back. The funding is applied at the point of booking. One thing to note: VAT is charged on the full course price, not the discounted price, so you'll still pay the VAT on your course.
Two of our courses are covered:
Low Temperature Heating & Hot Water Systems in Dwellings — fully funded. The 2-day design course that every heat pump installer needs. The course costs £430 exc. VAT. With the grant, the full £430 is covered — you pay only the VAT (£86).
Air Source Heat Pump Installation — £500 off. The 3-day LCL Awards Level 3 installer course, recognised by MCS. The course costs £660 exc. VAT. With the grant, you pay £160 plus VAT on the full £660 (£132) — £292 in total.
If you're starting from scratch, the natural route is the Low Temperature Heating course first, then Air Source Heat Pump — the first is an entry requirement for the second, and both are funded.
There are two sets of requirements to check: whether you qualify for the grant, and whether you meet the entry requirements for the course you want to take. Both are below.
Section 1 — Do you qualify for the grant?
The same eligibility applies to both courses. You'll need to meet all four of these:
- You work in England.
- You're a sole trader, you work for a business with 250 employees or fewer, or you're currently unemployed.
- You or your employer are registered with a competent person scheme for heating and hot water.
- You haven't already used the Heat Training Grant for the course you're booking.
You won't be eligible if:
- You or your employer have received £315,000 or more in government subsidies in the past three years. This is a subsidy control limit, not a GTEC rule — you'll be asked to confirm this in writing when you book.
Your training is already being paid for by another government scheme.
Section 2 — Course entry requirements
The grant pays for the course. It doesn't change who can enrol.
Low Temperature Heating & Hot Water Systems in Dwellings
There are no formal entry requirements, but the course is written for people already working in plumbing and heating. You should have a working knowledge of heating system design and experience in this or a similar trade.
You'll need to bring copies of two CIPHE publications to the course: An Introduction to Low-Temperature Hydronic Heating Systems and the CIPHE Insight Guide – Low Temperature Heating & Hot Water. The Insight Guide is available from GTEC for £55 — call the office to order it ahead of your course date.
Air Source Heat Pump Installation
To join the Air Source Heat Pump course you'll need one of the following:
- Level 2 or 3 Plumbing
- Level 2 or 3 Heating & Ventilation (domestic, or industrial and commercial)
- Level 3 Oil-Fired Technical Services
- Level 3 Gas Installation & Maintenance
If you don't hold one of these, you may still qualify through your registration with Gas Safe (CENWAT), OFTEC (OFT10-105E or OFT15-108W), MCS (heat pump or solar thermal hot water) or HETAS (H004). If none of those apply, ask us about an RPL assessment.
You'll also need current certification in:
- Water Regulations (WRAS)
- Hot Water Storage Systems & Safety (G3)
- Low Temperature Heating & Hot Water Design — course fee fully covered by the grant, see above
Don't have all three yet? That's common, and it isn't a dead end — we run all of them, and the Low Temperature Heating course fee is fully covered by the grant. Call us on 01969 666 111 and we'll work out the order that gets you there fastest.