How to apply for Apprenticeship Boost

You'll need a business myIR account. If you don't already have a myIR account, you can register for one on the Inland Revenue website.

Register a myIR accountexternal

We'll use your myIR account to validate some of your details when you apply.

Your apprentice will need to sign the consent form. They need to consent to their information being used and shared with other agencies.

The apprentice must sign the PDF form below. Do not use an altered version.

Hold onto this consent form, you'll need this for step 4.

You'll need to create an online Apprenticeship Boost account with us.

You'll need to tell us your business:

• legal name
• trading name
• Inland Revenue number
• email address (the same one you use in your MyIR account).

You need to enter your details exactly the same as they are in your business MyIR account. Make sure you check this for spelling, spaces, grammar, and correct numbers in your contact details.

We'll send your information to Inland Revenue to be validated. We'll send you an email within 2 business days with instructions on how to make an application.

If you have multiple businesses

You'll need to sign-up for each business using the same email address that's linked to that business in MyIR.

When we validate your information with Inland Revenue, we'll link together any of your businesses that use the same email address. This means you'll have one Apprenticeship Boost account for all your businesses.

You'll only be able to manage one business at a time in your account. If you want to manage a different one, you'll need to log out, log back in, and select the correct business.

Having trouble creating an account

If you've tried to create an online account and haven't been able to, check:

• you have a MyIR account for the correct business
• you've entered the correct IR number
• you've used the same email address that you've used in your MyIR account
• you've used the exact details used to create your business MyIR account (i.e. spelling, spaces, grammar, numbers in contact details etc.)
• in your spam folder, in case your activation code has been sent here.

If you still can't create an account, you can contact us by email at Apprenticeship_Boost@msd.govt.nz or by calling us on 0800 673 227.

Once your Apprenticeship Boost account has been activated, you'll need to set up a password. Instructions on how and where to do this will be in your email from us.

You need to provide details about your business and apprentice. If you have multiple businesses you need to log out and log back in and select the correct business you want to add the apprentice to.

Make sure the information you provide is correct and complete - this will help us process your application as quickly as possible.

Employer details

In the 'Employer details' section, you'll need to tell us:

• Your business address
• Your contact details
• Your business bank account number
• Your New Zealand Business Number
• Whether your business is GST registered.

Apprentices

In the 'Apprentices' section, you'll need to enter each of your apprentice's:

• Name
• Date of birth
• Inland Revenue number
• Tertiary Education Organisation they're studying with
• The apprenticeship they're training towards
• Apprenticeship start date (if you know this).

You'll also need to upload your apprentice's signed Apprentice Consent form. If you have more than one apprentice, each consent form will need to be uploaded separately. To upload the form, you'll need to:

• scan or take a photo of the form (make sure we can see and read all parts of it)
• go to 'Choose file' and select your file.

You'll get a message in the portal confirming that your apprentice's details have been entered and a file has been created for them.

We'll verify your apprentice's training details, this usually takes around 2 working days. We'll send you a message to let you know when this is done - after that, you can continue to step 5.

You need to complete your application within 20 working days of creating your account, and your apprentice must already be in training when you apply. If you don't, your payments may start later.

Once your apprentice's details have been verified, you'll need to log back into your account and go to the 'Payments' section. In here, you'll need to find your latest payment period and select 'Confirm Payment'. You'll be asked to confirm these details are correct before your payment is processed.

Once we've processed your application, we'll email you to let you know the outcome.

If your application is approved

You'll get your first month's payment once your application is approved. This is paid in advance and covers one month.

If you completed your application within 20 working days of creating your account, your payment start date will be the day you created your account. If you completed your application after this, your payment start date will be the day you completed your application.

You can log back into your account at any time to:

• check payment details
• view your GST invoice
• read any messages we've sent you.

If your application is declined

You can check online to see which of your apprentices we have not approved.

If you think we've made the wrong decision, you can ask for a review of this decision.

How to review a decision